RELATED LINKS Return to San Francisco City Guide

San Francisco's most famous landmark is much more than just a photo opportunity. The elegant steel suspension bridge, completed in 1937, traverses a spectacular cut in the coastal hills where San Francisco Bay meets the Pacific Ocean. To this day, the structure remains as functional as it is beautiful, providing the city's only direct highway link north to Marin County.

In good weather, the best way to experience the bridge is to cross it on foot or by bike. Sidewalks flanking the roadway are accessible during daylight hours, offering an up-close look at the magnificently engineered structure, along with wide-angle views over the Bay and city skyline. Parking is available at both ends of the bridge, or you can approach from the nearby Marina Green for a lovely seal's-eye perspective.

The most photogenic Golden Gate viewpoint is on the Marin Headlands above the northern end of the bridge. If you're driving from San Francisco, continue past the "Vista Point" exit at the northern end of the bridge and exit the highway at Alexander Avenue. Double back under the highway and turn onto the small road that climbs steeply up to the right. Look for parking near the top of the hill and walk through a crumbling old military outpost to a bluff overlooking the bridge.

The headlands and former military sites on both sides of the bridge are administered by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, a collection of parks and historic sites under the umbrella of the National Park Service.

See www.goldengatebridge.org and www.sfhistory.org for more information.