The Golden Gate Overlook at Presidio in San Francisco

The Golden Gate Overlook and the nearby Pacific Overlook, were constructed in 2012 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Golden Gate Overlook is located off Lincoln Boulevard and features a curved concrete plaza that closely resembles the design of the nearby military fortification of the Presidio of San Francisco.

The Presidio of San Francisco is a former military base that is now a park and recreational area located at the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula in California. The area was established as a military garrison by Spain in 1776 and was later controlled by Mexico and the United States. The Presidio served as an active military installation for over 200 years before being decommissioned in 1994.

Today, the Presidio is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is managed by the National Park Service. The area is home to a variety of recreational facilities, including hiking and biking trails, picnic areas, and sports fields. It also includes several historic landmarks and buildings, such as Fort Point, the Officers’ Club, and the Walt Disney Family Museum. It is one of the newest and most popular NPS attractions in San Francisco.

Visitors at The Presidio and the Golden Gate Overlook area can take in the breathtaking views of the coast and, of course, the Golden Gate Bridge. The most iconic photo opp here is where you can see the profile of the bridge, situated between two old Cypress trees.

The Golden Gate Overlook is a popular destination for hikers and cyclists who traverse one of the three primary multi-use park trails that intersect here: the California Coastal Trail, the Bay Area Ridge Trail, and the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail.

Getting to the Golden Gate Overlook

Physical Address of the Golden Gate Overlook: Langdon Ct, San Francisco, CA 94129
GPS Coordinates of the Overlook: 37.803272, -122.476773

Getting to the Golden Gate Overlook is easy. While most people visit the Golden Gate Bridge via its welcome center, the Overlook is a little further away from the base of the bridge.

Coming from the visitor center, head out the back of the parking lot and turn right on Lincoln Boulevard. If you are simply coming down 101, then make sure to take the Lincoln Boulevard or Visitor Center exit. The parking lot for the overlook is less than half a mile southwest from the visitor’s center.

The Landon Court parking lot for the Golden Gate Overlook is paved, and has room for a couple dozen vehicles. Find a good parking spot, and walk towards the north end of the park to get to the Overlook. It was free to park here when we visited in 2021.

What To Do at the Golden Gate Overlook

As mentioned above, this overlook is popular with photographers due to its wonderful vantage point overlooking the bridge and the bay. The path to the viewpoint is dirt, but relatively fat and easy to navigate.

Three major multi-use park trails that converge at the Overlook, and are great trails to see the bridge from different viewpoints. The California Coastal Trail​, the Bay Area Ridge Trail and the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail all converge at the Overlook. The first two trails are much longer, but they each have easy 2.5 mile segments that stay within the Presidio. All trails are fairly easy.

Trail	Distance	Difficulty
California Coastal Trail (segment)	2.4 miles	Easy
Bay Area Ridge Trail (segment)	2.5 miles	Easy
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail	2.7 miles	Easy

Golden Gate Overlook Weather

Well, this is San Francisco. So expect moderate temperatures and wind. The wind can sometimes be fierce, so bring a jacket, especially if visiting during the shoulder seasons. We visited in June, and we all wished we had hats and coats. The sun felt warm when it was out, but the wind made it downright frigid.