Welcome to the State of California's San Francisco Bay Region
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Golden Gate National Recreational Area, The Classic shot of the Golden Gate Bridge with the San Francisco downtown skyline taken from the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Best towards sunset or in the morning when there is fog. From San Francisco drive across the bridge and take the first exit, then an immediate left which takes you back under the freeway as if you were going back to San Francisco then look for Cozelman Road a steep road angling off to the right by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area sign which will take you to the viewpoint. GPS coordinates 37.835319 N,-122. 489866 W also Fort Point and Baker Beach are also great classic views. A few other place for the bridge. GPS coordinates 37.809886 N, 122. 426469 W. and 37.807597° N 122.478558° W. Southwest corner of Angel Island, Grizzley Peak Blvd above UC in Berkeley, Baker Beach, Marin Headlands,
Bay Bridge from the Embarcadero near the Ferry Building
Lombard Street, the crooked street that is lined with flowers, this is a morning shot.
Hyde Street and Lombard Street is a great street to shoot out over the rooftops to Coit Tower, the
bay and the bridge. Also this is a good spot to photograph cable cars going up and down Hyde Street
take the Powell-Hyde Cable Car to get there.
Botanical Gardens
Japanese Tea Garden.
Chestnut street photo of the bay and Alcatraz. Don’t forget to include a
cable car in your photo.
Fisherman's Wharf area has a great deal of photo opportunities. Pier 39
to see the sea lions and
you see Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge. Go south 5 to see many tall ships.
Ghirardelli Square
Aquatic Park
The Presidio
Alcatraz best time is 30 – 45 minutes before the last ferry leaves. People
walk to the ferry and you can have a lot of shots without people.
Photograph the cell blocks, dining area, and library
Just don’t miss the ferry.
Mt. Tam
Treasure Island great shots of SF either sunrise or sunset.
the Embarcadero
Golden Gate Park has many different museums
Ocean Beach
Sutro Baths
Chinatown
Museum of the Legion on Honor.
Alamere Falls
North and South Beach.
Mount Vision parking area take the short trail to the summit of Mount Vision for a sunset photo.
Estero Trail is a 4.5-mile hike that takes you along the eastern edge of the Drakes Estero and marshes for great birds, spotted axis deer, white fallow deer photos.
Johnson's Oyster Farm is great for photographing rusting old machines, oysters, and people.
Drakes Beach has the Kenneth C. Patrick Visitor Center and a saltwater aquarium. The west end of the beach is has some great high white cliffs also at low tide check out the tide pool life.
Chimney Rock it is 4.5 miles to the end of the road where you will have good views of Drakes Bay. There is a short steep trail leading to an overlook with views of Chimney Rock and Elephant seal. This is the best place in Point Reyes for wildflowers.
Point Reyes National Seashore camping is at Samuel P Taylor State Park (Taylor Park on the State Parks website) or Olema campground
Point Reyes Light house great morning shot, there is a visitor center here. Great for photos with fog. It is a quarter-mile hike from the parking area to the lighthouse a total of 308 steps. Great for whales. Stairs are open from 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. also you can view the sea lions at an overlook.
Abbotts Lagoon You will have an easy 1.5-mile hike to the lagoon. Good for wildflowers and migratory waterfowl.
Kehoe Beach take the short half-mile hike past a marsh to the beach. Great for birds and tide pools.
Tule Elk Preserve for wildlife picture of elk. Also great for wildflowers in the spring and early summer.
McClures Beach take the half-mile trail for tide pools at low tide and coastal views including sea stacks.
Pierce Point Ranch
Tomales Point Trail the end of the trial is not maintained. At the end of the trail is the sea stack called Bird Rock great place for a sunset. There is also birds and tule elk. Also last week of February many fields have good mustard blooms. Heart's Desire Beach
Muir Woods
The ride down to Santa Cruz is quite nice...should see some seals along the way and some nice ocean scenes.
Marin Headlands great evening shots of the golden gate bridge
San Francisco city photo shots from Angel Island, take the ferry ride from Tiburon over to Angel Island.
Suasalito has great shots down at the harbor
Halve moon bay, try Mavericks for surfer during the day.
Oakland hills photos with views of San Francisco and the bay. Also many lake in the area.
Mount Diablo
Lake Chabot
Roberts Park
Arizona Cactus Garden near the mauselum at Stanford University.
Castro Valley take Redwood road from Oakland many nice scenes and maybe wildlife. The golf course at the end of Redwood Road usually has in the mornings and evenings.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse just south of San Francisco.
Noyo Harbor great chance to photograph fishing boats, Coast Guard vessels, and birds
Coastline from the Golden Gate Bridge to Fort Bragg just north of Mendocino, there are many sea scapes and sea-stacks.
Bodega harbor and jetty great for sunrise.
Fort Ross State Historic Park
Salt Point State Park
Schooner Gulch State Beach
Point Arena lighthouse built 1908 has many sea-stacks in the area
Historic Victorian Mendocino
Pygmy Forest and the dwarfed Mendocino Cypresses.
Point Cabrillo lighthouse
Mendocino Botanical Garden
Laguna Point in McKerricher State Park
Navarro River Redwoods State Park
Anderson Valley vineyards
classic twilight shot of the San Francisco skyline atop the Victorian Terrace adjacent to Alamo Square
Berkeley
Berkeley arboretum
Twin Peaks just go up Twin Peaks Boulevard
Tilden Botanic Garden
Lobos Creek & Lobos Dunes
Bolinas Lagoon
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Lucas Valley road to the big rock at the top of the hill
China Camp State Historical Park and Turtle Back Island
Beach itself has some very photogenic sea stacks
Audubon Canyon Ranch
Elkhorn Slough
Pacific Grove
Pebble Beach
The best locations to take photo's are in our database. If you know of any Photography Locations you have visited or pictures that you would like to share SUBMIT them. Thank You for your help in making our Photo Locations Guide database grow.