California Photo Scout

Kirby Cove: City under the Bridge

Many visitors miss the unique views of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco from Kirby Cove. You can frame the city beneath the span of the Golden Gate Bridge, shoot the Bridge from a Beach and see the old fortifications.

The short hike to Kirby Cove is well worth the detour, but despite the countless travelers on Conzelman Road, many miss the turnoff.

How to get there

Kirby Cove Hike

The trail to Kirby Cove is not as steep as other sources claim. Near the west side (Pacific Ocean side) of the Battery Spencer parking lot, you will find a locked gate with a graded dirt road leading down. The road is passable by normal 2WD passenger cars, so you know it cannot be that steep. At the bottom of the one-mile hike, you will find Kirby Cove, a campground and smelly restrooms. If you plan to camp here, you need to make reservations well in advance (3 months). During the off-season, the waiting time might be shorter.

GPS position

• 37°49’36.34″N 122°29’26.08″W

How to photograph Kirby Cove and the Golden Gate

Not many people take the time to photograph from Kirby Cove, which makes this place special.

Skyline and Bridge

Golden Gate and Bay Bridge

You can place the city underneath the span of the bridge (see above) when you shoot from Kirby Cove. Use a moderate telephoto lens and zoom close to the skyline. The bridge is more subtle but no less appealing in these compositions.

From Kirby Cove you will also be able to combine the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge in one composition with a telephoto lens, something you cannot do anywhere else. You need to walk along the beach until you see two of the pillars of the Bay Bridge appear between the rocks. From the west side trail leading to the beach, you can see the Bay Bridge above the rocks.

Foregrounds

Stone Beach at Kirby Cove

Kirby Cove also affords you a number of foregrounds to play with. The sandy beach and crashing waves itself can make a very appealing foreground. If the tide is low, you can also walk on to the rocky portion on the west end of the beach. As always, keep mobile and move around as much as you can to find unique angles that make your picture different. After a storm, you could also look for sea grass, sea stars or shells on the beach to add interest to your foregrounds. Use a wide-angle lens for your near-far compositions and use a small aperture to increase depth of field.

West Side Hill

I climbed up the hill, west of the picnic benches to get to the outcropping on the far west for a different angle. Although the view is slightly different from up there, it is not worth the risk. The climb is treacherous and the fall is potentially deadly. There is no need to risk life or limb to go there for some average pictures.

Battery Kirby

You can explore the mutilated fortifications near the beach. From the top, you have yet another slightly different view. The decaying ruins are not as interesting to photograph.

Batter Wagner

View from Battery Wagner

The small side trail to Battery Wagner, near the start of the Kirby Cove trail is worth the detour. Vandals have covered the ruins with graffiti and the ground with glass, but the views over the bridge are once again splendid and different from any other viewpoint. It takes only a few minutes to walk the side trail. Do not skip it!

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Since you will look southeast, the best time for photography is from mid-afternoon until dark. The pictures on this page are from a hike during the early afternoon hours.

Time required

You can do the hike in a little over an hour (round trip). If you plan ample time for photography, you are looking at nearly 2.5 to 3 hours.

Equipment

• Wide-angle lens
• Telephoto Lens
• Circular Polarizing Filter
• Strong Flashlight for the hike after dark
• Night shooting gear (tripod, cable release, headlamp …)
• Picnic basket (lots of picnic benches here)
• Bathing suits and towels

Fees

There is no fee for day hikers. If you wish to camp at Kirby Cove, you can make reservations ahead of time

Close Locations

• Golden Gate views from Marin Headlands
• Golden Gate views 2
• Marin Headlands Hike
• Point Bonita Lighthouse
• Sausalito and Tiburon
• Angel Island State Park
• San Francisco Presidio
• San Francisco Marina
• San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts
• Muir Woods

Useful Resources

• Golden Gate National Parks Conservatory
• Some awesome Night Shots

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