Before the bridges, there were ferries. In the mid-1930s, before the Golden Gate and Bay bridges were completed, over 50 million people crossed the Bay by ferry annually. And yet, to promote use of these massive public works projects, the California State Legislature banned passenger ferry service across the Bay, leading to the elimination of ferries by the mid-1950s.
Fortunately, today the Bay is once again transected by daily ferries. What’s more, they’re environmentally friendly, relaxing, and cheap—a trip from San Francisco to Richmond, for example, costs just $4.50 for a beautiful 35-minute journey. So for the past several months, I’ve been exploring what I can see of the Bay by ferry.
By boat, I’ve learned, you get a sense of how thoroughly—for good or ill—people have manipulated San Francisco Bay’s 400 miles of shoreline, building landfill, ports, railroad terminals, channels, bridges, and extensive military and industrial infrastructure.
But you also see the Bay’s transition to a more “natural” state, healthier for nature and for people. Restoration efforts are visible as tidal wetlands, redeveloped shoreline parks, and the Bay Trail.
There is magic in boarding a ferry at San Francisco’s Ferry Building. From there, I can transport myself to other worlds, just across the Bay, and explore them on foot or by bike. Here are five places that delighted me.
