Update: We’ve been made aware that the walkway at the Golden Gate Bridge is not pet friendly. Unfortunately, we missed the prohibition against dogs on their website and there were no informative signs at the site. We’re sorry for our inadvertent infraction and we hope that someday this site will be open for all dogs to enjoy.

Traveling with your dogs means you do some things you might not otherwise do. It’s a good thing – challenging your preconceived notions. Walking over the Golden Gate Bridge hadn’t even made our radar on previous visits to San Francisco, but this time was different. It was something the dogs could do with us. Although, Ty looked like he’d rather stay in the Winnebago and take a nap.

Dogs and pedestrians can stroll the eastern walkway of the bridge every day from 5 am until dark. The crowds get pretty thick on the weekends, so we waited until a weekday morning and had plenty of room to enjoy the views without worrying about people stepping on the dogs. If the weekend is your only option, avoid some traffic by going between 3:30 pm and dark when the eastern walkway is closed to bicycles.

The only other place you’ll get views like this is on a ferry – but they’re not pet friendly. We spent about ninety minutes walking the 1.7 mile bridge, including breaks to admire and take photos of the city and the bay.

If you’re not big on heights, you may want to sit this one out … the bridge deck is 245 feet above the surface of the water!

The parking lots on both sides of the bridge are easy to locate and there is no charge to park or walk the bridge – unlike driving over it, which will set you back six bucks. It was the perfect place to stop and let the dogs stretch their legs. When we got back, the boys were ready for a nap.

What’s the most unusual attraction you’ve seen with your dog?

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