Golden Gate Bridge

The Bridge the Navy Wanted to Paint Black and Yellow

Before it was International Orange, the Golden Gate Bridge nearly became black and yellow stripes. The US Navy wanted bold visibility markings for navigation; the Army Air Corps pushed for red and white candy stripes for aerial safety. Architect Irving Morrow overruled both suggestions, selecting the warm orange vermilion that has since become inseparable from the structure. The colour serves double duty: it complements the surrounding hills and headlands while remaining visible through the dense sea fog that rolls through the Golden Gate strait most mornings from June through August.

The bridge opened on 27 May 1937 after just over four years of construction. Its chief engineer, Joseph B. Strauss, stood barely five feet tall and had originally proposed an entirely different design, a hybrid cantilever-suspension that structural engineers considered ugly and impractical. The bridge that actually got built was mostly the work of Charles Alton Ellis, a University of Illinois professor who did the bulk of the structural calculations. When the bridge opened, Ellis received no public credit; he and Strauss had quarrelled, and Strauss effectively erased him from the record. A plaque acknowledging Ellis’s contribution was installed on the south tower only in 2012.

That sense of contested credit, of monumental achievement entangled with smaller human disputes, runs through the bridge’s history. The safety net strung beneath the deck during construction saved 19 workers who fell; 11 others died. A stainless-steel suicide prevention net was completed below the walkways in early 2024 at a cost of $224 million, after decades of political paralysis on the question. In 2025, deaths at the bridge fell to four, against an annual average of 22 since 1937.

Crossing the Bridge

Walking or cycling across is free. The east sidewalk is open to pedestrians daily from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM (6:30 PM between November and March). Cyclists have access 24 hours a day, alternating between the east and west sidewalks depending on time of day; at night, access requires buzzing through a gate monitored by camera. The full crossing is 2.7 kilometres (1.7 miles) and takes 30 to 45 minutes on foot at a comfortable pace. The toll for vehicles crossing southbound (into San Francisco) is $10.00 for licence-plate billed accounts or $9.75 for FasTrak users. There is no toll northbound.

The Welcome Center on the San Francisco side has exhibits on the bridge’s construction and a good gift shop. Fort Point, a Civil War-era brick fort directly beneath the south anchorage, offers the only view looking straight up at the underside of the roadway. The juxtaposition of 1860s military architecture with the steel cables overhead is genuinely strange and worth the short walk down from the main visitor area.

Best Places to See It

The east walkway gives you the experience of the bridge. The views below and around are extraordinary: the bay to the east, the Marin Headlands to the north, and the Pacific to the west. The span length and the height of the towers (227 metres from water to top) are only properly understood from above, moving through them.

For exterior views, the options depend on what you want.

Battery Spencer (Marin Headlands): The old military battery on the north side of the bridge, accessible by driving over and taking the Conzelman Road turnoff, gives an eye-level view of the north tower and a head-on perspective of the full span with San Francisco’s skyline visible behind it. This is arguably the best single photograph location, particularly in the morning when fog often fills the bay behind the bridge while the towers stand clear above it. Weekday mornings are considerably quieter than weekends.

Hawk Hill (Marin Headlands): Higher up on the headlands, Hawk Hill offers a 360-degree panorama taking in the bridge, the city, the bay, and on clear days as far as Point Reyes. The hike from the Battery Spencer area takes about 25 minutes up a moderate trail.

Baker Beach (San Francisco side): The beach below the south end of the bridge gives a view looking up at the span from the water line. The best light is in the morning. Parking fills on weekends; arrive before 9am or walk in from the Lincoln Boulevard trailhead. The beach itself is open to swimming, though the currents in the Golden Gate are strong and most people stay near the shore.

Vista Point (North, Sausalito side): The parking lot on the Marin side of the north anchorage gives a view looking back toward San Francisco with the bridge in the foreground. It fills quickly at peak hours; the view is good but this is also the busiest of the standard photography spots.

From the bay: Ferries running from the Ferry Building to Sausalito or Tiburon pass through the bay with good mid-distance views of the bridge. This is a practical option if you are already doing a Sausalito day trip.

San Francisco Beyond the Bridge

Alcatraz Island: Federal penitentiary tours run by the National Park Service. Ferries depart from Pier 33. Book several weeks in advance in summer; the tours sell out. The audio guide narrated by former inmates and guards is genuinely good.

Golden Gate Park: A large urban park running from the Panhandle to the ocean, containing the de Young Museum (art), the California Academy of Sciences (natural history and aquarium), the Conservatory of Flowers, and the Japanese Tea Garden. Plan half a day minimum.

Marin Headlands trails: The Golden Gate National Recreation Area on the north side of the bridge has an extensive trail network covering the coastal headlands, former military installations, and bird-watching areas. The Tennessee Valley trail (moderate, 8 kilometres round trip) runs to a secluded beach. Most trails are accessible without a permit.

The Ferry Building: The renovated 1898 ferry terminal on the Embarcadero houses a permanent food market with local producers, bakeries, oyster bars, and coffee. The Saturday farmers’ market outside (8am to 2pm) is the best in the city.

Fisherman’s Wharf area: Heavily touristy, but the sourdough bread bowls and Dungeness crab available from the crab stands along the waterfront are legitimately good and reasonably priced relative to the sit-down restaurants nearby. Pier 39’s sea lion colony (a spontaneous mass arrival in 1989 that the harbour decided to keep) is a free and oddly entertaining stop.

Where to Stay

San Francisco’s hotel prices are high by any standard. Location matters: staying south of Market (SoMa) or near Union Square puts you within walking distance of transit and most major sights.

  • Hotel Drisco (Pacific Heights): A quiet residential neighbourhood hotel with a strong reputation for service. Upper bracket but less flashy than the downtown properties at the same price point.
  • InterContinental San Francisco (SoMa): Large downtown hotel with reliable standards, convenient for the Moscone Centre and the Caltrain/BART connections. Mid-to-upper range.
  • Hotel Zephyr (Fisherman’s Wharf): Good location for the northern waterfront, with rooms overlooking the bay. Mid-range.
  • The Marker (Union Square): Mid-century modern styling in a central location, well-priced relative to the neighbourhood.
  • HI San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf: Non-profit hostel in a former military building in Fort Mason, with views across the bay. Dormitory and private rooms. Considerably cheaper than the hotel options and one of the better-located hostels in any major city.

Staying in the Richmond or Sunset neighbourhoods (either side of Golden Gate Park) is cheaper than the tourist-centre hotels and puts you closer to the bridge and the park, with good food options along Clement Street (Richmond) and Irving Street (Sunset).

Where to Eat

  • Swan Oyster Depot (Polk Street): A counter-service fish and seafood bar open since 1912. Cash only, limited seating on stools, no reservations. The Dungeness crab and clam chowder are the reason to go. Arrive before it opens at 10:30am or expect a wait.
  • Tartine Manufactory (Mission District): The larger outpost of the famous Tartine Bakery, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The croissants and country bread are exceptional. Long waits on weekends.
  • Zuni Cafe (Hayes Valley): A San Francisco institution, known for the whole roasted chicken (ordered for two, 45-minute wait) and the caesar salad. Mid-range, reliable.
  • The Warming Hut (Crissy Field): A cafe with sandwiches and hot drinks at the east end of Crissy Field, the grassy waterfront area directly below the bridge’s south end. Convenient for a post-walk stop with views of the span above.
  • Burma Superstar (Inner Richmond): Consistently popular Burmese restaurant a short walk from the park. The tea leaf salad and mohinga are the standout dishes. Expect waits; they do not take reservations.

Practical Notes

  • Fog: Summer (June through August) is the foggiest season, not the clearest. The best conditions for seeing the bridge from a distance are September through November, when fog frequency drops and temperatures are warmer. If you want to walk across in summer, the fog typically burns off the walkway by late morning.
  • Bike rentals: Blazing Saddles near Fisherman’s Wharf and Wheel Fun Rentals at Fisherman’s Wharf and Golden Gate Park both rent bikes suitable for the bridge crossing. A return trip across and down into Sausalito, then a ferry back, makes an excellent half-day from the city.
  • Parking: Both the southern visitor area and the north Vista Point parking lots fill on weekend mornings. The 28 and 29 MUNI bus routes reach the south end from downtown; Marin Transit Route 130 connects the north side. The bridge is also on the Golden Gate Transit bus routes to Marin County.
  • Driving toll: Pay electronically. There are no toll booths. If you drive across without a FasTrak transponder, your licence plate is photographed and you can pay online within 48 hours at the Golden Gate Bridge toll website or through your rental car company. Unpaid tolls accrue penalties.

For the clearest view of the bridge from a distance, drive to Battery Spencer on a weekday, arrive before 9am, and hope for a light fog layer filling the bay behind the towers. That’s the photograph that has reproduced most widely, and the conditions for it are not uncommon in the right season.