9 WAYS TO VIEW GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE

It was an incredibly early morning. One of those mornings when some night owls are likely just falling asleep, meanwhile we’re working on our second coffee trying to wake up. We were hitting the road north from San Jose to visit one of the few spots near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco that we’d yet to visit. We live for these mornings. The mornings when you get up super early, enjoy a beautiful sunrise, and still have the whole day ahead of you. Our kind of morning. But if you’re going to get up that early, you’ll want to make it worth the effort. So here’s 9 of the best spots to view the Golden Gate Bridge. We’ll start with the locations north of the bridge, and work our way back to the south side of the bridge. Oh, and did we mention, all but one are FREE!

BATTERY SPENCER

If you’re looking for a relatively easy but incredible view to get to, Battery Spencer is it. Battery Spencer is just past the north side of the bridge and is in the Marin Headlands. There’s a paved road that wraps around and leads you to a relatively small parking lot near some old bunkers. A small walk from the lot, and you are treated one of the best and closest views of the bridge outside of walking of biking on the bridge itself. But one of the best parts about this view, is that you’re perched perfectly facing where the sun rises in the east. Grab a blanket, and take a seat and soak in the sunrise views. They don’t get much better.

SLACKER RIDGE

One of the toughest viewpoints to get to, but one of the best views. We always prefer views that require an effort to get to. If you can simply pull over and park to view, odds are, everyone has been there, done that. This is NOT one of those places. So sort of an opposite of Battery Spencer.

Slacker Ridge is also in the Marin Headlands just over the north side of the bridge. There is a small parking lot at the trailhead, and the hike is less than 1mi/1.6km. We thought that meant easy. Easy it is NOT. It is an incredibly steep incline the whole way up and a dirt path. But once at the top, it’s worth all of the exhaustion. It actually reminded us a lot of the Kuli’ou’ou Ridge Trail on Oahu which we covered in our 7 Things To Do On Oahu, just much shorter. From the summit you have nearly a 360° view of The Bay. Not a bad way to spend a morning.

H DANA BOWERS MEMORIAL VISTA POINT

This is by far the easiest view to access given that it is designated as a vista point just as you’re exiting the bridge. It also offers the best view the best view of Golden Gate Bridge at night. There’s plenty of parking and bathrooms as well, making it a good pit spot before moving on to your next endeavors.

POINT CAVALLO

Just below the vista point, there is a small port for some Coast Guard ships and smaller boats, as well as some older barracks. But you’ll also find a nice little spot with a few parking spaces and yet another incredible view of the bridge and the San Francisco skyline.

GOLDEN GATE OVERLOOK

Heading over the south side of the bridge is Golden Gate Overlook, which with the exception of Battery Spencer and Slacker Ridge, is one of our favorite spots. For a number of reasons. The view is absolutely incredible. There are two tall trees perfectly positioned on each side of the bridges view making for a beautiful vantage point and perspective. There’s a number of parking lots nearby, which are all also connected to a number of low-level hiking trails that go throughout The Presidio of San Francisco making it a great place to spending a half day exploring. A short walk up to a platform and you are treated to breathtaking view of the bridge.

MARSHALL’S BEACH

Those trails we talked about near Golden Gate Overlook, one of them is Battery To Bluffs Trail which connects right up to the lookout. The hike is less than 0.5mi/0.8km, but does go down some steep stairways leading to Marshall’s Beach. From here, depending on the time of day and season you go, you might find some good tide pools, open beach area and another beautiful ground level view of the bridge. Another 0.5mi/0.8km further south along the Battery To Bluffs Trail and you’ll find Sandladder and Baker Beaches. However you lose most of the view of the bridge and it can be quite popular at times, so expect to be surrounded by other humans here.

FORT POINT

Heading back east towards the southern part of the bridge, is Fort Point which is a National Historic Site, and an old former military fort which guarded and protected The Bay during and after the gold rush and WWII. It’s free to enter the fort, however they ask for donations upon entry to help keep the fort open and maintained. If you visit, we highly encourage you to donate what you can. Once inside the fort though, you are free to walk around explore all levels of the fort, including all of the canon rooms, bunkers, rooms, and the roof as well. But what’s even more exciting (unless you’re a history buff in which case you’ll probably enjoy exploring the fort more) is the view of the underside of the bridge from the roof of the fort. Not a view you normally see!

CRISSY FIELD

A little further south on the eastern side of the bay, is Crissy Field. Crissy Field is a former military airfield with tons of barracks and buildings once used by the military, which has since been restored and renovated for people to walk, run, bike, take strolls through the park, and spend time at the beaches. You’ll find a number of places with food and snacks making it a perfect place to spend a nice relaxing day.

CATAMARAN CRUISE ON THE BAY

Catamaran Cruise - San Francisco, California — Catamaran Cruise – San Francisco, California

Our last and final way to view the golden gate bridge, may be one of the best outside of a helicopter tour (which we plan to do at some point). We had been gifted an experience package from Tinggly which included a catamaran cruise of the San Francisco Bay! From Pier 39 in Fisherman’s Wharf, you can take a 90-minute catamaran cruise through the bay which takes you literally underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. And not only do you get to see Goldie up close from underneath, but you’ll also pass by Alcatraz on the way back AND you get to see the famous sea lions sunbathing on the docks! 90 minutes of getting to sit back and relax while you soak up some sun and the beautiful Bay! Not a bad way to spend 90 minutes.

Alcatraz Island - San Francisco, California — Alcatraz Island – San Francisco, California

Sea Lions at Pier 39 - San Francisco, California — Sea Lions at Pier 39 – San Francisco, California

TINGGLY EXPERIENCES

If you aren’t familiar with Tinggly, they are a company based on gifting experiences over stuff. So for that next birthday, or gift-giving holiday, instead of gifting stuff, give the gift of an experience. Memories that will last forever. We have a full review of Tinggly that you can read HERE.

BEST PLACES TO VIEW GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE AT…

Want to know which spots are the best to view at sunrise, mid-day or sunset? No worries! We have you covered! Below you’ll find a summarized list of which spots we think you should visit at which times of day.

Best place to view Golden Gate Bridge at night

H Dana Bowers Memorial Vista Point & Golden Gate Overlook

Both of these spots have straight on views of the bridge, and provide some of the best angles of the bridge.

Best place to view Golden Gate Bridge in the morning

Battery Spencer & Slacker Ridge

Battery Spencer and Slacker Ridge are PERFECT for sunrise, as your view of the bridge will be facing east just as the sun rises over the horizon.

Best place to view Golden Gate Bridge in the afternoon

Point Cavallo, Marshall’s Beach, Chrissy Field, Fort Point

All of these locations offer great afternoon views of the bridge, and are perfect for a lunch or picnic.

WHERE TO STAY IN SAN FRANCISCO

There is no shortage of places to stay in San Francisco. From Fisherman’s Wharf, to The Presidio, downtown, and everywhere in-between, there are a plethora of places to stay. And it really just depends on the type of experience you’re looking for. To be near all the fun touristy type activities and places, we’d recommend staying around Fisherman’s Wharf. The Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf is one of our favorite properties. If you’re looking for something away from the hustle and bustle, stay at Cavallo Point which is a recently remodeled and branded property just across the Golden Gate Bridge. And if you’re more in to camping, stay at Kirby Cove Campground!