Hopper’s Hands

I first spotted Hopper’s Hands during our March For Babies team’s six-​mile trek through the Presidio, shortly after giving birth to my preemie.
Since then, my (now thriving) toddler hasn’t been able to resist slapping Hopper’s Hands with a double high 5 to signify the turn-​around-​point of our fun run. And I can never resist slathering her with Purell after. Germies, cooties, and heebiejeebies aside, the story behind Hopper’s Hands is inspirational.
Locals and tourists alike visit Fort Point, admiring the Civil War era masonry and bayviews of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Many pause in between snapshots, curiously observing the endless stream of joggers who put their hands against the chain-​link fence at the farthest end of Fort Point.
Beside the «No Trespassing» sign where the sidewalk ends, a small placard is mounted. It reads «Hoppers Hands,» with a life-​sized tracing of Ken Hopper’s own hands. Ken is a Golden Gate Bridge ironworker who’s been called to rescue over 30 bridge jumpers in during his last 32 years of service. He painted this current (7^th version) orange-​and-​black as a nod to our San Francisco Giants.
Below the sign, a few feet to the right, is a smaller placard, with a pair of doggy paw prints for your four-​legged friend to join in on the tradition.
Whether it’s out of curiosity, tradition, or inspiration, smack the plaque (and listen to your inner OCD voice, sanitize after).

Hoppers hands is pretty cool! You put your hands up against a plaque in the park and for some reason you feel really great about it! Whenever I’m in the Crissy Field area, I head over to put my handprints in this plaque. There’s one for your dog to which I think is really cool! I highly recommend checking out hoppers hands next time you’re in the area!

Oh yes I’m going to write a review about a small plaque! Actually, I think its pretty cool and unique. The basic story is runners use it mostly (run up, put hands on, run off, right?). Well my interpretation may be a bit off as I really just enjoy this for a non-​runner reason. I just like it! Its fun! I used to run a lot but never in this area. I have been here, seen Hopper’s Hands plenty of times though. If you are here, you may as well go look. Or if you are a runner, do it! Yay! I put my hands on it too even though I was just wandering around the area.
Its just interesting to me and amusing. Dog paws are there too. Somehow I never took a photo of this? Why not? Silly me! Will do that the next time I visit.
For the tourists to SF: its not like you are going to go visit this area just for Hopper’s Hands. Or, maybe you will? How would I know? Its in a pretty amazing area anyhow. Its beautiful there even if foggy (as it is most of the time).

The is the best turn-​around spot ever. What a view coming up to them. Do yourself a favor and stop there to take in all the beauty of the bay and the bridge.

Park at Chrissy field take the path aaaaalllllllll the way to fort point… okay the place next to the golden gate bridge.
Great walk. Now touch the plaque with the hands… paws for my four legged canine friends.
Walk back and know that you have done one of the great walks in the world.

Great turn-​around point when on a run and needing a destination to run to. Hooper’s hands is a small plaque at the end of the roadway/​parking area at Fort Point. Eye level on a chain link fence these hands have high «tened» a lot of people. Runners would come right up and tag them and run back to where ever. They are still Orange& black… woot woot! Also there a plaque for your pooch too! Oh and I wasn’t worried about germs. There’s a bathroom right across the way.

Epic views, dress warm. Bring camera.

Just as an addendum to people’s fears about how germ ridden the hands get.
Caution, don’t watch if you’ve high-​fived the hands before

They’re plastic hands, you high five em when you run up to it as a sort of «start, finish, or milestone», and they even have some for your dog underneath. It’s kind of a cool piece of history, though I’m not really sure what the history is. Sure I could google it, but I almost like the mystery and intrigue of not knowing or that I could make up any story I want.
Back in the early 1900s, there lived a man named Gatticus Hopper who lived on the Alcatraz island, long before the prison was built. He had a taken a young woman named Goldie for his wife (though unofficial) and they had sex like rabbits producing a dozen kids over a decade. Contrary to popular belief, Alcatraz was a self sustained paradise in those days, with its own unique wildlife and vegetation, and the Hopper family lived life like Adam and Eve, all natural and nude, feeding off the land. Back in the 1930s, the city came in to terraform the island to make it a center point of a tri-​bridge which would connect San Francisco, Marin, and Oakland.
Finding an army of a nude Hopper clan hostile to the workers, the city asked the army to go in and forcibly remove the native people of the island. In a surprising feat, the Hopper clan repelled them with their uniquely crafted weapons, clever Home Alone-​style island traps, and seductive trickery of the infamous Hopper daughters. They had also managed to tame the dinosaurs, yes dinosaurs, on the island to fight for them, which helped shape an overwhelming victory for the family. Embarrassed, the city of San Francisco asked the Hopper family to forget the incident and offered them monetary compensation. Gatticus refused their offer as money was useless to them, but made a counter offer. He and his family would agree to keep quiet if he could go and high five everyone in san francisco.
He was an eccentric man, and the the city officials were dumbstruck. They told Gatticus this was impossible but to get the project done and get this sillyness over with, they told him they had a better idea. The bridges were to be redesigned to be as far away from Alcatraz as possible, and to keep Gatticus and his family happy, they named their project the Golden Gate bridge and put the Hopper’s Hands under it which, upon Gatticus’s death, would hold inside his very hands so that he may high five everyone for centuries to come.
Gatticus died, and per agreement, his hands were made as part of the plaque. Then one day, they firebombed the Alcatraz island and made it a big ol’ prison. Sucks.
Pro: You get to high five a legend.
Con: You’re touching everyone’s dirty hands before you.

Running along the SF Embarcadero, through Fisherman’s Wharf, through Fort Mason, through Chrissy Field and ending up at Fort Point’s Hopper’s Hands is absolutely a great experience. The scenery and the views are unbeatable. Of course, it can get a little bit crowded but seems like champagne problems to me.

A plaque of high-​five hands located on the fenced gate at Fort Point. We saw joggers running up to it, high-​fiving/​tapping and turning and running back. What an inspiration to runners from whatever place they commenced their run. If you look down, there are also a set of paw prints at the bottom, which I thought were so adorable for runners and their four-​legged friends. Of course, we all high-​fived the pair of hands and even got my little puppy to high-​five the paw prints. How could you not? It was like having our own little version of Mann Chinese theatre right there under the Golden Gate Bridge, complete with paw prints.
After inquiring the background behind the hands, we found that «Hopper’s Hands» are actually Golden Gate Bridge’s iron workers that volunteer their time to suicidal victims attempting to jump off the bridge. What a moving and inspirational story behind these set of hands (and paws).
Best views of the Golden Gate, turn around and you have wonderful views of the city and the Palace of Fine Arts. and your cherry on top? High-​five the hands of these great workers. You’ll be moved!

I love quirky things and this is one of them. It’s totally a runner’s thing to run out to the Hopper’s hands and high five them but it’s beautiful out there and I’m glad I’m part of a little cult of runners that knows these exist. Just try not to think of how dirty these things are from every runner who has run there over the years. I may have to go over there one of these days and wipe it down.

«Every now and then I fall apart»… it’s true for all of us, isn’t it?
Hopper’s Hands bring new meaning not only to the Golden Gate Bridge, but also to one of the best/​worst karaōke hits of all time.
Many people know that SF’s most iconic landmark is also the world’s #1 suicide destination. Known to a lesser extent are the rescue volunteers, namely bridge construction workers, who are trained in saving jumpers and talking them out of losing themselves to the depths below. I know I for one was unaware of them, at least at the time I started doing the Hopper’s Hands loop with my running group last year (I mean, it was kind of cool to high-​ten some random hands at the halfway point of my run, but other than that it didn’t mean all that much). Later I learned that Hopper was one of the workers who’d risk his own life many times over to salvage the lives of others. The pair of hands named for him on the chain link fence at historical Fort Point, at the base of the bridge, are meant to give hope to all who encounter them. They are there to remind us of Hopper’s plea: turn around.
The story behind the hands has definitely added a new layer of significance to my beloved bridge. But what’s cooler is anything that allows me to combine my loves for running, dogs (look for the accompanying pup’s paws!), so-awful-it’s-awesome karaōke, and kindness. So turn around, bright eyes.

It feels so good to touch these hands after a long run to the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. You deserve the reward.
Only 4 stars though because you just know they are full of germs…

My favorite run in all of San Francisco, by leaps and bounds! I love the sense of accomplishment when I hi-​five your hands :) Sometime I give ya knuckles! hehe. It is a great run from my house and back! Not too shabby of a view of the bay either! haha. I suggest every San Franciscan to do the run at least once in their stay here. It’s well worth it, and I bet it becomes a regular part of your exercise routine as well.
Cheers,
Dee

As goofy of a 3^rd grade art project as this is, these little metallic hands could be the difference between grinding out the end of your run through Chrissy Field, or calling it quits early, only to turn back in the direction you just came from. It’s the motivating force to keep you going and going… just like the Energizer Puppy. Or is that the Energizer Bunny? Eh, who cares…
Situated right at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, actually making it to Hopper’s Hands will be more rewarding than just about anything you do all day long. Upon arrival, you have a magnificent view of the Golden Gate Bridge as it gets closer and closer the nearer you get to Fort Point, you’re treated to a sweet view of the waves in the Bay as they crash violently against the half-​submerged boulders in the wet sand, and from a Southern California guy, it’s cool to see people surfing through the pillars of the Golden Gate Bridge as well. Those kids are crazy, so I’ll gladly just watch from a distance.
It’s an equally cool view of the Palace of Fine Arts with the cityscape in the background on the way back from Hopper’s Hands as well (especially in the morning hours), so all-​in-​all, this is one of the best jaunts in the city.
Oh — you might want to give the hands a sanitary shake, a.k.a. «knuckle pound.» Unless, of course, you’re jogging with hand sanitizer in tow.

A run from Fort Mason through Crissy Field to the base of the Golden Gate is one of the best paths you can take on planet earth. Out here you’re sure to be in awe of the scenery (maybe you’ll even see a DOUBLE RAINBOW), but as you approach the bridge (the halfway point for most) you’ll be hankering for a high five. Fortunately one of the bridge workers anticipated this need and put up some virtual hands for you and your pooch. We (me and Darwin) hit them every time, it’s a religious experience. Make sure you Purelll afterwards :).
Thanks Hopper!

These hands encourage me to keep goin’. I love running up to them, touch them, turn around and run!
On a nice day like today, it is gorgeous to run to Fort Point, under the Golden Gate Bridge and touch the Hopper’s Hands (for doggies, there are paw prints too).
Many runners touch them so you definitely have to wash your hands afterwards.
I highly recommend all runners to run to the Hopper’s Hands!
Tip: Try going there early in the day. Lots of tourists and tourists on bikes in the area. It can get annoying for a runner…

Run up, touch, and turn around.
Sounds silly, but when you are reaching the midpoint of a long run and the cold wind is blowing in your face, it is so easy to give in and turn around. But thanks to Mr. Hopper, there is something to think about and keep you going.
I won’t repeat the story that others have stated here. But I will say — hat’s off to the iron workers and suicide volenteers that Hopper represents.
The plaque gets occasional update — thanks guys (and girls) who take care of it.

For the longest time, I’ve never known what Hopper’s Hands were. I noticed them after running to the GG bridge and saw fellow runners touching the hands. As is the routine to my runs to the GG bridge, I found myself touching Hoppers Hands.
I finally googled it this morning, I really appreciate the Hopper and his fellow Ironworkers for their tireless effort to help with suicide prevention, especially when it’s on their own time.
I noticed when I ran last week that there were doggie paws for dogs hands. I thought it was really cute, too bad I don’t have a dog still… HIGH TEN!