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Richmond - San Rafael Bridge

3.5 (90 reviews)
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Downtown San Francisco in the distance
Diane W.

We took the Golden Gate Bridge to get to point Reyes and decided to come back home via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. It's a grand beautiful bridge with two levels. Since we were going East, we were on the button level. From the bridge, you can see down town San Francisco in the distance along with the bay bridge and Golden Gate Bridge.

Phil A.

A true engineering marvel!! At around 5 miles long, the upper deck has a bike/walking lane, but with cars whizzing by you at 60+ mph, not sure how comfortable you're gonna feel there, I know I was thinking the worst. Like all Bay Area bridges now, the toll booths are gone, they snap a picture of your license plate and you get a toll invoice in the mail. The bridge itself does feel old, but sturdy. And with the ups and downs of this bridge when you're driving, it's does feel different. But it gets you from Richmond to San Quentin and, eventually, to San Rafael in a very timely matter!!

Yes that's the bridge, can view the entire span from our deck.
Cindy W.

Definitely from Marin and Sonoma Yes, what other choice is there! Definitely no comparison to the Bay Bridge, now that's a nightmare I will never venture. Take me to the Greek via the Richmond San Rafael Bridge!

David M.

Sweet crossing that can be a cool backroad access from the East Bay to the golden gate of you need to get to those points n the city. We were headed from Sacramento to lands end and Waze prompted this path for us. In terms of on the water the bridge is a nice gateway from the east bay waters to the open bay in the way to the city.

10pm Thursday night,  eastbound
Steve D.

The Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, opened in 1956, it cost $62-million to build. Upper deck has a protected bike and walking pathway. Lower deck has a 3rd lane for commute hours. That's great right? Not really, it takes away the emergency lane. So, upper deck is westbound with 2 lanes and a great view of San Quentin State Prison on the left. Lower deck is eastbound with 2-3 lanes, and not much view. Toll plaza is all electronic now, with no human toll takers. It's either scan your FasTrak device or a camera snaps a photo of your plate. That's why everyone needs a front license plate and no plate covers. Why 4-stars? Because I usually get stuck in the traffic delays when they do night maintenance. 3 lanes merge to 1. Well, you do have choices.....you can use Hwy 37, or the backroads of Sonoma, or cross the Golden Gate Bridge and drive thru San Francisco to get to the Bay Bridge. Usually I just sit in traffic (see photo of June 2, '22). Great bridge! Useful and saves time. Let's you avoid driving thru SF.

Ultima M.

Crossing the bridge on my way to Sausalito Nice view of the bay Double decker bridge Total length 5.5 miles Official name of the bridge is John F McCarthy bridge Pay for toll via Fast Track

Rick P.

Five stars! Solid bridge and it gets you across water! I supposed you could ask for more lanes but it works for me!

Fred T.

The poor Richmond - San Rafael Bridge. Its sort of the the ugly duckling of the Bay Area bridge set. It spans the bay connecting the city of Richmond to San Rafael. Its a vital roadway no doubt thus sparing many commuters hours of time each day. However, unless you are commuting, heading in a specific direction, or one of the other bridges is closed many simply forget this bridge is even there. Its spot as the forgotten bridge is manifested in the movie "Sneakers". When trying to figure out a kidnapping route they mention 5 bridges on the Bay YET only name the GG, Bay, San Mateo, and the Dumbarton. That being said, in the classic Dirty Harry movie Magnum Force it can be seen in the distance. The span is quite long mind you at 5.5 miles, but it is an odd mixture of cantilever sections, and other types of construction. Its as if they had leftover stuff from other bridges and like the old erector set, they used whatever they had. The other oddity is that it goes up and down in an undulating pattern (like an old wooden roller coaster). There is not alot else to the bridge. One one side you can see Red Rock Island which is noteworthy as being one of the only private island in the bay. Its presently listed at $5 million if you have money to burn. On the San Rafael side is California's notorious Max prison and home to death row, San Quentin. The bit of good news is a planned bike and pedestrian lane should be finished soon!

san rafael bridge in the fire haze
Rebecca B.

This bridge is spacious, but I can barely see the ocean view in my honda civic. Sigh At least there's barely traffic :)

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We took the Golden Gate Bridge to get to point Reyes and decided to come back home via the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge.

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China Camp Village - Inside of boat

China Camp Village

4.7(6 reviews)
4.7 mi

Our camp site was just an 8 minutes drive away. We came on a Saturday just before 2pm and intended…read moreto just check out the beach. We did not know we also stumbled onto this little fishing village and museum too. Apparently you can also rent the space out for wedding receptions too as we had seen one being set up. The beach was also nice as we spent a few hours here. It's a pebble beach so bring something soft to sit or lay on. There are also a few picnic tables. Even if we don't camp we could see ourselves visiting here as it's very peaceful and not busy at all.

We had reservations at the campground at China Camp State Park in early August, 2024, which was…read moreintended just as an overnight stop while on-route between Santa Cruz, CA and the Oregon coast. Without having done any research with respect to what to expect at the state park, we were very pleasantly surprised to stumble upon the China Camp Village. The Village commemorates an historical (1880s) Chinese American shrimp fishing village on the shore of San Pablo Bay. The small (unmanned) museum is in one of the original restored buildings, and has exhibits that depict the work and lives of the fishermen from that era. We also walked along the pier, and took photographs of the old boats on the shore and the "Grace Quan", which is moored to the pier. The Grace Quan is a reconstruction of a San Francisco Bay shrimp junk that was a workhorse of the dried shrimp industry from 1860-1910. We ended the evening watching sunset over the bay from one of the plentiful picnic tables. Clean restrooms are available. The state park charges $5 for day use parking.

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China Camp Village
China Camp Village
China Camp Village

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The Wave Organ - 06.15.25 Built in 1986 by Exploratorium artists in residence Peter Richards and George Gonzalez

The Wave Organ

3.9(198 reviews)
8.7 miMarina/Cow Hollow

This sculpture is really cool! I've known about it for a while but finally took the time and effort…read moreto go check it out. It's a little off the beaten path haha, like after walking through marina greens, you kinda go on a narrower pathway, past a yacht club, and at the edge you'll find this quirky, fun thing! It was really cool to listen to the waves through this "wave organ." I thought it was newer but had no idea it was built in 1986! The Wave Organ uses 25 PVC pipes (and stone reclaimed from an old cemetery!) to channel the Bay's waves into eerie, soothing rumbles, gurgles, sloshes and hisses. Definitely put your ears up to the pipes to hear the magic. Pro tip, wish I knew beforehand: go during high tide (that's when the "music" is apparently the best!). 10/10 recommend for a lazy walk and chill moment with the sound of the Bay!

Fun place to take a short walk. No parking super close - so not good for people in wheelchairs or…read morewalkers. Great for kids and beautiful views. Off the beaten path you will find this fun spot. Walk past all the yacht clubs and keep going and going. All the way at the end there is a beautiful interactive art installation perfect for kids or adults that never grew up. Tile work and pipes that go into the ocean and make ocean sounds. Press your ear up against the pipes and take a listen. A couple people were fishing nearby but the whole place you can likely have all to yourself. Not all that many people will go take a few extra steps. Perhaps bring a picnic? Benches built into the walls... Maybe not growing up is ok. Taking life too seriously is perhaps overrated.

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The Wave Organ - 06.15.25 the acoustics of the wave organ are only active when the tide is in, and the music is best heard around high tide

06.15.25 the acoustics of the wave organ are only active when the tide is in, and the music is best heard around high tide

The Wave Organ - View from the organ to the bridge

View from the organ to the bridge

The Wave Organ - 06.15.25 located on a jetty in the Marina District

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06.15.25 located on a jetty in the Marina District

Richmond - San Rafael Bridge - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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