Skaggs Island
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| For over 50 years, Skaggs Island was a secretive, secure, and self-contained naval base, engaged in a number of communications and intelligence gathering functions for the Navy and other federal intelligence organizations. Direction-finding high-frequency antennas, for example, could aid in locating distant sources of communications by intercepting signals bouncing off the ionosphere. The 3,310 acre site was purchased by the Navy in 1941, and closed in 1993, but the antennas continued to be used for some time after that. A staff of 400 people are said to have been stationed here, and most of the buildings are residential and recreational buildings, including rows of single story homes, a theater, mess hall, recreation center, chapel, bachelor's quarters, and administrative buildings, all of which are now abandoned and in a state of disrepair. Beyond the main base and an unrelated aviation beacon (a VOR antenna) the only other structures of any size on the base are two block houses that contained transmitting and computer equipment. They are now abandoned and partially stripped of their contents. Recently, the walls of these buildings have been perforated by Navy SEALs, practicing forced entry methods, using explosives that create round entry holes. The site may eventually be restored as wetlands. |
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25 miles NE of San Francisco
(POINT(-122.39409 38.1903615))
(show on map)
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Sonoma CA, 95476
Sonoma County |
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| Commanding Officer: (707) 553-3341 |
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| Two gates provide access to the base, one off Highway 37, and one from the north side. Both gates are now unmanned and locked, though some vandals and scrappers have found their way in, retrieving copper and other valuable material from the site. The main entrance is east of Sears Point, on Highway 37, on Skaggs Island Road, which leads in a straight line from the highway to the abandoned guard booth at the southern gate. The north gate is more remote, and is next to a commercial farm. To get there take Highway 121 north from Highway 37 (at Sears Point), to Highway 12 east, to Ramal Road south, to Skaggs Island Road. Permitted access to Skaggs Island is by special arrangement with the Navy. |
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http://www.anzwers.org/free/navyscpo/skaggsisland_introduction.html
http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/navsecgru/skaggs_island/
http://www.skaggs-island.org/
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Intelligence, Military
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