Waves crash near Fort Point beneath the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset. — Looking out at the Golden Gate Bridge from Fort Point at sunset.

Great Spots to View the Golden Gate Bridge

From locations around the city to even your hotel room, there are plenty of breathtaking Golden Gate Bridge vantage points in San Francisco.

Originally completed on May 27, 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge, named for the strait leading from the Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay, is one of the city's most popular and photographed landmarks. Spanning 6,450 feet, the Golden Gate Bridge is considered one of the “Seven Wonders of the Modern World.”

Viewing spots noted below are all free and open to the public. Or, if you would like to enjoy staring at this “international orange”-painted beauty throughout your trip, we have also listed several hotels boasting rooms with spectacular views.

Great Places to See the Golden Gate Bridge

Crissy Field

Crissy Field, a former military airfield located south of the Golden Gate Bridge in the Presidio, was restored in 2001 and offers wide, fully-accessible walking and cycling trails between the Marina Green and Fort Point. Offering stunning views of the bridge, Crissy Field offers picnic areas and a small beachfront popular with families. Along Crissy Field, visitors can stop for lunch at the Warming Hut near Fort Point, the Beach Hut Cafe near Marina Green, or check out the House of Air, a trampoline center in one of the repurposed buildings.

Distance from Golden Gate Bridge: 2.4 miles.

Presidio Tunnel Tops

The recently unveiled Presidio Tunnel Tops outdoor park offers a phenomenal view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Take your dog, kids, and loved ones to enjoy the parks, open space, and breathtaking views. You’ll be sure to leave inspired.

Distance from Golden Gate Bridge: 1.6 miles.

Fort Point

For an up-close view of the bridge, visit Fort Point, a Civil War-era brick fort accessible via the Marine Drive lot at Crissy Field. Although Fort Point never saw any military action, the Golden Gate Bridge's chief engineer, Joseph Strauss, redesigned the bridge to preserve the fortress as a "fine example of the mason’s art."

Distance from Golden Gate Bridge: 1.2 miles.

Baker Beach

Stretching a half mile below the rugged cliffs along the Presidio’s western shoreline, Baker Beach offers spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Accessible by public transportation, the beach offers a picnic area with tables and grills, lots of parking and restroom facilities. Note: the northernmost end of Baker Beach is frequented by clothing-optional sunbathers.

Distance from Golden Gate Bridge: 1.2 miles.

China Beach

Located in the Seacliff neighborhood, China Beach is a tiny, sheltered pocket of sand with a picnic area, a sunbathing deck, restrooms, cold showers and unobstructed views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Note: the beach is only accessible by a steep, paved drive or natural stairway of approximately 100 steps.

Distance from Golden Gate Bridge: 2.0 miles.

Lands End

The Eagle's Point trailhead of Lands End near Lincoln Park offers jaw-dropping views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Near the popular hiking trail, which is also a short walking distance to the Legion of Honor, visitors can walk along a paved sidewalk near the 17th hole of the Lincoln Park Municipal Golf Course. Here, there are several benches and photo opportunities to reflect and capture the beauty of the bridge.

Distance from Golden Gate Bridge: 3.0 miles.

Glimpses of the Golden Gate Bridge

For slightly obstructed, but nonetheless dramatic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, visitors can enjoy views from several, unexpected vantage points.

De Young Museum

Located in the east end of Golden Gate Park, the Hamon Education Tower Observation Deck at the de Young Museum offers dramatic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as spectacular panoramic views of the city and Pacific Ocean. Touring the museum requires admission, but visiting the observation deck, open daily until 4:30 pm, is free and open to the public.

Distance from Golden Gate Bridge: 2.9 miles.

Library at the University California, San Francisco

Located at 530 Parnassus Avenue in the Inner Sunset, the library at the University of California San Francisco, offers stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge from its main reading room.

Distance from Golden Gate Bridge: 4.1 miles.

Coit Tower

Coit Tower, a slender white concrete column rising from the top of Telegraph Hill, provides 360-degree views of the city and bay, including the Golden Gate Bridge. The most-spectacular views can be seen from the observation deck, which is reached by elevator and requires tickets.

Distance from Golden Gate Bridge: 4.9 miles.

The Waldo Tunnel

As San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge are hidden from the northern approach of U.S. Route 101 by the Marin Headlands, drivers going through the Waldo Tunnel, the unofficial name of the tunnel on U.S. Route 101 between the Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito, can enjoy the first view of the city and the bridge upon exiting the tunnel's southbound bore. This view may be one of the most dramatic views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Distance from Golden Gate Bridge: 3.1 miles.

Rooms with a (Bridge) View

For those in search of a room with a view of the Golden Gate Bridge, try these San Francisco hotels.

Inn at the Presidio

Presidio

The Inn at the Presidio offers several rooms with bridge views. Located in historic Pershing Hall, previously the post’s bachelor officers' quarters, the inn offers 22 rooms, 17 of which are one-bedroom suites. The newly opened sister property, Lodge at the Presidio, is the closest lodging to the bridge, and offers 42 rooms, many of which have views toward the bridge in this boutique hotel.

The Westin St. Francis

Union Square

The historic Westin St Francis offers rooms with gorgeous views of the Golden Gate Bridge from the Tower Building. Request guest rooms starting on floor 26, or book one of its two suites: the Pacific and the Bridge View.

The InterContinental Mark Hopkins

Nob Hill

The Intercontinental Mark Hopkins, perched atop Nob Hill, offers several guest rooms with partial views of the bridge, as well as its California suite. Visitors can also drop by Top of the Mark, the hotel's popular roof-top bar, for an exquisite view of the bridge from the northwest corner of the room.

Across the street from the Mark Hopkins, the Fairmont San Francisco also offers multiple views from its Tower Building.

The Argonaut Hotel

Fisherman's Wharf

The Argonaut Hotel, an easy walk to all of the shops and restaurants on Fisherman's Wharf, offers waterfront views of the Golden Gate Bridge from several of its rooms.