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The second most famous suspension bridge at the Golden Gate has been rebuilt and will open to the public at 12:30 on Saturday afternoon.

That would be the 132-foot-long bridge that leads across the cliffs to the Point Bonita lighthouse, a landmark that stands at the northern edge of the Golden Gate with the ocean at its feet and the green hills of Marin at its back. It is one of the most spectacular sights in California.

The Point Bonita light station is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and the National Park Service calls the point and the surrounding seascape “a secret jewel of the Bay Area.”

The lighthouse has been in service on this spot since 1877, but the paths that lead to it have crumbled away at least three times, most recently when the old bridge became unsafe and had to be replaced. Without the bridge, the lighthouse had to be closed to the public. It was shut for two years.

The new bridge, a modest wonder with two towers, is narrow and sways in a strong wind. It took just more than a year to build and cost a bit over $1 million. To build it, construction crews had to rappel down the cliffs like mountain climbers, drill new eyebolts, string cables and construct a deck.

The 132-foot suspension bridge, which took just more than a year to rebuild, leads to the lighthouse. The view straight down is of cliffs and jagged rocks. Photo: Paul Chinn / The Chronicle