The point lies at the southern end of the Golden Gate Bridge, close to Fort Point and the Presidio, with Sausalito across the strait on the Marin side. There is no grander way to start or finish a ride along the Pacific Coast Highway. When it opened in 1937, the bridge had the longest suspension span in the world, and its colour, officially called International Orange, was chosen partly to stand out in the fog. It still feels astonishing to ride across, with the towers soaring overhead and the Pacific opening up beyond the strait.
Directly under the southern end of the bridge, Fort Point is a brick fort built before the Civil War to guard the Golden Gate, and Alfred Hitchcock filmed a famous scene from Vertigo there. The Presidio, a former army post, is now a national park, with forests, trails, old barracks and viewpoints over the bridge. Across the bridge, the road up into the Marin Headlands climbs to old gun batteries with the classic view back over the bridge and the city.
The Pacific Coast Highway, State Route 1, runs from here up the coast through Marin and Sonoma, and south through Pacifica, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz and Big Sur. Its fame among riders is worldwide, with cliffs, beaches, redwoods and endless curves, and it deserves its reputation. North of the bridge, the road over Mount Tamalpais and down to Stinson Beach is a tangle of tight bends with spectacular views; south, the coast road through San Mateo County is more open.
The bridge toll is charged only southbound, into San Francisco, and it is collected electronically, with no cash booths, so arrange payment in advance. The wind on the bridge can be strong, and fog often rolls through the Golden Gate, especially on summer afternoons, wetting the road surface. Traffic in the city is heavy, and parking is difficult. There are fuel stations on Lombard Street and around the Marina, and plenty of cafés and restaurants nearby.