Jan. 2, 2017 Update: The Holiday parking lot closures for New Year’s weekend have been completed. The parking lots are open normally today.
Dec. 27, 2016 Alert: The GGNRA has asked us to let people know that the closing of the Vista Point and Strauss Plaza Welcome Center parking lots to passenger cars between Christmas and New Years has caused other driving delays.
Traffic has backed up badly on Conzelman Road as people looking for someplace to park with dramatic Golden Gate Bridge views seek out the Marin Headlands Golden Gate view spots. The CHP reports that delays of up to two hours in the afternoon have affected people driving the loop that goes along the bluffs f the Marin Headlands and then circles back through Rodeo Valley.
The Golden Gate Bridge District has made two announcements in their continued pattern of closing the main north and south Golden Gate Bridge parking lots, at Vista Point and at the Strauss Plaza Welcome Center respectively. These closures are designed to prevent accidents and traffic tie-ups on the Bridge that occur when the Vista Point lot backs up onto the Bridge, bringing the right hand lane to a complete stop while the middle lane has traffic traveling at 45 MPH.
The lots will be closed to personal passenger vehicle from Friday, December 23 through Monday, January 2 between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM each day, continuing the traditional weekend closures through the entire Holiday week. Only the Vista Point and Strauss Plaza Welcome Center lots will be closed, and all other Golden Gate Bridge parking lots will remain open.
One other change: During these closures Uber, Lyft and taxi riders will be welcomed only at the southern parking lot by the toll plaza, which serves the Strauss Plaza Welcome Center. Rideshare vehicles will not be allowed to pick people up or do drop-offs at Vista Point.
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There are lots of other ways, however, to get to Vista Point and to the Strauss Plaza Welcome Center. Both Golden Gate Transit buses and San Francisco Muni buses serve both ends of the Bridge, and several different tour bus lines (including Big Bus Tours, one of our sponsors) stop at one or both Bridge view areas. Private shuttles will also be allowed to pick up and drop off passengers.
The Welcome Center will be open during the lot closure from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM each day, and both the Round House Cafe (the view from which is shown above) and the Bridge Cafe vending area will observe their normal hours.
Insiders Tip: The Round House Cafe tends to sell out of many menu items as the afternoon goes by, so you’ll have more choices if you visit earlier in the day.
Insiders Tip: If you’re looking for dramatic Golden Gate Bridge views with open parking areas, check out our page on the Marin Headlands Golden Gate view spots.
