San Francisco Bay’s Red Rock Island Is on Sale for $25 Million

Red Rock Island, San Francisco Bay's only private island, has been listed on the market for $25 million.

Spanning 5.8 acres of land, Red Rock Island has been unofficially available for sale before. However, this is the first time the island has hit the Multiple Listing Service, which is a property sales database used by brokers.

The island is currently owned by Brock Durning. He inherited Red Rock Island from his father, who was granted ownership by his business partner in the 1960s. At the time it was purchased by his father's business partner, the island sold for less than $50,000, per the Wall Street Journal.

Durning, who lives in Alaska, told the outlet that he is putting the island on sale so he would be able to pay for the care of his aging mother.

"There's no reason to hold on to it," Durning said.

Red Rock Island spans three separate Bay Area counties: 4.1 acres in Contra Costa County, 0.09 acres in Marin, and 1.58 acres in San Francisco. Each area is zoned differently: industrial in Contra Costa, general use in Marin, and residential in San Francisco.

Red Rock Island History

Durning's father had plans to convert the island into a 20-story hotel, casino, and yacht harbor in the 1960s, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. However, the plan never came to fruition following a public outcry.

Prior to Durning's ownership, Red Rock Island previously served as the home to Russian fur traders in the early 1800s. Later, former California legislator Selim Woodworth became the island's only known resident. Woodworth built a cabin on the island and used it as a hunting preserve in the 1850s.

The island currently remains untouched, with no access to water, power, or Wi-Fi. Additionally, there is no flat spot to build on the island, which means infrastructures could take years or decades to complete.

The island passed through several owners in the early to mid-1900s before it came under the possession of Durning's father.

The island is rich in manganese, which gives the island's soil its reddish color. The mineral made the island sought after by miners. To this day, mining tunnels are still present on Red Rock Island.