Golden Gate Bridge travel guide describes the Golden Gate Bridge as "possibly the most beautiful, certainly the most photographed, bridge in the world." At the time of its opening in 1937, it was both the longest and the tallest suspension bridge in the world, with a main span of and a total height of . Before the bridge was built, the only practical short route between San Francisco and what is now Marin County was by boat across a section of San Francisco Bay. A ferry service began as early as 1820, with a regularly scheduled service beginning in the 1840s for the
Golden Gate Ferry Gate Ferry to allow faster and more frequent service than the monohull ferries. The "Napa" (formerly "Snohomish") and "Golden Gate" (formerly "Chinook") were purchased from Washington State Ferries in January 2009. The "Napa" underwent refurbishment starting in late 2009. Golden Gate Ferry began service in 1970 with the M.S. "Golden Gate". Before she was retired in 2004, she made 42,108 round trips between Sausalito and San Francisco, carried 21 million passengers and traveled nearly . Golden Gate Ferry Golden Gate Ferry is a commuter ferry service operated by the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District in the Bay Area