Yes, it's even more awesome than you imagined. Since it opened in 1937, this 1.7-mile suspension span between San Francisco and Marin counties has become one of the most beloved bridges in the world. A work of art, an engineering marvel, and an American icon, the Bridge is flanked on both ends by the natural beauty of the Golden Gate National Parks. Enjoy an exhilarating, but often chilly, walk across it.

Watch hawks trace circles in the sky from rolling hills in the Marin Headlands. Besides its wide-screen vistas of the Pacific and the Golden Gate, Hawk Hill offers fascinating wildlife experiences. It is the best place to witness the fall raptor migration and also provides habitat for the Mission blue butterfly.

No beach in the world has a view like this. From its sandy shore just west of the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge, look east to a stunning panorama of the city. Limited parking. Camping reservations required.

At every turn of the trail on this wild and rocky northwestern corner of San Francisco, there is another stunning vista. Along the way you'll see hillsides of cypress and wildflowers, views of old shipwrecks, access to the epic ruins of Sutro Baths, pocket beaches, and a new Lookout Visitor Center. You can thank community volunteers who have helped revitalize and restore the native habitat here.

It's hard to believe such a vast, beautiful, and diverse wilderness is so close to a major metropolitan area. The Marin Headlands is a crown jewel of the Golden Gate National Parks, abounding with places of natural wonder and beauty (Rodeo Valley/Lagoon, Gerbode Valley, Hawk Hill, Tennessee Valley) and remarkable historic sites (Point Bonita Lighthouse, Fort Cronkhite, Nike Missile Site, Battery Townsley).

Just a few miles from Muir Woods, Muir Beach is a lovely haven with a restored lagoon. Redwood Creek, home to a rich variety of shorebirds, salmon, and trout, empties here. The beach lies in a quiet and dramatic cove with its own sheltered picnic area.

People do not just visit Muir Woods. They come from around the globe to pay homage to nature in this cathedral of redwoods. The trees' ages range from 400 to 800 years, their height up to 250 feet. Flat easy trails loop through the groves and across creeks. Parking can be an issue.

On a clear day you can see as far as Point Reyes from this park adjacent to the Marin Headlands. Trails loop through groves of eucalyptus and bay laurel. In the spring you will find lupine and California poppies. In summer, the grasses turn golden, and by late summer you can find fennel, sagebrush, and blackberry bushes.

Picture a 3.5-mile stretch of white beach with few tourists and no highrises. It's just you and the waves and the seabirds at Ocean Beach, on the westernmost border of San Francisco, adjacent to Golden Gate Park. 

You're in another world here, a picture-perfect rural valley bordering both the Golden Gate National Parks and Point Reyes National Seashore. This pastoral landscape stretches for nine miles, its ribbon of Highway 1 unspooling between the slopes of Bolinas and Inverness Ridge. Here you have an opportunity to experience two national parks in one trip.