Travelers planning a fall visit to Alcatraz should plan for a temporary closure while crews repair the island’s ferry dock. Work is scheduled to begin on October 26, 2026, and is expected to finish by November 18, according to the National Park Service. Weather and other conditions could affect that timetable.

For visitors who already have tickets, Alcatraz City Cruises will contact customers whose departures are affected. Options include a refund, moving an Alcatraz visit to another date, or choosing a San Francisco Bay Discovery Cruise on selected dates during the closure. The sightseeing cruise is an alternative outing and does not replace a visit to the island itself.

The upcoming work is the final stage of a repair project that has disrupted access earlier this year. On January 14, Alcatraz closed for nine days after a piling supporting the ferry dock failed. Inspections found that two of the dock’s five pilings needed repair.

Ferry operations subsequently continued with fewer passengers on each boat. Additional vessels helped the operator accommodate ticket demand while those capacity restrictions were in place.

A second closure, lasting six days in April, allowed crews to reinforce the three serviceable pilings and prepare to replace the remaining two. That work enabled ferries to carry more passengers during the busy tourist season.

During the autumn shutdown, crews will replace the two remaining pilings and complete improvements to the system supporting the floating dock. The schedule also reflects restrictions on in-water construction in San Francisco Bay after November 30.

Alcatraz City Cruises is paying for and carrying out the repairs. The company operates more than 3,200 ferry trips to the island each year, transporting approximately 1.5 million visitors. Once the replacement and strengthening work is complete, officials expect the dock system to have a useful life of 20 to 30 years.

Anyone arranging a trip near the closure period should check the National Park Service website for schedule updates. For refunds, replacement bookings, or questions about an existing reservation, contact Alcatraz City Cruises.