Freedom of Beach

Black Sands Beach Upper Fishermans in the Marin Headlands

Black Sands Beach Upper Fishermans Marin Headlands

Nearly a mile of slate and black sand, expansive views of San Francisco, and just minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands’ Black Sands Beach (also known as Upper Fisherman’s) is roughly the size of Baker Beach—with only a fraction of the crowds. Get there in the morning or late day (the parking lot is small and fills up fast) and begin the 10-minute march down 253 wooden steps and some singletrack.

Spread a blanket behind one of the several rock outcroppings (a great windbreak on gusty days). Enjoy views across the water to San Francisco’s Lands End, Baker Beach, and Sea Cliff. Looking west, the historic Point Bonita Lighthouse stretches out into the Pacific. The water is a refreshing 58 degrees when the afternoon heats up, but wade in with caution—the currents can be dangerous here; you may be better off staying on land, spying the seals and watching sailboats. Heads-up: Some folks here like to frolic bare-style, making the place a setting for many natural wonders. Tan lines be damned!

The small parking lot for Black Sands Beach (aka Upper Fisherman’s Trail) is off of Conzelman Rd. in the Marin Headlands (map). No dogs at the beach.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View
  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View
  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View
  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Hot As (Bumpass) Hell

    So you like going to all the hot spots when you visit places? Well, in Lassen Volcanic National Park there’s a place so hot it gets downright steamy. Bumpass Hell is the largest hydrothermal area in the park, with sputtering mud pots, sulfur vents, and boiling pools. It’s California’s Yellowstone. But it only opens in summer through fall.

    View
  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View
  3. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View
  4. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View