Black Sands Beach

Beautiful views! Mini hike! Black sand...oh my!!I made the trip to Sausalito to Black Sands Beach today. I wanted to beat the heat (supposed to be another triple digit heat day in Vacaville), and avoid the July 4ty traffic/crowds. What better way then to go the day before?!? My plan worked out in my favor!! I arrived around 11:15am and was able to find parking in the smll parking lot. The beach had very few people. It was quiet, with the exception of the sea gulls and the sound of the ocean waves. The water forecast: very cold and cloudy! But, I enjoyed myself!! :)I appreciate the reviews about the long, steep, stairway down! It wasn't too bad going down. The trip back uphill was killer! It was a hike and a nice way to get a cardio workout in before heading back in the car! There's a small stack of a bathroom in the mini parking lot. Make sure to have sanitizer handy!I'm going to come back on a sunny day :)

Wanted to take a hour or so drive towards Montery Bay,bjust to spend a little time relaxing and watching the water while talking. It wasnt a bright sunny day so we thought perhaps the beaches would be less crowded. That was true there were not large groups of people there. Unfortunately the people that were there were loud rude filthy mouths and the beach had seen better days. Trash and BBQ food everywhere.My last destination for another beach day.

If heaven was a beach, I tell ya! Black Sands Beach would be IT. What a beauty it is! The black sand is amazing but it's those white waves that will do it to ya.I've come to realize that I'm obsessed with the beach. I'm sure many people are, but I'm on a journey to explore every beautiful beach that this state has to offer. Will that actually happen? Probably not. But, I'm having so much fun in the process. Black Sands Beach is one of those special beaches that you kinda want to keep all to yourself. It's located off of Conzelman Road which is already quite a trek in itself since it's a windy one way road that you'll have to take to get there. Once you reach the parking lot, you better hope that you can find parking. The parking lot is small and fills up quickly, which means that you should get here at the crack of dawn to secure a spot. There are restrooms at the parking lot and a few hiking trails that you can take that will connect you back to the beach parking lot. The trek down to the beach is about .2 miles and all downhill. Keep this in mind if you are planning on lugging anything down there. What goes down must come back up. And it's a steep decline, so probably best to bring something other than flip flops to wear to avoid slipping. But it's so worth the trek and early rising. This is the most secluded beach that I've been to in Marin County. Probably because it isn't as easily accessible as the others, and I like that. On a Saturday afternoon, there was practically no one at this beach when I was there. It is a nude beach and I did see a few nudies, but they were way on the other side minding their business as I was minding mine. The waves are so calming and the sand is super soft and clean. I feel like this is the only black sand beach that I've seen in the Bay Area and it's marvelous. It's super peaceful here and one of the few Marin beaches that is actually warm enough to get in the water. A few things to note: there's a large crow colony and you will find some ants in the sand. The crows aren't super aggressive and for the most part, you'll find them in the beach enjoying the water too. But don't leave your food out or small items unattended because they will take them. Also, the ants aren't terrible but there were some that made it onto my beach blanket. Just don't keep food out and you should be fine. The views of the coastline are magical and the small crowd will make you feel like you have this beach all to yourself at times. A feeling that I often live for since I'm a super beachy bum. But yeah, please enjoy this stunning beach. It has quickly become one of my favorites and I promise that it'll become yours too.

Small parking lot right by the beach. But that is okay because you can park along side the road. The road leading to the beach is one-way this is helpful because you might lose signal as you get up the mountain so having a one way road prevents you from getting lost.Just be aware there are a lot of steps to get down to this beach. You will be parking at the very top of the mountain and need to climbs down stairs to get to the water. Going down the stairs isn't too bad it's climbing up that is rough. I had to take several rest breaks.The sand at the beach isn't your typical sand it's black color hard pebble like sand so it will hurt if you walk barefoot on the beach. But the water is a beautiful blue. Its a great view and would recommend going at least once.

The review is for Black Sands Beach Via Julian Trail.1st hike of the year!! Gorgeous coastal trail for January! The weather was perfect. Green everywhere and it's 2miles down and 2 miles up. I love how it leads you to the chocolate beach. I can't say it was black because it did not resemble the one in Maui but definitely a site for sore eyes.

Found another beautiful beach with black sand or small small rocks! Went hiking here from Hawk Hill. It's about a 4 mile hike or there is a small limited parking area by the beach BUT you have to go still go down a flight of a lot of steps so bring some folks to help carry things. At the parking lot, there is a public bathroom but I would hate to go up all those stairs!We came here on a Saturday hot day 76 degrees but it felt hotter! There was no overcast. It was actually too hot of a weather in this area and since there is no shade. Usually, it's cool or misty here. Nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge on a nice clear day if you go up the trail along Conzelman Rd back to the Hawk Trail parking lot. Too bad we could not hang out for awhile at the beach since we were part of a hiking group that day. We will be back but i don't think we will do the trail again because of the steps going up. [44th/100]

If you have bad knees or a bad ankle, the "small" hike is not for you! The small "hike" of steep stairs is not that long but packs a punch! Also, it is a nudist beach. Extra tip: Lighthouse nearby closes at 3:30pm.

I just recently came here for the first time and loved it. I've been in the area to hike before but never to this beach (there's also another beach located in same area). It wasn't a busy day since it was a Monday afternoon. The parking lot is very small so just be aware. I'm not sure how busy it can get some days. I loved how secluded it was and the weather was perfect. My only dislike was the walk down I just wasn't aware or prepared for the steep hike down and back up at the end. So next time I know. Make sure you bring proper shoes or don't have heavy items to carry like we did. Going uphill in Birkenstock's, carrying bags and chairs wasn't the best lol. If we could post videos I'd share the path.Overall I would come back here (just not pack a lot).

I would totally come back here! My current obsession are hike-in beaches and this one is a true hidden gem. I love Marin County and GGNRA in general. Endless hiking trails and amazing views. In your GPS, just enter Black Sands Beach. It will lead you to the Parking lot on Conzelman Rd (Upper Fisherman's Trail). There are limited parking spots so go early if you can. We left the beach around 1 pm on a Saturday and let's just say there were no spots and some people were making their own parking spots in various places. From the parking lot, it's about a 10 min walk descending down...about 250 steps. Sure it's fun going down and seeing the views, but just remember that when it's time to head back. For a more challenging hike, (using the same directions), park earlier near Hawk Hill. Take the Julian trail or Coastal Trail to Upper Fisherman's trail. We loved our stay. We brought lunch, a blanket, music and sat in a secluded area (when coming down the steps, we ventured left). Fresh air guaranteed. Bring sunnies, a hat and dress in layers. You will see some fishing and fishing & sail boats too. If you plan touch the water, be aware of the currents. Want to climb rocks- there are a few (can't miss them) climb with caution.Notes: Some like to bare all here, so please be awareViews of: Pt Bonita Lighthouse, Lands End, Baker Beach (on a clear day especially)Signs say no dogs, but we saw at least 3 when we hiked.There is one bathroom at the start of the trail/parking lot. No wash area so bring wipes and hand sanitizer. (when we went, the door wasn't shutting all the way either so buddy up and man the door if you can)bring a mask- trails can get narrowBring a blanket and lunch- picnic all day!If you have time, when leaving, you can visit Pt Bonita Lighthouse. (the road leaving will lead you there, just follow the signs)

Quiet beach with great views of the Bay Area. There aren't many black sand beaches that I'm aware of, and I was curious to see what it looked like. The sand was definitely darker, but it wasn't quite black. I lucked out and arrived on a beautiful and sunny day in November, and the beach wasn't busy around 3:15pm on a Saturday. If you're coming from the SF side, you'll likely have to battle through some of the Golden Gate Bridge vista point traffic, but it wasn't too bad at that time. They have a small parking lot at the top of the beach area, and it seemed like people also parked along the side of the road. There aren't any bathrooms once you walk down to the beach, so make sure you use the bathroom at the top/parking lot. I would recommend you wear sneakers and bring a pair of flips flops once you get down to the actual beach. There are a lot of steps on the way down, and it was a little sketchy trying to walk down with flip flops. The views along the way are beautiful (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=lmpWTSzn_Y94zWcMcROdUQ&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=sg2EcDbvDvvWrMxSU3KQYA&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=1t_4vGVIohjkskISGOXh5A&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=e753_gNRptDxZTjLGSApvA&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg, https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=vFWAxdY47nFasOXBZV43pQ&userid=76vIFZcC7owykCBjMfGVXg). Although the distance is 0.2 miles to walk down, it took about 10-15 minutes since it was a steep hike in parts. It's recommended that you check the tides before you going on the beach since the water can come up pretty high; however, you should be able to see where the water level is on your walk down. There were a few people fishing at the end of the waves, and they may have been fishing for crab since there was a little box/cage at the end of the pole.The sand was soft and fine, and I had a great time walking up and down the beach for a bit. Note, the area to the west over the rocks is considered a clothing-optional beach.