Visitors guide to the Golden Gate Bridge

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The one tourist destination you can’t skip, or else be mocked by the homies when you get back home. The iconic chunk of orange steel will be ready for you — it is  painted daily, using around 7,000 gallons of paint each year. What could possibly disappoint? Well, you could freeze to death or be run over by a bicycle commuter, but other than that, you should be fine.

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The famous suspension bridge that separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean has been named one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers, who know a thing or two about engineering marvels. Building the bridge was thought by many to be impossible. Doing so cost 11 men their lives.

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It’s 1.7 miles long. If that doesn’t seem like a lot, wait until you walk it with a stiff wind in your face. The Golden Gate Bridge is more than 700 feet high. When it opened in 1937, it was the tallest and longest bridge in the world. Nowadays, it is merely the tallest in the United States. The water (about 245 feet beneath the bridge) runs about 325 feet deep. Some 1.2 million rivets hold the thing together, so please do not remove any.

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The Golden Gate Bridge is the most photographed bridge in the world, so bring those selfie sticks. It is also the second-favorite choice for suicide jumpers in the world, behind a bridge in China.

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There are walkways on each side of the six-lane bridge, but only the eastern side (with its stunning views of the bay and city) is open for pedestrians. The eastern side is closed from sunset to sunrise for pedestrians, but not for cyclists, most of whom are commuters in those hours. Bicyclists are banned from the eastern (bay) side on weekends, and also banned during the afternoon from 3:30 till sunset. The views from the western side of the bridge are impressive, but you will need a bicycle to be allowed on that side, and then only during the hours bikes are banned from the eastern side.

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No one knows why, but roller skates, rollerblades and skateboards are prohibited on the bridge. Also, no one knows why rollerblades is one word but roller skates is two.

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There is a restaurant and gift shop on the San Francisco side of the bridge. You can park there, if you’re lucky to find a spot, and trek down to the base of the bridge at Fort Point, where you might get hit by a 20-foot sneaker wave and you might see sharks swim by in the same places you see humans swim by.

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Some 125,000 cars cross the Golden Gate Bridge on an average day. If you’re driving across, the toll will cost you $9 one way, but only if you return. No need to bring cash. They take a picture of your license plate and send you a bill.

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Some of the best views of San Francisco can be had from the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. You will find plenty of company at the observation area just across the bridge. There is a parking lot, but it fills up regularly and that leads officials to close off the area. For a quieter time, continue on to the Marin Headlands — especially for the sunrise.

 

Beware: The bridge sways. Not much, but if the winds are high, it sways as much as 28 feet. Sounds like a lot.

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Hot tip: Bring a jacket. Do not ignore this advice.

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Hotter tip: If you find yourself among the throng that leads officials to close the observation area on the Marin side, that means you will never get a Lyft or Uber until you hike it someplace else.

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Oddly: Three babies have been born on the Golden Gate Bridge — that we know of. All were boys. They probably still are boys.

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Nearby: Terrific hiking awaits on the western side of the bridge in San Francisco along the Coastal Trail from Golden Gate Bridge all the way to Ocean Beach. Land’s End hiking is special, but not so easy. A walk to the western side of the Golden Gate will bring you gorgeous views of Baker Beach (a half nude beach that seems to invite only those no one wants to see nude), as well as the hills of the picturesque Sea Cliff neighborhood, home to the rich and famous and tour buses.

 

Good eats: You have one option at the bridge — the café at the visitors center, the last stop before you get onto the bridge on the San Francisco side. Nearby, you can find a little grub at Crissy Field, but your best bet is to check out the many top restaurants in Sausalito, a quaint former fishing village on the Marin County side of the bridge.

 

Getting around: If you’re not driving, take an Uber or Lyft from the Marina District or Fisherman’s Wharf. The Muni bus lines go there (take No. 38 from Geary Boulevard to Park Presidio and transfer to No. 28 northbound to the bridge). Golden Gate Transit buses go there; look for Nos. 10, 70 or 80. A favorite way of getting there is by renting a bike in the Marina District, Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach, Union Square or the Ferry Building and pedal there through the gorgeous waterfront along Marina Green and the Crissy Field beaches. It's a workout, especially if you continue onto the bridge, and more so if you ride down to Sausalito, where you can take a ferry back to Fisherman's Wharf.

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Photo op: Any walk or bike ride across the Golden Gate Bridge offers sensational views of the San Francisco skyline and the bay. But why be normal? Take the shot as fog rolls over the bridge from the Marin Headlands. Or a shot from China Beach. Or Fort Point under the bridge.