Golden Gate Grand Tour: Six Spectacular Views of and from the Golden Gate Bridge
Written: Jan 25 '05 (Updated Aug 10 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: One of the world's most beautiful structures and natural settings.
Cons: Crowds, difficult parking, unpredictable weather.
The Bottom Line: See one of the engineering wonders of the world and its spectacular natural setting from six different viewpoints, one "a view to die for."
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| jsquarejj's Full Review: Golden Gate Bridge |
This review doesn’t talk about the history or dimensions of this awe inspiring bridge. That’s been done in other reviews and in many other places on the web. Here, I’d like to take you on a tour of six viewpoints that you shouldn’t miss--both of the bridge and on the bridge. You could spend as little as one hour or as many as four taking part or all of this Golden Gate Grand Tour.
Start Here
I’ll assume you’re already in San Francisco. Now you need to get to the south end of the bridge by taking either US 101 or California 1 in a northerly direction. Within the city, US 101 consists of Van Ness Avenue, followed by Lombard Street, Richardson Avenue and Doyle Drive. California 1 consists of 19th Avenue, which becomes Park Presidio Boulevard and ultimately joins Doyle Drive.
1. South Vista Point
Get off Doyle Drive at the last exit before the bridge, which is clearly marked as a vista point. There’s a moderate-sized parking lot here, but on really busy days you may be directed to a more remote parking lot, but this is where you want to be. Don’t forget to feed the parking meter.
Here you’ll find a small park, a series of terraces that lead to fantastic views north along the bridge, a small museum/gift shop, a snack stand, a life-sized cross section of bridge cable, and about a thousand people doing the same thing you’re doing. It can get extremely hectic, so be prepared. This is also the place to start your walk across the bridge, but more about that later. Just look for the signs.
2. Fort Point
A small detour out of the parking lot takes you to the Fort Point National Historic Site. Again, just follow the signs. Here, at sea level, you’ll get a spectacular view of the underpinnings of the bridge’s southern span, with the bridge deck nearly 200 feet straight up. It’s also the perfect place to see the southern tower anchorage and the lower part of the southern tower as well as passing boats and ships if you’re lucky.
If you’ve got the time, you can also explore the Civil War Era fort, including its decommissioned turrets, dormitories, stables, etc. Parking can be a problem here, too, so plan your visit accordingly.
As an aside, you can visit locations 1 and 2 in either order. If you’re planning to walk on the bridge and return to your car, visit Fort Point first, and then park once in the Vista Point lot. If you’re not going to walk on the bridge, or you’re just going to drop off some members of your party for a bridge walk and then meet them at the North Vista Point, the order doesn’t matter.
3. Walking Across the Bridge
For your bridge walk, either park at Vista Point or drop off the intrepid walkers in your party there. If you’re dropping folks off, drive across the bridge and pull off North Vista Point, the first exit, to wait for them.
The walk from South Vista Point to North Vista Point is about 1.7 miles with the first half very gently up hill and the second half very gently down hill. You’ll be walking on the east pedestrian walkway, from which views in every direction are spectacular. You’ll see the bridge itself, with its imposing towers and graceful cables, the Marin headlands to the north, Pacific Ocean to the west, Presidio to the south, most of San Francisco to the south and southwest, San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz Island to the east. Even straight down, you’ll see interesting sights including Fort Point, the tower anchorages and their massive fenders, boats and sometimes passing ships.
There are some minor and major annoyances on this walk, but the spectacular views make it well worth the hassles. Traffic is fast, loud and just a few feet beyond a sturdy barrier. Much of the time, bicycles and pedestrians share the walkway. When there are lots of people, the going can be pretty slow and sometimes frustrating with scores of people taking pictures and stopping in mid-sidewalk to take in the grandeur. Plan on taking an hour to walk across, although with a determined pace you can do it in half that time or less.
Finally, you’ll find yourself emerging into the parking lot of the North Vista Point.
4. North Vista Point
North Vista Point is the first highway exit on the north end of the bridge and the terminus of the northbound pedestrian walkway. Here you’ll find a good sized free parking lot, restrooms and a large viewing terrace with expansive eastern through southern views of Angel Island (the Ellis Island of the west), the Bay and Alcatraz Island, the East Bay Hills, Treasure Island and the Bay Bridge, the city and Presidio. Of course, you’ll also get a another great view of the bridge.
5. View to Die For
If you've seen the opening credits of the HBO series Angels in America, you've seen the view I'm about to describe. It's a little piece of heaven.
Just west of Highway 101, opposite the North Vista Point and west of the bridge, is one of the most spectacular vista points in all of California. It’s often less visited because it’s a bit hard to find and it takes some uphill walking.
Leave the North Vista point heading north onto US 101 (it’s the only way you can go). Within a few seconds, get off at the first ramp (the Sausalito Lateral). Don’t go to Sausalito. Instead, where the ramp splits, take the left fork (which may be labeled “Marin Headlands,” “Conzelman Road” and/or “Battery Spencer.” Go under the highway and you’ll find yourself on what seems to be the ramp to get onto US 101 south. If you bear right before you’re committed to the highway ramp, you’ll find yourself on Conzelman Road.
Shortly, you’ll see a small, informal parking area on the left. Park there, and start walking up the hill toward the south. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you find the ruins of some old fortifications. Continue through the ruins to the top of the hill where you’ll get a bird’s eye view of everything you saw from North Vista Point plus much more distant scenes. Most spectacular, you may actually feel that you’ve taken off and are about to fly south along the bridge. It’s amazing! This spot is amazing on a clear day, but if there’s a low fog it can be magical. If conditions are just right you’ll see nothing but a few hilltops, the bridge towers and yourself bathed in brilliant sunlight while the suspended bridge deck is lost in the fog far below.
For the record, the other heavenly architecture seen in Angels in America was inserted in the Marin Headlands through the magic of cinema.
Returning to your car, you can continue on Conzelman Road to see some interesting abandoned military installations--including Battery 129 Hawk Hill-- in the Marin Headlands, retrace your steps and follow the signs to picturesque Sausalito, or just get back on US 101 south, back across the bridge. You’ll have to pay the $5 toll at the southern toll plaza.
This may be a good time to end your tour. Just pay your toll and zip onto Doyle Drive. But there’s one other possibility.
6. The Anticlimax
If you choose to continue the tour, get off the highway at the first exit, just a few yards past the toll plaza. Follow Merchant Road a little way, and turn right onto Lincoln Boulevard. This road takes a leisurely jaunt along the cliffs above Baker Beach. One of your passengers will have to look back and tell you when to pull over for views of the bridge and Marin headlands. The views along this stretch don’t compare to the best of what you’ve already seen, but they’re still some of the most lovely scenes anywhere.
This way of ending the tour is also practical if your heading for the Cliff House or the western end of Golden Gate Park.
Some Glitches to Avoid
If you’re coming from the north, you’ll have to change the order of the tour because the North Vista Point is only accessible in the northbound direction. I’d stop at View to Die For first, then cross the bridge and check out Fort Point and South Vista point in your preferred order, then walk or drive the bridge northbound to North Vista Point. I wouldn’t make Lincoln Boulevard part of this itinerary.
Check the weather before you go. If it’s really foggy, you won’t see anything. However, if you’re a weather expert, you may be able to plan the spectacular View to Die For. If it’s cold or windy, you probably won’t want to walk across the bridge.
Check the local newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, for shipping news. You may be able to plan a bridge walk to coincide with a ship arrival, but remember that these estimates are pretty rough. Another strategy works pretty well: if you happen to see a ship headed toward the Golden Gate, rush over and start walking across the bridge.
Take food and water. There are no really good sources of either along this tour route.
However you tour the Golden Gate Bridge, have fun!
Related Links
Check out my San Francisco hotel reviews.
Two inns between the city and San Francisco Airport:
Hampton Inn SFO
Courtyard by Marriott SFO
Two hotels in the heart of the city near Union Square:
San Francisco Hilton
Serrano Hotel
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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jsquarejj
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Member: Jim J
Location: Santa Cruz, California
Reviews written: 190
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#7 in Personal Finance, #14 in Travel. My goal? Saving you money.
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