Photos: Private island in San Francisco Bay for sale for $25 million
Red Rock Island was settled by Russian fur traders in the early 1800s and has only had one known resident ever.
Just off the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge is Red Rock Island, the only private island in San Francisco Bay, and it is for sale for $25 million.
Originally settled by Russian fur traders in the early 1800s, the island was later home to its only known resident: Selim Woodworth, a former California senator and son of 18th century poet Samuel Woodworth. He built a cabin there for hunting outings. The current seller, Brock Durning, is retired and lives in Alaska. His late father was granted ownership of the island by former business partner David Glickman, who purchased it for about $50,000 in the 1960s. As a child, the seller went to the island with his family to go camping, hiking and fishing.
Whoever buys the island may have some work to do. There are currently no structures, and it has no electricity or running water. The island is also accessible only by boat or helicopter.
Features include a sandy beach on the east side of the island and trails that lead to the grassy and domed top. There are also abandoned mining tunnels from the days the island was mined for manganese. It is a reddish mineral that gave the island its name.
Chris Lim with Christie’s International Real Estate is the listing agent.
In the past, there have been proposals to conserve the island or develop it commercially or residentially, but those plans did not pan out.