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Take a Sightseeing Tour
San Francisco Bay offers an extraordinary number of sights to see in a small area.
The usual route is to circle the bay in a counter-clockwise direction. For sailboats, the direction is important -- by going east along the cityfront, you'll usually be heading downwind; if you try to do the circuit in a clockwise direction, you'll generally end up beating along the San Francisco shoreline, which is much less conducive to sightseeing. In a powerboat, the direction is less critical.
Here's a few of the highlights to look for as you make your sightseeing cruise. For more information about each area, go to our Home Page and click on the region of interest in the chart.
Lime Point Fog Station. The Lime Point fog station was one of the first on San Francisco bay, built long before the Golden Gate Bridge that now towers over it. Only part of the structures remain.
Lime Point sits just barely inside the Golden Gate Bridge--so close, in fact, that when this was a manned station people dropping things from the bridge above was a significant hazard to the keepers. Lime Point was built as a fog horn station, not as a lighthouse, and that is still its primary role. The small building that remains is very old but is nearly derelict; there are hopes of restoring it and creating a fog station museum there. In its heyday, there was a good-looking two-story house adjacent to the station.
A Sunny View of the Golden Gate. A stunningly clear day on the Bay, with hardly a boat in sight.
The Golden Gate Bridge is a conspicuous landmark from anywhere in the central bay, but it is especially powerful as you approach and go under it. The 4200-foot-long bridge, which opened in 1937, took four and a half years to build. It is 220 feet high at the center.
If the swell and chop aren't too high for comfort, poke under the bridge so you can view it from the west, and then turn back and re-enter the bay. Or if conditions are good, and you are comfortable on the ocean and understand the dangers of the San Francisco bar, head out further to see the coastline.
Sunset Through the Gate. The sun sets behind the Golden Gate bridge, with Fort Point on the left.
At the south end of the bridge is Fort Point, with one of the oldest buildings in San Francisco. The massive fort was built between 1853 and 1861 to guard the gate. The small arch section of the bridge above was created to enable the bridge to be built without destroying the historic fort. It is open to the public and makes an excellent shoreside excursion for another day.
San Francisco Skyline. Our famous skyline on a sparkling yet cloudy day. This photo shows the waterfront from Fort Mason at the right to Pier 39 at the left.
There are many sights along the San Francisco waterfront. Starting from the Golden Gate Bridge, you'll pass Crissy Field, with the Presido in the background; San Francisco Marina, with the St. Francis and Golden Gate yacht clubs on the breakwater; Fort Mason; Aquatic Park, and Pier 39.
Gashouse Cove. The entrance to Gashouse Cove (officially the San Francisco Marina West Basin), with the western pier of Fort Mason on the left. Just inside this marina is the only gas dock in San Francisco.
Tourists and Sea Lions at Pier 39. Visitors crowd the deck at Pier 39 to watch the Fleet Week airshow. The sea lions, which have taken over the docks to the right, appear uninterested.
Financial District from the East. A view of San Francisco's financial district from the east.
Once past Pier 39, continue south along the city front to the Bay Bridge. The newly restored Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street is just north of the bridge. You can keep going to the southern parts of the city and see SBC Park and the shipyards, but we're going to take the shorter tour here and head east across the bay to Yerba Buena Island.
Treasure Island and the Bay Bridge. Clipper Cove is on the other side of the island, just across the roadway visible at the right of the photo. The large building is "Building One", originally the administrative center for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition for which Treasure Island was created.
Yerba Buena Island is the natural island in the center of the Bay Bridge. Once near the island, head north along the shore of Treasure Island, the manmade addition created for the 1939 World's Fair. At this point you may want to head directly for Angel Island, but we'll take a detour to Alcatraz.
East Side of Alcatraz. The cell block dominates the top of the island.
Alcatraz from the West. The west side of Alcatraz is completely inaccessible. The large building at the top is the cell block. At the left edge is the model shops; the long building to its right is the prison industries.
Alcatraz is a conspicuous landmark from anywhere in the central bay. You can cruise along the shore, but you can't tie up; access to island is allowed only via the official tour boats.
Camp Reynolds. Located on the west side of Angel Island, Camp Reynolds has the oldest surviving buildings on the island. The white row of buildings are officer's quarters, built between 1863 and 1874.
On a Mooring in Ayala Cove. Our own Kestrel II on a mooring in Ayala Cove. The building in the middle is the visitor center, which houses a nice museum.
At this point you may want to head into Racoon Strait from the west, for the shortest route, or go around the east side of Angel Island for the most complete tour. Sam's in Tiburon offers one of the few restaurant guest docks on the bay if you want to stop, but the docks are often full at lunch and dinner time. Or you can take a slip or pick up a mooring in Ayala Cove.
Tiburon Homes. Homes in Tiburon cover the hill, from the top to the watefront.
Waterfront Homes on Belvedere. Belvedere hosts most of the homes with floating docks on the central bay.
Tiburon and Belvedere offer great views of some of the priciest real estate in the bay area -- and arguably the nicest place to leave for a boating enthusiast with the resources to own one of these wonderful houses.
Central Sausalito. The central Sausalito waterfront, with the Horizons and Ondine restaurant building at the left.
Sausalito at Dusk. Lights appear in downtown buildings while a classic fishing boat waits in the anchorage.
We complete our tour at Sausalito. Anchor off the city front for a great lunch or dinner stop in nice weather, or try the guest dock at the Horizon's restaurant if you're looking for a meal out. Or if you just want to see all the boats, cruise down the Sausalito channel.
