The Golden Gate is one of the most recognizable bridges in the world and the most important symbol of San Francisco. Its beauty and size make it easy to forget about the city’s other spectacular attractions—including the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.
As its name suggests, this bridge is the connecting point between San Francisco and Oakland. It was open to the public in 1936—just six months before the Golden Gate—but it was overshadowed by this monumental structure that went on to become one city’s top landmarks.
What makes San Francisco’s “other bridge” so spectacular is the fact it is consisted of two separate sections. The older western section connects downtown San Francisco to Yerba Buena Island, while the newer eastern section connects the island to Oakland.
The Bay Bridge faced many natural obstacles over the years, and part of it even collapsed during an earthquake in 1989, but it still stands its ground. Views from the bridge are truly spectacular, and you can now take a walk over it even as a pedestrian. The bikeway and pedestrian paths were introduced across the eastern span of the bridge back in 2016.