Golden Gate Bridge
Painted orange to shine through the fog, and still one of the most beautiful bridges on Earth.
Photo: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0
Golden Gate Bridge guide: the best viewpoints, walking or biking across to Sausalito, Battery Spencer, Fort Point, tolls and when the fog clears.
When it opened in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge had the longest main span in the world: 1,280 meters between two towers rising 227 meters above the water. Engineers said it couldn’t be built over the strong currents and thick fog of the Golden Gate strait. Today it is the symbol of San Francisco.
You can walk or bike across the bridge, about 2.7 kilometers, with the wind in your face and ships passing beneath. A popular day trip is to rent a bike in the city, ride across to the village of Sausalito and take the ferry back.
For photos, head to Battery Spencer in the Marin Headlands for the classic view from above, Fort Point for a dramatic angle from directly underneath, and Baker Beach or Crissy Field for the bridge with sand and waves in the foreground.
Don’t miss
- 1Walking or biking across the bridge
- 2Sunrise from Battery Spencer
- 3Fort Point, right beneath the span
- 4The ferry back from Sausalito
Insider tips
- The toll is charged southbound only and electronically; rental companies add fees.
- Bring a windproof jacket even on sunny days.
- Arrive at the viewpoints early; the parking lots are small.
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