On 30 September 2025, after the first of our two nights at the San Remo Hotel in San Francisco, I got up a little after 4am, ordered an Uber and headed out to Golden Gate Overlook on my own – this one was just me. By 6:30 I was back for breakfast with Kristine and her mum, Inge. Those couple of hours turned out to be one of the things from San Francisco I remember best.
This isn't a full San Francisco guide – just the story of that one early morning, and what I'd tell you if you wanted to do the same. The rest of our stay is in San Francisco in a Short Stay.
The short version
Go in the dark, go early, and check the tide. From Golden Gate Overlook it's a short walk down to Marshall's Beach, where you see the Golden Gate Bridge lit up from sea level with hardly anyone around. It's dark and uneven, and at high tide the beach disappears – so plan for that.
Golden Gate Overlook before sunrise
The Uber worked fine at that hour, and the driver dropped me close to Golden Gate Overlook. It was still completely dark.
I walked up around the overlook first and took my first photos from there. The bridge was lit up, while everything around me was almost pitch black – a very different feeling from the busy viewpoints during the day.
Walking down to Marshall's Beach in the dark
From the overlook I used Google Maps to find the way down to Marshall's Beach. According to Google Maps it's about 450 metres and 7 minutes on foot – but in the dark I used the light from my phone and took it slowly.
The beach can only be reached on foot, via the Batteries to Bluffs Trail – a short but steep trail along the bluffs with a lot of steps.
Old military batteries in the dark
On the way down I walked past old military installations and concrete bunkers. The bluff here is lined with old coastal gun batteries – Google Maps marks names like Battery Godfrey, Battery Boutelle and Presidio Battery West along this stretch.
Walking alone past them at that time of night was a slightly strange experience. I never felt unsafe, but it was definitely a different way to meet the Golden Gate Bridge than in the middle of the day.
Marshall's Beach at night
Down on the beach, it was fantastic. There was almost nobody there. I could hear the waves, and the Golden Gate Bridge stood lit up in the dark right in front of me.
Walking toward the Golden Gate Bridge
I walked along the beach towards the bridge, taking photos as I went. The further I went, the closer I got to the bridge and the cliffs, and the bigger it all felt. The combination of darkness, the sea, the rocks and the lit-up bridge made it a very special experience.
It was one of those moments on our San Francisco trip where I really felt I was seeing the city differently from the classic tourist experience.
The rising tide on the way back
At some point I had to head back – and that's where I got a small scare.
I'd gone a good way along the beach and close to the cliffs. On the way back I could see that the water had come further in than when I walked out. The tide had risen, and some of the places I'd easily walked past earlier were now harder to get around.
I was close to getting cut off on the wrong side. I had to hurry and run a stretch to get past while it was still possible. It wasn't a dramatic emergency, but I definitely broke a sweat.
You don't think much about the tide when you're standing on a beach in the middle of the night concentrating on photographing the Golden Gate Bridge. That's exactly why I'm mentioning it.
Check the tide first
The Presidio Trust notes that the beach is fully submerged at high tide and recommends checking the tide tables before you go. If you plan to walk far along the beach and the rocky sections towards the bridge, know when the tide is coming in – and keep an eye on the water while you're down there.
Back to San Francisco for breakfast
After the beach I walked back up to the Golden Gate Overlook area, took a few more photos from up there and ordered an Uber back. I was back around 6:30am, met Kristine and Inge, and we had breakfast.
The whole thing only took a couple of hours, but it's one of the experiences from San Francisco I remember best.
Where we stayed: San Remo Hotel
We were three on this trip – Kristine, her mum Inge and me – so we had two rooms at the San Remo Hotel in North Beach for two nights, 29 September to 1 October 2025, booked through Hotels.com.
It's a simple hotel, a bit worn, but otherwise fine – and the location in the city was good. We paid DKK 4,186 in total for both rooms and both nights – three adults, two rooms, two nights. That's what we paid when we booked in May 2025; prices change, so check current rates.
Would I do it again?
Absolutely.
If you want to experience the Golden Gate Bridge in a different way than from the classic viewpoints in the middle of the day, a very early walk down to Marshall's Beach can be fantastic.
But be honest with yourself about what you're getting into. If you go at the same time as I did, it's dark. You need to be able to find your way, the trail, beach and rocks are uneven, and you need to keep an eye on the tide if you walk far along the water. There are no facilities at the beach either, so bring what you need.
It wasn't just another place to take a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was standing alone on a dark beach, hearing the waves, with the bridge lit up in front of me while San Francisco was still waking up.
Practical information
| Location | Marshall's Beach, the Presidio, San Francisco – just south-west of the Golden Gate Bridge |
|---|---|
| Starting point | Golden Gate Overlook |
| Access | On foot only, via the Batteries to Bluffs Trail – steep, with many steps |
| Distance | About 450 m / 7 min from Golden Gate Overlook according to Google Maps |
| Getting there | Uber both ways worked fine for us at that hour |
| We stayed | San Remo Hotel, North Beach – simple, a bit worn, good location; DKK 4,186 for 2 rooms × 2 nights, 3 adults (Hotels.com) |
| Navigation | Google Maps and a phone light (a head torch would be better) |
| Tide | The beach is fully submerged at high tide – check the tide tables before you go |
| Facilities | None at the beach |
| Dogs | Not allowed on the Batteries to Bluffs Trail |
| When I went | 30 September 2025 – up a little after 4am, back around 6:30am |
Access, tide and trail details are from the Presidio Trust's pages on Marshall's Beach and the Batteries to Bluffs Trail. Conditions can change – check before you go.