If you’re trying to find parking near the Golden Gate Bridge, our guides have expertise providing tours in the area, so we know all the best spots to look!
This post will provide details about where to park for the Golden Gate Bridge, including tips on how to reach the best viewpoints or even walk across the landmark from your chosen parking lot.
- Golden Gate Bridge Directions
- Golden Gate Bridge Parking Lots
- Walk Across the Golden Gate Bridge
- Bike Across the Golden Gate Bridge
- Golden Gate Bridge Tour
Golden Gate Bridge Directions
If you’re planning to drive to the Golden Gate Bridge and you’re looking for parking, the closest spots are all located within the Presidio of San Francisco.
Most people will find that the easiest way to get here is either by taking HWY 1 or US-101.
Basically, if you’re coming from downtown (Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, Embarcadero, Financial District), US-101 is going to be the easiest way to get there.
However, if you’re traveling from further south, you might find HWY 1 will get you there much more easily.
That said, if you’re coming from San Jose, you can actually just take US-101 pretty much the whole way.
Golden Gate Bridge Parking Lots
There are a total of 9 parking lots available for use in the Presidio of San Francisco that are close to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Some of these lots are actually entirely free, but most of them do charge a fee. We’ll provide details about how to get to each of these parking lots below.
- Welcome Center Lot
- Merchant Road Lot
- Langdon Court Lot
- Battery East Lot
- Fort Point Lots
- Employee Lot
- Fort Scott Lot
- Crissy Field
- Lot D
Welcome Center Parking Lot
Since this is the lot for the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, it’s one of the more popular spots where people will try to park. Unfortunately, that also means it can be difficult to find a place to park here, as the lot is often full.
Here are the key details to consider:
- Price: $5 per hour
- Hours: 7 am - 9 pm
- Availability: Daily
- Time Limits: 3 hours
- Closed on Holidays
The Welcome Center Lot only has 29 parking spaces, so we highly recommend one of the other options. That said, if you want to get as close to the Golden Gate Bridge as possible, this is one of the best lots in the Presidio.
This parking lot is within walking distance of multiple viewpoints and overlooks providing an excellent view of the bridge, as well as historical sites such as Fort Point, Battery Boutelle, and the Log Cabin at the Presidio.
Merchant Road Lot
If you’re looking for free Golden Gate Bridge parking, this is one of the better options. Although it won’t cost a dime, the lot can fill up pretty quickly.
Regardless, if you’re looking for a parking space that won’t cost you anything, you might as well give this location a shot.
Here are some of the more important details about the Merchant Road lot:
- Price: Free
- Hours: 24 hrs
- Availability: Daily
- Time Limits: 4 hours
While it’s not as close as some of the other parking lots in the area, it is within a short walking distance of more than one viewpoint or overlook for seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. This spot is also quite close to several historic batteries.
Langdon Court Lot
Although this is a bit further away than most of the other Golden Gate Bridge parking lots, it’s also one of your best bets if you’re looking for an open spot on a busy day.
Also known as Overlook Lot, this parking lot is almost always fairly empty. Better yet, it’s also entirely free to use this lot, and there’s no time limit to how long you can stay.
One of the reasons it’s not as frequented is because it’s a bit further away from the bridge, but even though this is true, you can still reach the Golden Gate Bridge within the span of a 5-10 minute walk from this location.
Here are the details to keep in mind about Langdon Court lot:
- Price: Free
- Hours: 24 hrs
- Availability: Daily
- Time Limits: None
Another nice thing about this lot is that many of the parking spots are shaded by trees, so if it’s a particularly hot and sunny day, you can avoid your car becoming too hot while you’re taking in the views of this famous landmark.
The reason this location is also known as the Overlook lot is that it’s connected to a trail that will take you to one of the best Golden Gate overlooks in the Presidio.
These trails will also take you to nearby batteries and additional viewpoints for the bridge.
Battery East Lot
As the name implies, you’ll find this lot on the east side of the Presidio. It’s one of the newest parking lots in the area, and it actually has one of the best views of the Golden Gate Bridge in the entire park.
This lot doesn’t fill up as quickly as others, likely due to its location, which is a bit further south than the Welcome Center Lot.
That said, if you’re looking for a place where you can park and enjoy a relatively unobstructed view of the bridge from your car, it’ll be difficult to find a better spot!
Here are the most pertinent details about the Battery East lot:
- Price: $1.20 per hour / $7 per day
- Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
- Availability: Daily
- Time Limits: None.
In addition to its location just 5-10 minutes from the bridge, this parking lot is also close to sites such as Pilot’s Row and it’s a short walk from the Welcome Center.
Fort Point Lots
These parking lots are arguably the closest to the Golden Gate Bridge, but it’s not necessarily the ideal spot if you want to walk across the bridge, because you’ll have to hike back up the hill to reach the landmark.
Parking here is free, but spaces do tend to fill up pretty quickly, as there aren’t a lot of them in this area. That said, you shouldn’t have to wait too long for a parking spot at Fort Point.
- Price: Free
- Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
- Availability: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
- Time Limits: None.
Needless to say, this is the best spot for anyone who also wants to see the historic site of Fort Point. Fans of Alfred Hitchcock might also be familiar with this landmark as a prominent filming location in his classic film Vertigo.
Employee Lot
This is the least convenient Golden Gate Bridge parking lot, because it’s only open to the public on weekends. That said, it’s about as close to the bridge as the Welcome Center lot, making it a popular choice for many visitors.
As a result, you can expect this lot to fill up rather quickly and it won’t necessarily be easy to secure a spot. On top of that, you’ll have to pay to park here, so it’s not the best option for anyone who wants free parking.
- Price: $5 per day
- Hours: 24 hrs
- Availability: Weekends
- Time Limits: None.
If you are trying to save some money on parking, it’s worth noting that the Merchant Road lot is actually right down the road from this one and it’s entirely free to use.
Fort Scott Lot
If you’re looking for another parking lot on the western side of the bridge, this one is fairly close to the Merchant Road lot. Unlike that option, this location does not offer free parking.
Although it’s not every visitor’s first choice, this lot does tend to fill up quite quickly during the summer and holidays.
- Price: $1.20 per hour / $7 per day
- Hours: 8 am - 6 pm
- Availability: Daily
- Time Limits: None
Also known as Stone Street Parking lot, this location is of course close to Fort Scott Field and it’s right down the road from the Langdon Court lot and one of the best Golden Gate overlooks in the entire park.
Crissy Field Lot
Much like the Fort Point lots, this option also requires an uphill hike to reach the Golden Gate Bridge. While this location can fill up during weekends, you can usually find at least a few empty parking spots.
One of the reasons that it gets busy on weekends is that it’s actually free on Saturday and Sunday.
- Price: $1.20 per hour / $7 per day
- Hours: 10 am - 5 pm
- Availability: Daily
- Time Limits: 3 hours
- Free on weekends from 9 am - 5 pm
If you’re looking to get some exercise while enjoying excellent views, this option is definitely worth considering.
While it’s not the most convenient place to park, the walk up to the bridge is definitely worth the extra 15-20 minutes to reach this landmark.
Lot D
This is one of the larger Golden Gate Bridge parking lots, and it’s also one of the least popular. The reason for that is because it’s further away than most of the other options in the Presidio.
Although it’s not the most convenient place to park your car, you’ll almost always find an open spot here, so if all else fails, this might be your best bet.
- Price: $1.20 per hour / $7 per day
- Hours: 8 am - 6 pm
- Availability: Daily
- Time Limits: None
If you’re visiting during the summer or on a holiday, we recommend checking Lot D if you’ve already checked a lot of other locations and still can’t find a spot.
It’s worth noting that this lot is close to Fort Scott Field and down the road from the Langdon Court lot.
