Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is managed by the National Park Service, and is located in and around San Francisco, California. It encompasses over 80,000 acres of land and water, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, Muir Woods National Monument, and the Marin Headlands. The park offers a variety of recreational opportunities, including hiking, biking, camping, fishing, and water sports. Visitors can also enjoy historical and cultural attractions such as military fortifications, lighthouses, and museums. The Golden Gate NRA is one of the most visited national parks in the United States and attracts millions of visitors each year.
VISIT Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area:
Park Details
Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area was established on October 27, 1972.
| Address | Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, CA, 94123 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 415 561-4700 |
| Hours | Open 24 hours, every day |
| Entrance Fee | Muir Woods is the only location in the park that requires an entrance fee |
| Learn More | Official Website |
When to Visit: Weather vs. Peak Visitation
Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area is the 2nd most visited park in the country.
We crunched 30 years of historical weather and/or park service data to find the best months to visit Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area. We looked for the optimal temperatures, the least amount of snow and rain, and stayed away from peak visitation months if we could help it. All this data then helped us paint a picture as to what the absolute best time to visit Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area is.
Our data shows the best months to visit Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area are April, May, June & October.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Visits | 858,993 | 1,003,946 | 1,351,250 | 1,382,599 | 1,232,164 | 1,408,780 | 1,371,028 | 1,383,260 | 1,479,950 | 1,435,037 | 1,109,237 | 985,983 |
| Precipitation | 104 | 105 | 76 | 33 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 53 | 98 |
| Avg Temp | 59 | 61 | 64 | 68 | 73 | 79 | 83 | 83 | 83 | 77 | 66 | 59 |
| Max Temp | 67 | 71 | 75 | 83 | 88 | 95 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 90 | 78 | 67 |
| Avg Temp | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 49 | 52 | 54 | 54 | 54 | 52 | 47 | 43 |
| Min Temp | 33 | 34 | 35 | 37 | 42 | 47 | 49 | 50 | 48 | 44 | 36 | 32 |
Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area Road Trips
Many family vacations consist of stringing one or more national parks together during a week-long trip. Creating these types of trips is our specialty! Here are the road trips we've created where Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area is visited.
| Trip Name | Trip Miles | Trip Days |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Day San Francisco to Los Angeles Road Trip | 532 | 7 |
| Portland to San Francisco Road Trip on the Pacific Coast Highway | 758 | 9 |
Other Nearby National Park Sites
From national monuments, to historic sites to seashores and more, here are the other parks closest to Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area.
| Name | Distance |
|---|---|
| Fort Point National Historic Site | 2 mi |
| San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park | 3 mi |
| Muir Woods National Monument | 9 mi |
| Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park | 11 mi |
| John Muir National Historic Site | 23 mi |
| Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site | 24 mi |
| Point Reyes National Seashore | 30 mi |
| Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial | 30 mi |
| Pinnacles National Park | 115 mi |
| Yosemite National Park | 157 mi |
Nearby Campsites & RV Parks
If you are looking to pitch a tent or park an RV at a campsite near Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area, here is a list of the closest campsites in the surrounding area. They all have slightly different amenitites, so its best to check them all out instead of just chosing the first on the list.
| Name | Details | Miles Away |
|---|---|---|
| China Camp State Park | San Rafael, CA more | 15 miles |
| Anthony Chabot Regional Park | Oakland, CA more | 20 miles |
| Half Moon Bay State Beach | Half Moon Bay, CA more | 22 miles |
| Samuel Taylor State Park | Lagunitas, CA more | 22 miles |
| Mt. Diablo State Park | Walnut Creek, CA more | 29 miles |
| Camp Parks Military | Dublin, CA more | 32 miles |
| Alameda County Fairgrounds RV | Pleasanton, CA more | 33 miles |
| Skyline Wilderness County Park | Napa, CA more | 36 miles |
| San Mateo Memorial County Park | Pescadero, CA more | 36 miles |
| Petaluma Lake Area Military | Petaluma, CA more | 36 miles |
Nearest Ski Resorts
For those of you who are the diehard outdoors type, visiting a national park on a ski trip can be quite the adventure. Here are the ski resorts within 100 miles of Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area:
| Name | Location | Summit | Difficulty Score™ | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bear Valley Mountain | Bear Valley, CA | 8,500 ft | 54% | 98 mi |
Nearest Airports
When visiting a National park, many people are faced with either a very long drive across country, or a much shorter flight. For those of you looking to fly into Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area, we've listed the closest airports in the area.
Large Airports
A large airport has scheduled major airline service with millions of passengers per year. This type of airport always accepts international flights. Here are the closest large airports to Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco International Airport | SFO | San Francisco, CA | 12 mi |
| Oakland International Airport | OAK | Oakland, CA | 14 mi |
| Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport | SJC | San Jose, CA | 41 mi |
| Sacramento International Airport | SMF | Sacramento, CA | 79 mi |
| Reno–Tahoe International Airport | RNO | Reno, NV | 188 mi |
| Los Angeles International Airport | LAX | Los Angeles, CA | 349 mi |
| Ontario International Airport | ONT | Ontario, CA | 374 mi |
Medium Airports
A medium-sized airport has scheduled regional airline service. This type of airport may or may not accept international flights. Here are the closest medium-sized airports to Golden Gate Bridge National Recreation Area.
| Name | Code | City | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport | STS | Santa Rosa, CA | 54 mi |
| Sacramento Mather Airport | MHR | Sacramento, CA | 83 mi |
| Monterey Peninsula Airport | MRY | Monterey, CA | 89 mi |
| Fresno Yosemite International Airport | FAT | Fresno, CA | 166 mi |
| Redding Municipal Airport | RDD | Redding, CA | 188 mi |
| San Luis County Regional Airport | SBP | San Luis Obispo, CA | 203 mi |
| Santa Maria Public Airport Captain G Allan Hancock Field | SMX | Santa Maria, CA | 228 mi |
Credits: Campground data provided by USCampgrounds.info. Map shapes from CartographyVectors. Weather data from NOAA. Airport data from OurAirports.com. Images from Unsplash, Flickr and Parks&Trips. All data has also been updated and augmented by Parks&Trips.