Golden Gate Bridge

Description

One of the largest and most famous bridges in America, and widely considered one of the most architecturally impressive, the Golden Gate was completed in 1937 after four years of construction.  Remarkably, it was finished under budget.   The name does not come from the bridge's color, but from the strait which the bridge crosses, the Golden Gate.  The Golden Gate isn't gold, anyway; it's a color called "International Orange". 

The Golden Gate Bridge is a toll bridge, but only for north-to-south travel (heading into San Francisco).  Of course, even if you drive north across the bridge, sooner or later you'll need to come south (unless you plan on driving all the way around San Francisco Bay, which would take several hours at least).  During rush hour, tolls are waived for motorcycles and vehicles with three or more passengers.

The bridge is open to bicyclists and pedestrians as well as motor vehicles.  However, pedestrian access is allowed only from 5 AM to 9 PM.  Bicycles have 24-hour access.  Pedestrians and bicyclists may be limited to one of the two sidewalks (east and west) depending on the time and season; check the web site for current information.  Skateboards, roller skates, and roller blades are prohibited.  (No word about unicycles.)

A gift shop and cafe are located at the south end of the bridge, on the east side, in the "Roundhouse" building (so named because it's very, very round).  The gift shop is open 8:30 AM to 7:30 PM (8:30 AM to 5:30 PM in the winter), and the Bridge Cafe is open 9 AM to 7 PM (9 AM to 5 PM in the winter).  Prices are almost certainly "tourist level"; anyone visiting is invited to comment on what's available there.

If you're looking to stop at the Roundhouse or walk the bridge and need to stash your car, there are lots at the south and north ends of the bridge.  The south lots charge $0.25 for 15 minutes, a nearby satellite lot has more space, but charges $5 for the day.  Parking at the north end ("Vista Point") is free, and according to local advice (over beer at the Moffett Field Golf Club) is by far the best place to park, if you're willing to walk the up and down the bridge to get to the Roundhouse.

If you want to see the Golden Gate Bridge without necessarily walking across it, Mount Tamalpais State Park is an excellent choice.

Note:  Do NOT mess around with the bridge railing.  Yes, it's a popular tourist trick to have your photograph taken while pretending you're about to jump over.  However, there have been enough people really jumping off of the Golden Gate Bridge that the police and the people working there watch for that kind of thing, and chances are good that you'll be stopped, chewed out, fined, or possibly even arrested.  More importantly, the railing is only about four feet high, and if you screw up and actually fall, you will die.  The survival rate for falling off the bridge is approximately zero, and if the fall doesn't kill you the cold water will.  If you die that way, you'll feel like a complete fool trying to explain it to Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates.

Main Web Site

http://goldengatebridge.org/

Location

It's a bridge.  It doesn't have an address.  It's part of Highway 101, though if you go that route you'll have to drive through the middle of San Francisco to get there.  Not that that's a bad thing.

It's shown on the Google Map.

Drive Time

from Ames to the middle of the bridge (per Google maps):  53 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, depending on traffic

Public Transit

Hours

Open 24/7 for cars and bicycles.

Open 9 AM to 7 PM for foot traffic.

Cost

$5 toll for cars (southbound only)