UpToWhereWhat can you see from Alcatraz Island?
No one proved they escaped, but three men vanished and were never found.
From Alcatraz Island, the terrain-limited line of sight reaches up to 113 km. The single farthest piece of visible terrain lies 113 km to the southeast (bearing 135°), at 747 m elevation. These results account for Earth's curvature and standard atmospheric refraction, computed from 30-meter resolution Copernicus GLO-30 elevation data across 1,861,892 terrain samples.
Open the interactive visibility map →Visibility by direction
The horizon is most open toward the southeast, where sightlines run 84.4 km on average; terrain closes the view down fastest to the southwest, at 5.6 km.
| N | 23.9 km | |
| NNE | 57.7 km | |
| NE | 17.4 km | |
| ENE | 18.1 km | |
| E | 22.3 km | |
| ESE | 57.9 km | |
| SE | 84.4 km | |
| SSE | 61.3 km | |
| S | 17.8 km | |
| SSW | 8.5 km | |
| SW | 5.6 km | |
| WSW | 20.6 km | |
| W | 13.5 km | |
| WNW | 10.6 km | |
| NW | 22.1 km | |
| NNW | 12.2 km |
Farthest named landmarks in view
91 named peaks, hills and headlands stand inside this viewshed. These are the farthest ones you could pick out on a clear day:
| Landmark | Visible distance | Direction | Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz Mountains | 94.5 km | SSE · 147° | 1,136 m |
| Loma Prieta | 94.5 km | SSE · 147° | 1,148 m |
| Mount Chual | 94.2 km | SSE · 146° | 1,060 m |
| Bald Mountain | 88.8 km | SSE · 146° | 727 m |
| Church Hill | 88.7 km | SE · 144° | 443 m |
| Mine Hill | 88.4 km | SE · 145° | 524 m |
About Alcatraz Island
This federal penitentiary operated from 1934 to 1963, built specifically to hold the country's most difficult inmates, including Al Capone. Over 29 years, 36 men tried to escape in 14 attempts; most were caught or shot, two drowned, and in 1962 three inmates vanished after a meticulously planned breakout involving papier-mâché dummy heads and a homemade raft, never to be found. Native American activists later occupied the abandoned island for 19 months starting in 1969, a protest that helped shift federal Indigenous policy.
Did you know?
- Robert Stroud, nicknamed the "Birdman of Alcatraz," actually did his famous ornithology work at Leavenworth; prison rules never let him keep birds on the island itself.
- The 1962 escape of Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers remains officially unsolved; the FBI closed its active case in 1979, but the US Marshals still chase leads.
- Alcatraz Light, first lit in 1854, was the first operating lighthouse anywhere on the US West Coast, decades before the prison existed.
- The 1969-1971 occupation by Native American activists lasted 19 months and helped push the US government to end its policy of forced tribal termination.
- From the island, San Francisco's skyline, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Angel Island all sit in clear view across the bay.
Frequently asked questions
How far can you see from Alcatraz Island?
On a clear day the terrain allows a line of sight of up to 113 km from Alcatraz Island. The average visible distance across all 360 directions is 28.3 km. Atmospheric conditions (haze, humidity) usually reduce practical visibility below the terrain-limited maximum.
What is the farthest point visible from Alcatraz Island?
The farthest terrain visible from Alcatraz Island lies 113 km to the southeast, at an elevation of 747 m. Earth's curvature and atmospheric refraction are accounted for in this calculation.
How high is Alcatraz Island?
The observation point at Alcatraz Island sits at 74 m above sea level (Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model).
How is this visibility map calculated?
UpToWhere traces lines of sight in 360 directions from the observer using 30 m-resolution Copernicus terrain data, correcting for Earth curvature and standard atmospheric refraction. You can run the same analysis for any point on Earth with the free calculator.
Run your own analysis
Want to know what you can see from your house, a summit you're planning to climb, or a plot of land? UpToWhere computes the same 360° viewshed for any point on Earth in seconds — free.
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