The Farallon Islands are located just west of which of these California coastal cities?

The Farallon Islands look rugged and remote, but the archipelago lies just 30 miles (48 km) west of the Golden Gate Bridge. The islands are visible from the mainland city of San Francisco on clear days, and are considered, geographically, to be part of the city.

The name of the chain comes from the Spanish word “farallón” (pillar or sea cliff). It is apt, as some of the islets are sea stacks, which are pillars of rock found in coastal waters. The islands have also been referred to by mariners as the “Devil's Teeth Islands”, due to the treacherous underwater shoals surrounding them.

In the past, hunters and traders would travel to the islands, killing a variety of wildlife for pelts, blubber, and eggs. Fortunately, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has managed the islands since 1969, and is currently attempting to return the area to its natural state. Today, the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge is one of 63 national wildlife areas which have designated by the U.S. Congress as wilderness sites. The refuge is managed as part of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. The chain and its surrounding waters host the largest colony of breeding seabirds in the continental U.S.

Although the islands are near the city, they have been uninhabited since the 1960s, with the exception of a small portion of Southeast Farallon Island, where researchers from Point Blue Conservation Science and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stay. They are closed to the public.