Located in the western part of Angel Island, Angel Island State Park - Perles Beach - also known as Perle’s Beach and formerly known as Alcatraz Beach - is a beach with light brown sand. This beach is situated at the base of oceanfront hills and is a part of Angel Island State Park. It is important to note that this state park currently manages almost all of Angel Island. 

Angel Island State Park - Perles Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities, so plan your trip accordingly. Dogs are not allowed on Angel Island.

Angel Island State Park - Perles Beach offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, wildlife watching, hiking, biking, picnicking, and camping. The water near the beach is unsafe for recreational aquatic activities including swimming and surfing as it has dangerous currents and strong waves. Depending on the time of the year, you can see many kinds of animals in the water near Angel Island State Park - Perles Beach including seals and sea lions. The beach offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Pacific Ocean and the Northern California shoreline. 

Angel Island State Park has interesting hiking and biking trails which offer a unique way to explore Angel Island’s vibrant landscape. In addition, you can also view raccoons and deer while hiking around Angel Island State Park. If you are looking for another interesting way to explore Angel Island, Angel Island Company is a private organization which organizes interesting Segway tours and Tram rides across Angel Island. The state park also has many natural and historical landmarks including Mount Livermore, whose peak is more than 780 feet above the sea level. Hikers often visit this summit as it offers amazing panoramic views of the town of Tiburon, the San Francisco waterfront, and the Pacific Ocean. Fort McDowell is a military installation dating back to the late 19th century. While much of this fort is now in a derelict state and closed to the public, you can still visit Fort McDowell’s guard house and chapel, which offer a unique insight into Angel Island’s history. However, the most popular historical landmark on this island is the former United States Immigration Station facility, which was opened in the early 20th century and processed nearly a million visitors from around 80 countries before being shut down in 1940. This center processed mostly Asian immigrants trying to migrate to the United States. Visitors can still explore the immigration center’s premises, which offer an emotional and moving insight into the hardships faced by these immigrants while trying to migrate to the United States.  

 Getting to Angel Island State Park - Perles Beach is easy - ferry services for Angel Island State Park are available from the nearby town of Tiburon via the Tiburon - Angel Island Ferry Service. From San Francisco, Blue & Gold Ferry Service offers ferry services to Angel Island State Park. From the ferry landing at Angel Island State Park, the access trail to Perles Beach is situated to the south of the now-inoperative Camp Reynolds military installation and is easily accessible via the Perimeter Road (which encircles Angel Island). You can easily reach this access trail by either hiking or biking along Perimeter Road from the ferry landing.

As an interesting fact, the beach is named after James F. "Fred" Perle, who was a civilian blacksmith working for the United States Army. Perle and his family lived near the beach in the 19th century and the early 20th century, when Angel Island was used as a military installation. 

There are many attractions near Angel Island State Park - Perles Beach. Old St. Hilary’s Historic Preserve has a restored 19th-century church which exhibits Carpenter Gothic architecture. The John Thomas Howell Wildflower Preserve is also present near this church and is home to many rare plants including Tiburon buckwheat, Tiburon paintbrush, and the Marin dwarf flax. In addition, another extremely rare plant known as the black jewel flower is also found here - this plant only grows in the serpentine soil present around Tiburon. The Tiburon Railroad and Ferry Depot Museum is located in a former station house/depot, which was built in the 19th century. This museum is a part of the National Register of Historic Places and offers a unique insight into the history of Northern California. If you are looking for another attraction near Angel Island State Park - Perles Beach, Richardson Bay Audubon Center and Sanctuary is spread over 900 acres. This sanctuary is an excellent bird watching spot and you can see many kinds of amazing birds around this beach including double-crested cormorants, American coots, and Wilson’s warblers.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Angel Island State Park - Perles Beach. Scoma’s of Sausalito is situated in the nearby town of Sausalito. This upscale restaurant serves amazing seafood, sandwiches, salads, steaks, burgers, and steaks. Angel Island Cantina offers a wonderful oceanfront dining experience. In addition, the restaurant also serves amazing burgers and Mexican dishes including tacos and ceviches. The restaurant also hosts live music performances during afternoons on weekends between June and October. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Angel Island State Park - Perles Beach, The Angel Island Café has a dining area that offers amazing Instagram worthy views of the Ayala Cove and the Tiburon coastline. In addition, the restaurant serves amazing salads, sandwiches, and wraps. This restaurant is famous for serving its signature pork sandwich known as "The Way Down South" sandwich.