Best photo locations for the Golden Gate?

I'm coming to San Francisco in January and hope to take a bunch of photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. My question - where are some of the best locations to photograph the bridge? Even if they are a little off the beaten path - I'm ok with that. I'm from Illinois and love bridges. This may be my only opportunity to catch some photos of it. Also, any lens suggestions? I have a Nikon D5100 that I will be bringing with.

Anywhere near that beach is fine. You can go to the cruise so that you can get a better view of it

There are many. Two that are great and less than well known: Fort Baker on the Sausalito side has a small fishing pier that's got a great view of the underside, from the north. Fort Point is on the SF side and the view IMO just isn't as good. From near Fort Baker you go to the Marin headlands, through the famous one-way tunnel. I can't describe the exact spot, but you wind up to the old missile silo and you are on the ocean side of the bridge, well above it. THAT view is just breathtaking - not just the bridge but the whole bay and city.

In my opinion the best is Marin Headlands. Cross over the GG Bridge and take the first exit. Head up the hill to the overlook. You get a view of the bridge with SF in the background. If you're lucky you can see the fog roll in the afternoon and get some great photos of the bridge peaking above the clouds.

Nic,

There are many spots to get a "classic" type photo of the GG Bridge. I'll just list the names and you can go to Google Maps to pinpoint the location and/or get directions from wherever your start point will be in the SF area… Remember to try to get some views that are different than what everybody else does. Make your interp.unique. Try:

1- Conzelman Road (viewpoint at the 1st parking area and also further up near the traffic circle)
2- Hawk Hill (off Alexander Ave.)
3- East of the Waldo Tunnel
4- Angel Island (good for a day trip or try the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry) or Treasure Island (easy drive from SF)
5- The Presidio
6- On the GG Bridge itself - shooting at the cables and towers
7- Fort Point

Keep in mind - San Francisco is not tropical. It can be "freezing" cold in January (not Chicago cold, but can dip to the upper 30's-40's - but the wind can make it feel bitter cold), it can be very foggy (so hopefully you'll hit a window when the GG Bridge isn't fogged in), our winters are rainy not snowy (so be prepared for inclement weather and have the appropriate rain gear for your camera too to protect it), because of the wind I'm sure you'll be prepared to use a tripod to get clear, steady shots.

Lens choice is really up to you and what kind of look you want to achieve. An ultra wide angle lens (with some element of interest in the foreground) will give you great depth of field. A telephoto zoom lens will let you capture the bridge from different focal lengths and zoom in on details - but will also flatten the sense of depth - which could be a cool effect to play with. Experiment.