Golden Gate Bridge – what a wonderful construction! During our very first visit to San Francisco we couldn’t see it properly because of the heavy fog. That’s why we decided to come back and give it another go. And we were lucky, the weather was fantastic and the bridge fully visable. We had to take photos of the Golden Gate from every angle!
As a Full House biggest fun in the childhood, Wiola promised herself to come to San Francisco and see it all by herself! The Golden Gate was always proudly displayed in the Full House opening so it was a bucket list adventure to be ticked off!
The bridge itself is very impressive and you can admire it from many different locations around. These are the best viewing points, according to us:
Crissy Field
- Not far from the Palace of the Fine Arts, there’s a beach and a recreation area called „Crissy Field”. It’s a perfect place for a sunbathing session but most importantly, it’s the best sunset point! The sun will set directly behind the Golden Gate bridge giving you the magical photography opoortunity.
Fort Point
- As we enter the bridge, there’s a Fort Point on the right side! We need to stick to the right lane of the road as it’s fairly easy to miss the exit. You will find there a Visitor Centre which gives you an opportunity to get to know many interesting facts about the Bridge itself. This location provides the spectacular lookout of the Golden Gate with the possibility to walk across it, to the other side of the bay. The one-way distance is 2-7km so it can be tiring a bit, especially because of the strong wind and the busy-highway traffic. Still, it’s a bucket list adventure!
Vista point
- Vista Point is located on the other side of the bridge, in a similar way to the Fort Point described above. It’s an amazing spot as well! We could adore the Bridge from this angle but we also met a little thief – the racoon, eating its dinner from a dumpster. Well, at least we have a fun photograph to recall this memorable evening.
Almost directly below the Golden Gate Bridge
- This location, on the contrary to the ones described above, is not as touristy. If you continue the road from the Vista Point, exit the highway to the right and follow the East Rd for a while towards the bay, you will find yourself almost directly below the red-construction. This spot seems to be quiet, visited mostly by fishermen. We highly recommend coming here for another great photoraphic opportunity.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
- Last but not least… if you head back South, towards San Francisco, just as if you were to cross the bridge, you need to turn right, and follow the road sign directing you to the Golden Gate Recreation Area. (It’s a little bit difficult because once you miss it, you can not reverse on the highway!). If you follow that road, it will take you to the small lighthouse, at the end. In the meantime, there are plenty of great lookouts of the Golden Gate with the San Francisco in the background. This location is perfect for the sunrise shots. We were blown away how pretty this landscape looked with the warm colours, shortly after the dawn. Wake, up San francisco!
| Wake up, San Francisco! Sunrise |
As we mentioned, there are loads of perfect spots to admire the Golden Gate Bridge, just like Baker Beach, Lands End Park together with its cliffs or from the hill in Golden Gate Park. The touristy Fisherman’s Wharf is also a good option! Which location is your favourite?