Black Sands Beach — Local services in Sausalito

We've visited SF many times over the past 30 years - My dad was stationed at Presidio back in the late '80's so I've seen most of the cool stuff.

Been coming to the Marin Headlands for 25 & this was the 1st walk down to Black Sands Beach -- Totally Awesome!!

The hike is easy going down ... well maintained & safe. There are a blend of trails & steps (300?) down. Remember, you gotta walk back up & that's a bit more challenging. Beautiful flowers & fauna all around. The smell of the salty ocean & the surrounding plants is a wonderful sensation.

Accessing the beach is a little tricky. Wooden steps are in place & sturdy but the last few steps are big ... difficult for a small child or older folks but not a huge obstacle.

The beach isn't sand at all but tiny rocks that have been tumbled by the ocean over the many years giving them all rounded edges & shapes.

There were only 3 people on the entire beach while we were there ... a couple enjoying some wine & a gal reading a book while smoking cigs taking in the grand view.

Definitely worth the extra effort to check...

Beautiful and semi-secluded clothing optional beach on the north side of the Golden Gate below the Marin Headlands. The dark sands have a large grain, and feel great under your feet. The beach is at the mouth of the gate where it meets the Pacific, making for great waves to frolic in. It's a bit of a hike up/down the bluffs to/from the beach, so wear some solid shoes for the walk. There is parking and a restroom at the trailhead, however the lot is often full. You can park along the road around the lot if you can't get a spot. Even on busy days this beach feels secluded. Frequented by laid back naturalists and bay area locals. I...

Wow, this beach was truly breathtaking (in more ways than one!) The beach and views itself are magnificent, and it was such an amazing experience going here on our trip to the Bay Area. The hike itself it only about a quarter mile or so, but very steep! The trail is slightly maintained but very slippery and hazardous in places. Going down wasn’t as bad as going up, as it’s around a 400ft elevation gain. The sand here (which is more like little tiny rocks) was blackish brown and there were some beautiful rocks on the beach! Very beautiful beach overall, and we were the only ones here and got it all to ourselves...