The North Bay (area north of San Francisco) is filled with so many natural gems. Muir woods, Mt. Tamalpais, Point Reyes Seashore…and the list goes on and on. My favorite place as of late has been the Marin Headlands. Everyone knows the Marin Headlands primarily for Hawk Hill, the hill with the majestic view of Golden Gate Bridge. Yes, that is a major highlight, but I prefer the beaches along the Marin coast. After visiting Kirby Cove and Rodeo Beach, I thought I’ve seen all that the headlands had to offer. Little did I know that there was a beach made up of black sand. It was all thanks to one of the photographers that I follow on Instagram. He had captured an amazing sunset shot on the beach. After seeing that photo, I knew I had to see it for myself.
To access Black Sands was surprisingly easy. To get to the beach you need to get off Hwy 101 right at the North entrance of the Golden Gate bridge and drive up Conzelman Road until it turns into a one way road. About half a mile up the road is a parking lot on the left that is assigned for Upper Fisherman’s Trailhead. You will need to park there. From there, walk down a series of descending wooden steps until you reach the beach. It shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to get to the beach from the parking lot.
When I got to the beach I was mesmerized by the sea of black sand. I immediately saw why this location was a photographer’s dream. I live for coastal gems like these. It’s one of the reasons why I would find it hard to leave California.
Photography by Eduardo Gonzales
-SHOP MY LOOK-
Leave a Reply