family day trip idea in san francisco :: golden gate bridge :: baker beach :: free parking

I live about 60 miles east of the Golden Gate bridge. To our shame, we don’t get into the city as often as we should. It’s parking prices and traffic that leave me dragging my feet about planning a day trip. If you find yourself in the Bay Area on a West Coast adventure, I hope to help you avoid paying for parking while you enjoy the sights that San Francisco has to offer.There are plazas on either end of the Golden Gate Bridge. On the San Francisco side you will pay to park in the plaza. HERE is a website with great insider tips for parking and wonderful map graphics. We used the Merchant Road Lot.  You will make a right at the end of the west side of the Golden Gate bridge, pass the employee parking, and then you will see the Presidio lot on your right.

There is a 4 hour limit, but that’s plenty of time to walk down to the Golden Gate bridge, which is a beautiful stroll on a walking path, do some tourist reading at the plaza, use the restroom, and of course walk on the Golden Gate bridge. Besides the fact that this lot was free (and not busy at all on a week day) there were ruins to explore and some very great picture taking spots with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
Next on our agenda for the day was Baker Beach. Take a right out of the Merchant Road parking lot and you are less then a mile away from your next destination which also offered FREE parking! When you arrive at Baker Beach follow the road to the right. It sort of looks like it could dead end, but it will drop you into a lot with bathrooms, great beach access, etc. This is a very clean beach, it’s dog friendly, bathrooms were nice, and there’s a place to wash off the sand. We packed our lunch and had a really lovely rest of our day enjoying the beach.
The water is always brisk, but the kids did get their toes wet. Okay, Charlie tripped trying to outrun a wave and got all wet, but I had a change of clothes for the way home. Swimming is not recommended due to rip tides. I read that there can be some nude bathers at Baker Beach. It was family friendly when we were there. I did read a tip to avoid the end of the beach that is closest to the Golden Gate bridge. There, you’ve been warned. 🙂 Chrissy Field is another beach option close to the Golden Gate Bridge (with FREE parking), but it’s more popular so you may see more people.
Bring your beach toys and enjoy the smells, sights, and sounds the beach has to offer. Costco currently has a Bucket Playset of beach toys that is fantastic. Charlie got it for his birthday and the kids had so much fun making their sand creations. Depending where you live it’s $9,99-$14.99 (item #981094) It’s a sturdy set of toys. Well-made beach toys are worth a shout out.I hope you can enjoy a bridge and beach day as beautiful as the day we had. Dress in layers because the wind can be brisk, but the sun can make it toasty. Don’t forget to take a panoramic picture or two as well. The view of the Bay is outstanding. My kids know how to have fun with the panoramic feature, can you tell?