The Golden Gate Bridge is the most iconic spot in San Francisco and I truly love it! I love how it’s seen from almost every corner of San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge is such an instagrammable spot and it looks really well on pictures. In this blog post I put together my favorite Golden Gate view points in San Francisco. Some of them are perfect for sunrises and some are better for sunsets, read this post to discover the best places to see and photograph the Golden Gate Bridge.

What are the best view points of the Golden Gate Bridge?

Battery Spencer

Battery Spencer, which is located in Marin Headlands (across the bridge) is my favorite spot to watch sunrises in San Francisco, but also admire the Golden Gate Bridge. There is no way you can be closer to the bridge than at Battery Spencer. This spot offers sweeping views of the city and the bay. I recommend visiting this spot at sunrise (on a clear day) to avoid crowds and have better light. Battery Spencer is the most popular Golden Gate spot in San Francisco, so be prepare for crowds and full parking lot on weekends.

Golden Gate Observation Deck

This spot is located near Battery Spencer, it’s actually further from the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a perfect spots to take wide angle shots of the bridge, but also do a cute pinic! This is what we did one day, it was less windy than at Battery Spencer and more space to do a picnic. These pictures were taken at sunset.

Address: 5702 Conzelman Rd, Mill Valley, CA 94941

Golden Gate Welcome Center

If you’re looking for an easily accesible spot at the Golden Gate Bridge, you should check the Golden Gate Welcome Center. There are so many beautiful vistas of the bridge, you can just hike around to find them. I really like coming here in spring or summer to capture blooming flowers. The best light here is during golden hour and sunset. Also, the parking is limited here, but you can take a bus number 28 (here more information regarding this line).

The view from Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, Fort Point in the distance

Marshall’s Beach

Marshall’s Beach is a hidden gem in San Francisco, loved by locals, but also it’s a nudist beach. This beautiful beach is located just north of Baker Beach. To get to Marshall’s Beach you need to hike for about 15 minutes, it’s not so easy to find the trailhead. First, you need to leave your car at the parking lot near Golden Gate Overlook (it’s called Langdon Court Parking in the maps). Then, you need to walk along the bluff, where you’ll find stairs down and the sign with “Marshall’s Beach” on it. From this spot it’s only 10 min down the wooden stairs and you’ll reach Marshall’s Beach.

Hawk Hill

Marin Headlands have so many stunning vistas over the Golden Gate Bridge. Most of them aren’t known by toursits, and Hawk Hill is one of them. I really love this hidden gem, it’s perfect to watch sunrises or sunsets! If you’re lucky you can experience a beautiful layer of fog, which can happen in spring or fall (I experienced it twice in my life, the first time when I saw it was in April, the second one was in October. Also, it happens that sometimes it’s sunny on Hawk Hill, but the rest of the city is covered with the fog!

Karl the Fog showing off in October, Hawk Hill

Rolling hills in Marin Headlands at sunrise

Golden Gate Overlook

The area near Golden Gate Overlook offers so many beautiful views over the Golden Gate Bridge & rolling hills in the back. I love coming here in April/May when the wildflowers are blooming, also the best time is at sunset. You can explore the area near Battery Godfrey & Battery Boutelle and try to find more angles! Golden Gate Overlook is such an instagrammable spot and you shoudl definitely add it to your San Francisco bucket list.

Baker Beach

This long and sandy beach is a popular spot in San Francisco, located near the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s easily accessible from the parking lot, but can be crowded on hot & sunny days. Also, keep in mind that the north park of Baker Beach is a nudist beach. I personally prefer Marshall Beach which is way nicer for photos, but if you don’t want to hike, you can go to Baker Beach instead.

Crissy Field Beach

Located in the Marina District, Crissy Field beach is located on the eastern side of the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s a nice and sandy beach, but usually it’s very windy! Also, it’s a dog friendly beach. Crissy Field Beach offers nice views of the bridge, especially at sunset.

Slacker Hill

Another stunning spot and hidden gem in Marin Headlands. To get to Slacker Hill you need to leave your car at the parking lot (Coastal Trail Parking) and hike for about a half mile, it’s an easy hike! It will lead you to the panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Fort Point

Fort Point is another instagrammable view point over the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s actually an old fortification located on the southern side of the bridge. You can get here a really close shot of the GG bridge!

I hope this blog post helped you to find the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and you enjoyed it! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram (@sarowly) to get more inspiration and useful information about travel to San Francisco and California, you can follow me here!

10 best views of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco