“Ask Annie” is our page where readers ask questions about Sausalito. We archive the questions here by category so that they form an FAQ for all things Sausalito. Q: If we ride the ferry from SF, will it be too far to walk to the Point Bonita Lighthouse from where we disembark? — Retha
“Ask Annie” Archives: Walking in Sausalito
A: Retha, if you’re planning a beautiful long walk then this is a great idea. But the distance is about 7.5 miles, so if you were thinking about a shorter trek then a cab from the ferry or a bike ride to the Pt. Bonita Lighthouse from the Golden Gate Bridge may be a better way to go. The Google Map below shows one route and you can zoom in and out.
Google Map Instructions: Use the “+” and “-” buttons to zoom in and out, the arrow keys to scroll the map, and the SAT button to see the satellite view.
Q: My grandchildren will be visiting and I want to take them to the Discovery Museum in Sausalito. Thought taking ferry might be fun. We live in Pacifica so will be driving to get ferry in SF. Can we walk to Discovery Museum after leaving ferry in Sausalito? Grandchildren are ages 2 through 11. Thank you — Janice
A: Janice, the Bay Area Discovery Museum is a fabulous place to take young kids. The 11-year-old won’t find as much to interest them as the younger ones will, but I think you’re all likely to have a wonderful day.
You’ll want to drive directly to the museum and make the Ferry an outing for a different day. Walking to the Museum from the ferry covers just over two miles of an absolutely beautiful route with picture postcard views, but obviously that’s farther than little ones can go. There’s lots of free parking at the Museum, and its also a beautiful area in which to take a walk along the shore.
Of course, if this is the only day when you could come to Sausalito, you can always take a taxi from the Ferry pier to the Museum. A taxi rank is just north of the little park that borders the main Ferry parking lot, and the Museum staff will call a cab for your retuyrn trip from the front desk.
If you did make the Ferry a trip for another day, there’s a small park with a big fountain in it next to the pier parking lot that little kids enjoy. There’s a rotating grill over a real charcoal fire at Hamburgers across the street, and they also serve chicken and hot dogs. Kids love watching their food cook on that grill in the front window with the flames licking up from the coals. One of our editors was once one of those kids staring through that window! There are many other places to eat near the ferry.
Thanks for writing to Ask Annie! Please let us now how your day went with the grandkids.
Q: Can you walk from Sausalito to Tiburon?
A: Yes, but it’s a 9 to 10 mile (15 to 17 km) walk so it’s only for serious fans of San Francisco Bay and Richardson Bay. The views will be fabulous and you’ll see a wide variety of settings. By taking the same route used by bike riders you can make the trip on foot. In many areas there are walking and biking paths right next to the Bay. Thanks for writing!
Q: I am planning on taking the ferry from San Francisco to Sausalito on a Friday night during the summer. I just read on your website about a Jazz event that evening. Will some streets be blocked off during the day for this event? I was planning on strolling along the waterfront for a couple of hours. Hopefully I will still be able to enjoy my stroll.
A: We’re happy to report that Jazz and Blues by the Bay (and the Farmers Market earlier that night) should not make a big difference in your plans. The area of downtown just north of the Ferry will be more crowded than usual that afternoon and evening, but the sidewalk along the Bay will remain open during the performance. Thanks to the City of Sausalito for responding to our inquiry and confirming this.
My advice would be to stroll through the Gabrielson Park area just to the north of the Ferry pier when you first get off the Ferry, since the crowds will be there between 6:00 and 8:00 PM (see satellite map below). After you’ve explored this area, walking along Bridgeway (the main street in Sausalito) south of the Ferry pier will bring you to a long, open view area you’ll recognize from many postcards.
Here’s a secret spot that many visitors miss: After you go north past Gabrielson Park along the shore you’ll be walking along Spinnaker Drive, leading (logically enough) to The Spinnaker restaurant. Walk in front of the restaurant and say hi to the valets there, who are really nice. When you reach the end of the Spinnaker building farthest from the Ferry pier, look to your right. Up some little steps is a large hexagonal deck projecting out over the Bay. Walk out onto the deck and you’ll have a phenomenal view of San Francisco to the south, Belvedere Island to the east and Mt. Tamalpais to the north. A great spot for photos.
Please write back and tell us how your visit went, and thanks for your question! Here’s a satellite image of the “crowded Friday night” area to go with our descriptions — the view deck beyond the Spinnaker is just above the letter “B” on the photo, and at the bottom are Gabrielson Park and the Ferry pier.
Google Map Instructions: Use the “+” and “-” buttons to zoom in and out, the arrow keys to scroll the map, and the SAT button to see the satellite view.
Q: Can you tell me how long it takes to walk from the Sausalito Ferry Terminal to the Golden Gate Bridge?
A: First of all, the Ferry Terminal is not really a terminal, it’s just an exposed pier with a fabulous view. The distinction doesn’t matter unless it’s raining or a cold windy day, but I think the word “terminal” confuses people.
OK, on to your question. It’s more like a “hike” than a “walk” to cover the 4 miles from the Ferry pier, with a 220 foot vertical climb at the end as you climb the hill up to the Golden Gate Bridge. I have not actually walked the full length of that route all at one time (I’ll put that one on the to-do list and report back…) but I’d allow a couple of hours at a minimum, preferably more. You’ll want to stop, take pictures and just absorb all the beauty around you. You’ll recognize the spots where many famous postcards of Sausalito, San Francisco and the Bridge were photographed.
Do make sure to follow the signs (and the map below) to walk through Fort Baker rather than just climbing up the auto route to the Bridge, both for beauty and for safety. A fun stop along the way is the Farley Bar (adjacent to Murray Circle Restaurant) at the Cavallo Point Lodge, named after the Farley comic strip character created by the late local author and humorist Phil Frank. It’s expensive, but they have a fabulous burger as well as salads and sandwiches. Here’s a Google Map of the route:
Google Map Instructions: Use the “+” and “-” buttons to zoom in and out, the arrow keys to scroll the map, and the SAT button to see the satellite view.
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