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ALCATRAZ ISLAND

Otherwise known as "The Rock"

By Luke Beard

October 2^nd, 2013

Alcatraz Island is located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles offshore from the city. Often referred to as "The Rock," the small island was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and, finally, a famed federal prison from 1933-1963.

In 1972, Alcatraz became a national recreation area, and received designation as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

Wear and Tear

The island is home to the abandoned prison, early military fortifications, natural features such as rock pools and a seabird colony, and is the site of the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States. According to a 1971 documentary on the History of Alcatraz, the island measures 1,675 feet by 590 feet, and is 135 feet at highest point during mean tide.