It’s impossible to get bored in San Francisco, even if you feel like you’ve done and seen everything. In fact, narrowing this idea down to even Golden Gate Park is difficult with its myriad nooks, crannies, winding trails, wide open green spaces, and even this small but unique and historical bridge and tunnel located on the east side.
As you enter Golden Gate Park from the end of Haight Street, you will find a small man-made lake. This is Alvord Lake, which dates back to the 1880s, and is named after park commission president William Alvord.
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This is how it looked back in 1904. Following the lakeside path leads you to the Alvord Bridge.
Detroit Publishing Company/Wikimedia Commons
Constructed in 1889 by Ernest Leslie Ransome, Alvord Bridge is the first structure of its kind built with iron-reinforced concrete.
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The bridge is one of the few structures in San Francisco that survived the 1906 earthquake unscathed. It’s only 64-feet wide and 20 feet in span, and is considered a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
Historic American Engineering Record/Wikimedia Commons
Today, cars pass over the bridge on Kezar Drive, while pedestrians can walk underneath it, from the east edge of the park into Sharon Meadow.
The West End/Flickr
And pedestrians get quite an experience in the tunnel, which feels like a wild cavern with its artificial stalactites.
The West End/Flickr
But the bridge and tunnel itself may be more picturesque from afar…
Adam S./Yelp
Have you been to this unique tunnel in San Francisco? Looking for more hidden treasures to find throughout San Francisco? Check out our favorite places that will bring out the explorer in you.
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Detroit Publishing Company/Wikimedia Commons
J Jakobson/Flickr
Historic American Engineering Record/Wikimedia Commons
The West End/Flickr
Adam S./Yelp
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