Black Sands Beach

Black Sands Beach is a south-​facing beach below the Marin Headlands. There are great views to be had just a few paces down the trail from the parking lot, but it is worth hiking the rest of the way down to this amazing black sand beach. The hike down is made easier with many wooden steps to help ease the steep grade. To get here, drive into the Recreation Area on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County. Head west on Conzelman Road until it becomes a one way road then continue about a half-​mile to a parking lot on the left side. This lot is signed for the Upper Fisherman’s Trailhead. From there the steep dirt path descends the hillside to the dark sand beach which is on the east side of Bonita Cove. At high tide the beach will be narrow so check tide charts before your trip out here or head to Rodeo Beach which is a short drive away. Also nearby is the Point Bonita Lighthouse which is visible from Black Sands Beach. Note that some locals consider Black Sands a clothing-​optional beach. The parking lot only has room for about a dozen cars so it might be full when you get there unless you go early.

Hidden gem of San Francisco! I would not recommend letting small kids in the water as the waves can be quite dangerous. Make sure you bring comfortable shoes, for it is quite a ways to walk in sandals. The long hike back up is so worth it…

It’s a nice beach, but not so nice that it is worth the trouble of getting there… driving down Conzelman and then hiking down to the beach is quite inconvenient. Nice place to get away for a little while if you’re already in the Headlands, but not worth the trip otherwise.

We got lost trying to find the Kirby Beach swing and stumbled upon this hidden gem.
Stunning and breathtaking!!! Secluded, black sand, powerful waves. Mother Nature at its best. Absolutely beautiful. Definitely worth the drive and short hike.

This is the beach I come to when I just want to chill out, and think… or not think.
It’s beautiful
It’s a bit hard to find
It’s partially sheltered from the wind
As has been mentioned by other reviewers, this is a clothing optional spot, and though I opt for clothes myself, I’ve never felt odd or out of place.
If you haven’t been here yet, it is really worth checking out. The views/​landscape are really amazing.

We found this beach by accident and decided to check it out, so happy we did! We chatted with a local on the walk down and he told us it was a ‘SF hidden gem’ and we both agree. Definitely coming back! The beach is quiet and gorgeous. Not a lot of people, apparently it’s a nude beach but didn’t see any.
Sand is pretty, black w/​some speckles of green and red. Found tiny agates! We even saw some dolphins playing in the waves! The walk back up was tiring, but not too bad. Totally worth it. There were bathrooms in the parking lot.

What a cute little beach. A slight trek down and back up from the beach, but totally worth it. Parking lot is pretty tiny, so be prepared to park off of the road and then walk over to the parking lot where you’ll see the trailhead. Wear some comfortable shoes for the hike down and back — I wore flip flops and was able to do it but I wish I had brought slip ons or sneakers with me.
The beach itself is gorgeous. We went there on a Saturday morning and it wasn’t crowded at all — probably about 15 – 20 people there total. About 5 of them were nude, but they sort of sat towards the right alcove area of the beach so if you’re easily offended, rest assured they’re not in your face. The water was so clear and we even saw a few dolphins just out about 10 – 15 feet. The views are incredible — you get a great view of the bridge and the city.
The only downside is that it may be confusing to find your way here, and pretty easy to miss the parking lot for the trail on the left. Just remember that once the road turns into a one way, you just keep going until you see the first parking lot on the left — that’s where you’ll want to park or pull off of the road on the right to park.
Also, not sure if this place is dog friendly or not. We brought our two small dogs (a yorkie and brussels griffon) and no one seemed to have a problem with them. Just be careful on the trail with your dogs as we found a tick on ours after the trek back up.

My favorite little beach in the Bay Area. The black sand absorbs heat, which means that on a scorching hot 70 °F degree summer day, it’s nice and toasty on this sand. Just don’t get in the water. Hypothermia will set in within seconds, not minutes.
If you go to the right, you’ll see naked people. Take a deep breath, you’ll be fine.

One of my favorite beach around, black sand, secluded, right temperature water, hike, I had a swim and felt fresh. Love this place !

My most favouritest spot for a bodyscape shoot. The visuals are incredible and really desolate so… so not sure why I’m advertising this place hahaha… I haven’t eaten mushrooms there and I figure this is an ideal spot.

AMAZING!!! And what a nice drive. I recommend a prepared picnic with your love ones. Worth the drive.

Awesome place. Nice beach. Incredible views. It’s even a great place to visit in the fog. The nude section is all the way to the left as you get to the bottom of the stairs. It’s all the way down to the left at the end of the beach. So if that offends you please go to the right! Bring water. The parking lot is limited and tiny so get there early. Also the trek down is easy but coming back up is a bit hard. So take your time. Stop and take in the views and the fresh Pacific air. Enjoy!

I didn’t see any nude people so guess is that people don’t go nude all the time.
Anyways this is a great beach. Its tucked away so you could easily miss the entrance. We entered by going down the top of the Marin Headlands via a one lane one way road and getting off at the first parking spot on the left. The parking is very small (about 15 cars) so it cold be missed as well.
I’d stop here again and recommend the visit to anyone in the area.

If you want to relax at Black Sands Beach, Conzelman Rd is the street you want to be on. This beach is hidden but once you find it, it is rewarding. I used the Unilocal’s approximate location on my phone’s GPS to get here. Bypass all of the areas of parking for the view of the Golden Gate Bridge. You will come to a one way only passage way that slopes down at the last parking area. Keep driving the winding road until you see the first parking lot on the left. Walk down the trail but be careful of the slope, little rocks that make you slip, and poison oak on the sides (someone warned us about it when we walked down). The beach will be visible when you are far enough down. The tiny rocks are black (the name Black Sands Beach) and plenty of room to lay down and relax. You can’t walk far along the water but enough to enjoy it. The fun part is walking back up. Great exercise.

Came here on the day my SO and I got engaged. It was a great day filled with sunshine, love, and walks along multiple beaches. This was one of them. It was a bit deserted which was nice so we had the beach mostly to ourselves beside a couple who was going climbing. This beach will always have a special place in my heart.

Hidden beach on the other side of Conzelman. I’ve ridden up Conzelman and down the other side many many times and though I see cars parked at the bottom of the hill I never stopped to check it out. Then a friend proposed a picnic and turns out there’s a black sand beach there.
To reach the beach you’ll need to go up Conzelman and then down the other side (steep) and at the bottom before it flattens out to the batteries there’s a small parking lot with toilets, bike parking, and a trail/​stairs down to the beach. It’s about a 10 minute walk down but it’s not a stroll. You can’t see the beach until you’re right on top of it.
On a recent weekend it was just us and a few other families fishing. No nude sunbathers. Despite the overcast weather the beach was actually pretty cozy and sheltered. I still wore my puffy jacket though.

An absolutely beautiful beach and a must see. My wife and I hiked different trails at Marin Highlands and somehow ended up at Black Sand Beach. We luckily stumbled here by accident.
The great view persuaded us to break for lunch. We enjoyed our bento watching the boats out in the bay and sea lions fishing. It was a relaxing experience indeed. The change of scenery was what I desperately needed. Due to the line of work I’m in, I tremendously appreciated our visit here. I’ve always found the ocean to be my therapy when under great stress.

Ugh — the access road (Conzelman Road) is closed again (Aug 21, 2013) and no warning that’s it’s so on the upgrade project’s website. No clue when the road will reopen — I called an information line and the recording was no help.

couldnt find the way to go down to the beach :(

This is my favorite beach ever — the end closest to the Golden Gate Bridge is better protected from the wind. I haven’t ever noticed a nude vs clothed end — you’ll find naked people all over the length of it. I haven’t seen any frisky or sexual activity. There is a great crow colony up in the rocks and they will greatly appreciate your peanuts & sunflower seeds from a rather proximate distance once they realize you’re handing out goodies. The water is accessible and you can bathe without feeling like you’re being pulled out to Japan.
Ever since they put in the stairway to «improve» it — seems like there’s a lot more visitors to this beach, and a lot more trash. I’m hoping that the 2010 closing of Conzelman makes the beach a bit less frequented and more clean.