Things You'll Need:
- Don't forget your camera!
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Step 1
The San Francisco entrance to the Golden Gate Bridge walkway can be accessed from just before the toll plaza. Take a right at the last San Francisco exit off Highway 101. The sign reads "Golden Gate National Recreation Area View Area". There's an 81-space metered parking lot with a monument dedicated to bridge engineer Robert Strauss, a collection of plaques that describe the history of bridge, an example of the impressive cable that holds the bridge aloft as well as a gift shop and snack bar. A ramp leads to the walkway on the eastern side of the span. If you're on a bike, pass under the bridge to ride across on the western side.
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Step 2
On the Marin County end, the Vista Point parking lot can be accessed from the north side of the 101 Freeway, immediately after crossing the bridge. Parking is free on the Marin County side but it will cost you $5.00 in toll to return to San Francisco. It is a 1.7-mile walk from one parking lot to the other.
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Step 3
Even if you don't want to walk across the whole bridge, it's definitely worth it to walk halfway across and take in the unobstructed panorama that includes the San Francisco skyline, Alcatraz Island and the Bay Bridge.
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Step 4
If you want to make your walk a real adventure, begin it at Chrissy Field in the San Francisco Presidio. Park you car in the extensive free parking lot and walk along the beach about 1.5 miles to Fort Point, a historic structure dating back to the Civil War, set immediately underneath the end of the Golden Gate Bridge. You can access the bridge walkway by following the road or paths up to the parking lot.
