Camping in the Middle of Somewhere

San Francisco Bay is dotted with islands. One of them, Angel Island, is a state park with camping facilities. The only way to reach Angel Island is by ferry and the campsites are a mile or more hike from the ferry landing, making it a backpacking adventure. The campsites are basic — there’s water, an outhouse, a picnic table, and a bear safe (for raccoons, since there are no bears on the island) — but no cabins or indoor plumbing.

It’s like a lot of backpacking camping locations across the cou...