Blauert on Outdoors: Walking across Golden Gate Bridge a great experience

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the best recognized and most admired structures in the world.

It’s exciting to drive over, even if you’ve done it many times before. What you miss on the drive, however, is the chance to spend time focusing on the bridge’s unforgettable views – especially if you’re the driver.

To appreciate those views, park your car at one end of the bridge and cross it on foot. It’s only 1.5 miles from the San Francisco side to the Marin County side, and there is parking available at the last exit before crossing and the first exit when you reach the opposite side.

It’s an easy walk, and unlike driving across, you get time to look at the details of the bridge’s architecture and enjoy views of the bay and Pacific Ocean from 220 feet above the water. As long as you don’t pick a day when there’s a lot of fog, the views are guaranteed. Alcatraz, Angel Island and the Bay Bridge can be easily seen, and there usually are a lot of boats on the water in good weather – everything from sailboats to gigantic cargo ships.

On our recent bridge walk, we also saw kite boarders riding the bay under the power of the wind and surfers in the waves off Fort Point. Seals and sea lions floated in the water and basked on the rocks beneath the bridge.

The two towers of the bridge are anchored on the shallow part of the bay’s floor. Between the towers, the channel drops to 360 feet – the deepest part of the bay. The bridge opened in 1937 and was one of the engineering marvels of its time, inspiring the construction of many other bridges. As you stare up at the maintenance stairways, ladders, and platforms along its towers and cables, you’re likely to get sweaty palms. The towers truly soar into the air, and the corrosive action of the salty sea air requires constant maintenance.

A recent change allows the bridge’s six lanes to be shifted to accommodate changes in traffic volume. If you’re lucky, you might see the barrier in the center of the bridge shifted by vehicle during your walk. You can also easily find videos of the barrier being moved on YouTube.

Walking and biking the bridge are popular with tourists and locals, so popular, in fact, that pedestrians are now designated to the east side (with the best views of the bay) and bikers to the west side (with the best views of the ocean). Some sections of the walkway are wider than the rest of the bridge, stretching further over the water for better views. The railing is surprisingly low, so keep an eye on children.

One thing you can only appreciate on foot is the constant motion of the bridge. You can feel it move slightly under your feet, and you can feel it most clearly if you wrap your hands around one of the giant cables.

Total walking time varies. Our round trip was less than two hours, but you don’t have to go from end to end to enjoy the best of what the bridge has to offer. The only downside is the traffic noise. There’s no cost, and it’s a safe walk – each side of the bridge is regularly patrolled by security officers on bikes.

The bridge is closed to pedestrians at night, but cyclists are allowed to cross. The bridge is also wheelchair accessible.

For current pedestrian schedules and other visitor information, go to http://goldengatebridge.org/visitors/ or call (415) 426-5220..

If you approach the bridge from the north, you can also explore the Marin Headlands – one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in the state.

This story was originally published April 7, 2015 at 10:36 PM with the headline "Blauert on Outdoors: Walking across Golden Gate Bridge a great experience."