Pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge
The Best Places to Photograph San Francisco’s Most Famous Landmark
This article lists five of the best spots from which to take photos of San Francisco, California's Golden Gate Bridge.
No trip to San Francisco is complete without a shot of the Golden Gate Bridge. Here are five of the best places from which to take pictures of this quintessentially San Francisco landmark.
#5 – The Top of the Mark
It should come as no surprise that San Francisco’s 19th century, cocktail-swilling elite chose Nob Hill on which to place their homes. The views are spectacular.
Mark Hopkins was one of the four entrepreneurs who made a fortune as a partner in the Central Pacific Railroad. Where his mansion used to stand now sits the Mark Hopkins Hotel.
On the 19th floor of the hotel is The Top of the Mark, a beloved San Francisco bar with fantastic views of the city. Visitors can grab a window-side table, order one of the bar’s 100 martinis, and photograph to their hearts content.
#4 – Alcatraz
Most people know Alcatraz from the movies. Escape from Alcatraz (1979), The Rock (1996), and even the Mike Myers comedy, So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993), have all included the infamous prison. Macabre tours of Alcatraz’s tiny, inescapable cells are popular with tourists. Alcatraz, and the boat ride over to the island, also offers visitors wonderful views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
#3 – Coit Tower
This much-maligned cylindrical tower is a San Francisco landmark nearly as recognized as the Golden Gate Bridge itself. The tower sits on top of Telegraph Hill, a short but steep trip up from the Italian neighborhood of North Beach. For a small fee, visitors can take the elevator up to the top for a 360-degree look at the city by the bay.
#2 – The Presidio
Presidio means garrison, or military post, in Spanish. The Presidio of San Francisco is a remnant of San Francisco’s early Spanish colonizers and a stop for anyone interested in San Francisco’s Latin history and culture. Today, The Presidio is one of San Francisco’s best parks. Great shots of the Golden Gate Bridge can be taken from the Coastal Trail, Torpedo Wharf, and Crissy Field.
#1 – Marin County
Professional shots of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge are often not taken from San Francisco at all. Marin County, just north of the city and easily accessible after crossing the Golden Gate, has a plethora of picture taking spots. Many of these spots are located on the Marin side of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The industrious can pick up or download a trail map and hike to one of several coastal vista points.
Details
Top of the Mark, Mark Hopkins Hotel, One Nob Hill, 415-616-6916
Coit Tower, Telegraph Hill Boulevard, 415-362-0808
Golden Gate National Recreation Area (Includes Alcatraz Island and The Presidio), Highway 1, 415-561-4700
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