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Even though these may not be the "best" views, they have a lot to recommend them: different angles, interesting backgrounds, grand vistas, etc. The 2.7-kilometer-long (1.7-mile-long) bridge was completed in 1937 in one of the most remarkable engineering feats of its time. There is a toll to drive across it, but in the southbound direction only. The only reason its not chaos in the above phots is that I took these photos on random weekdays at like, 7am. How to Visit the Golden Gate Bridge: Everything You Need to Know Its on the West Side of the city and thus usually pretty foggy. Drive away from the metered lot and turn left out onto Lincoln. Required fields are marked *. The inside is kind of like a castle stairs are to the right up about 4 floors. On Saturdays and Sundays you have to pay to park there between 10 am and 5 pm: $1.20 per hour, $7 all day. And all the other fun gems in the park totally make up for the smaller bridge view. By the way, if you want to take in all of these vistas together, I highly recommend renting a bike, an easy place to get one is Fishermans Wharf. If Goldstar doesn't have tickets for the date you want, you can book bay cruises at the wharf, at Piers 39 and 41. If I were you, make this your last stop before you leave our majestic city, make this the last memory of beautiful San Francisco. The trail starts right behind the parking lot. You wont be disappointed. But I found it quite strenuous in hot weather. While you need a zoom lens for this view, Alcatraz can also be a great spot to see the Golden Gate Bridge. The Bay is always freezing and on the last sail, my fingers went numb by the end of the trip. On the Bus: If you want to take public transportation to the bridge, catch one of the following bus routes to the south end Welcome Center: From downtown and Union Square (101, 30, 70) or from Civic Center (101, 30,70, 92, 93). Want to stay up-to-date on all things Golden Gate? View of Rodeo Beach and the Headlands, from Hawk Hill. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Conversation. Stretching from just south of the Golden Gate Bridge to Battery Crosby, the trail offers spectacular coastal panoramas, views of the Golden Gate, and a safe descent to Marshalls Beach. There is a gravel path alongside the road down to the battery, not steep, and separated from the traffic by a guardrail. Tip: you can also get to the Battery Spencer view point without a car. I feel like walking the Golden Gate Bridge should be a staple of visiting San Francisco. Kirby Cove is famous for the campground and its rope swing (that sometimes gets cut down by rangers but people all put it back up eventually.) The outside areas are now open to the public again. Its 1.7 miles one way from the Welcome Center on the south end to the vista point lookout on the north end. After running around the city all these years, I finally have tracked down all the best Golden Gate Bridge views. Good news is, there's a Golden Gate Bridge cam that you can use to see what it looks like in real-time! Plus you'll see more pretty views on the trip down to Sausalito. Find out how to pay in the Golden Gate Bridge Toll Guide, which is written with an out-of-town visitor in mind. It sucks, but there are a few tricks to work around the fog. The real "Golden Gate" is the strait that the bridge spans. 4 Great Photo Spots HOW TO GET TO THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE The Golden Gate Bridge is located over its namesake, the Golden Gate Strait, and stretches from San Francisco on the southern side to Marin County on the north. Take Mason Street (off Marina Blvd.) It only takes about ten minutes, but most of it is a long, steep climb up a rustic stairway. The Best Golden Gate Bridge Views - Fog City Secrets Ht up the headlands for a nice hike and view and then drive to Bar Bocci in Sausalito for lunch or dinner. There are two underpasses for pedestrians and cyclists: one under the Toll Plaza, near the Welcome Center, and another under the very beginning of the bridge north of the Toll Plaza. See map above. This guide for how to visit the Golden Gate Bridge will help you get to the bridge and see for yourself why it's SF's most famous icon. Suggested duration More than 3 hours The Coastal Trail is the true connoisseur's way to drink deeply from the quintessence of the California experience. I never tire of those views and after your inaugural stroll on the bridge, you wont either. See Goldstar. This walk assumes that you start at the south end Welcome Center. At the end of a long, park-like area you'll reach the Warming Hut, a yellow building containing a snack bar and gift shop. It can fill up in summer and on beautiful, sunny days, but it's less busy than the Vista Point lot. Battery Spencer is a great spot to view the bridge from on the northern side. Crissy Field is a long beach and nature area that stretches all the way from the Marina to Fort Point, the old military building mentioned above that literally sits beneath the bridge. You can catch it at several places in downtown SF and on Union Square (Post and Powell), as well as the toll plaza near the southern end of the bridge, near the Roundhouse Cafe. Hike to a hidden beach by way of the 1.7-mile Tennessee Valley Trail, see ruins of the Sutro Baths at Lands End, or get your heart rate up with a . On the bridge itself, pedestrians are confined to the east side walkway. West Side Batteries 5. To get an epic shot standing under the bridge, head to the rooftop of Fort Point around 4:30pm for golden hour light in the winter. Literally anywhere you see a bunch of cars parked, stop. The former military airfield now sports a clean, smooth promenade with views of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz , and the North and East Bays. You can see the Point Bonita Lighthouse from here. Driving to the bridge and looking for parking? Of course, my favorite part is when they take the boat under the Golden Gate Bridge. You will find a gravel lot a short distance away on your left. Traveling south from Marin County: Follow U.S. Highway 101 south across the Golden Gate Bridge. It has a similar view as the Vista Point Golden Gate Bridge spot but less crowded. I specifically like the bluff near Battery Wagner, but I encourage you to do a bit of exploring here on your own to find a cool photo opp! Tourists start showing up in packs around 8am sharp (thats when a lot of the San Francisco tour companies start drop-offs.) If you can't find parking in the first three turnouts on Conzelman Road, there are some alternatives. Pedestrians are allowed only on the east (city side) sidewalk, during daylight hours. It is a steep trail, and descending down the gravel can be slippery and loose. But theres more to Battery Cranston than this spot between the trees. Surprisingly, it's easy to park near the bridge, especially on the San Francisco side. Looking east, Mount Diablo is visible on a clear day, 30 miles away. Ive only been once since its a tad hard to get to as its only open a few days in the week and even then, just for a couple of hours. There is a relatively new "official" viewing point, the Golden Gate Overlook, built near the parking lots on Lincoln Avenue, but the views are great all along the cliff edges. From there, you have a choice of going left, down to the Conzelman Road viewpoints and Battery Spencer, or right, on to Hawk Hill and beyond. This net saved the lives of 19 men during construction, and they are often called the members of the "Half Way to Hell Club.". It almost feels like you can reach out and touch the bridge from here, youre that close. It starts at the Welcome Center at the south end of the bridge. The lighthouse is all the way on the west side of the Marin Headlands, so from here you can see Kirby Cove, Hawk Hill, Battery Spencer and all of San Francisco. This lot tends to fill up. You can get to them from theWelcome Centernear the bridge (walk down, towards the bay). You can avoid busy traffic by taking Lincoln Avenue through the Presidio. The little yellow GPS Go Cars have a Fort Point loop option. Baker Beach 6. Yes, you can walk under it! . Ive seen tourists look like they are on the verge of tears before since they have waited years and years to finally see the bridge in person, only for it to be totally covered in fog. Golden Gate Bridge Ive never been to the US, but this, being one of the most famous landmarks, is on my list. There are so many pretty views in the city, it's hard to choose just a few. Seriously, whenever I come here in the evenings theres always at least 2 guys with tripods ready for dusk. Turn left and go under the highway and you'll be on Conzelman Road. Its literally right under the bridge!! Transfer to the #28 bus northbound to get to the Golden Gate Bridge. The soaring and spectacular Golden Gate Bridge is the centerpiece to the Golden Gate National Parks and anchors miles of parklands from San Francisco to Marin, all waiting for you to explore. Yes, the fog in the Foggy City has a name. It featuresLands End Labyrinth! What a beautiful view You are so lucky living nearby! Getting to the Golden Gate Bridge by car See the76X route and schedule. When Im in the mood for a hike and Golden Gate scenic view that I dont have to share with anyone, I head to Marshalls Beach! These extended routes gives you more opportunity to see the bay, the Pacific and the bridge itself from different angles. Visiting the Bridge - Bridge | Golden Gate Guided Tours: Many San Francisco tour operators include the Golden Gate Bridge in their tour itineraries, but most allow only a few minutes to get out at the south vista point. Hawk Hill, the end of the two-lane part of Conzelman is a perfect place to see the Golden Gate Bridge framed against the entire city of San Francisco in the background and the source for the aboveextreme panorama that I took. This is definitely one of the things Ive missed the most since Ive moved out of SF! The fort itself is quite interesting and worth a visit. Union Square to Golden Gate Bridge - 2 ways to travel via Good on you for running. During the high season, approximately May through October, there is a detour to get up to Battery Spencer and the other good lookout points up there. Or take one of the ferries that leave from the wharf from Pier 39 (Blue & Gold cruise) and Pier 41 (Red & White cruise) for an hour on the bay and a trip under the bridge. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You can reach the Golden Gate Bridge from downtown and Union Square on Muni. At mid-span, you stand 220 feet above the water's surface and passing ships below look like small toys.