Suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the one-mile-wide (1.6 km) strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco and California

How to Get There

Head northeast on Market St toward S Van Ness Ave. Turn right onto 11th St. Turn right onto Mission St. Turn right onto S Van Ness Ave. Turn left after Chase Bank. Continue onto Richardson Ave. Continue onto US-101/Presidio Pkwy. Continue to follow US-101.

Overview

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the one-mile-wide (1.6 km) strait connecting San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The structure links the U.S. city of San Francisco, California—the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula—to Marin County, carrying both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1 across the strait. The bridge is one of the most internationally recognized symbols of San Francisco and California. It was initially designed by engineer Joseph Strauss in 1917. It has been declared one of the Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

David Ball, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Image Size Adjusted

Aesthetics

The color of the bridge is officially an orange vermilion called international orange. The color was selected by consulting architect Irving Morrow because it complements the natural surroundings and enhances the bridge's visibility in fog.

Usage and tourism

The main walkway is on the eastern side, and is open for use by both pedestrians and bicycles in the morning to mid-afternoon during weekdays, and to pedestrians only for the remaining daylight hours. The eastern walkway is reserved for pedestrians on weekends, and is open exclusively to bicyclists in the evening and overnight, when it is closed to pedestrians. The western walkway is open only for bicyclists and only during the hours when they are not allowed on the eastern walkway.

A visitor center and gift shop, originally called the "Bridge Pavilion" (since renamed the “Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center”), is located on the San Francisco side of the bridge, adjacent to the southeast parking lot. It opened in 2012, in time for the bridge's 75th-anniversary celebration. A cafe, outdoor exhibits, and restroom facilities are located nearby. On the Marin side of the bridge, only accessible from the northbound lanes, is the H. Dana Bower Rest Area and Vista Point.

Tolls

In 1968, the bridge was converted to only collect tolls from southbound traffic.

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Golden Gate Bridge", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0