We loved this beach! It was so beautiful and not crowded. There were only a few other people on the beach besides us. The sand is not actually black but it looks black when it's wet because it's a dark color already. It's .2 miles down to the beach and coming back up to the car is ROUGH with all of the steps! But I def recommend it! It's so beautiful! I am only 4'11" and it was a bit difficult with some of the steps but my husband did help me get down/up when the steps were too steep. There is a vault toilet in the parking and someone was thoughtful and put an air freshener. There are not a lot of parking spaces but I saw people parking on the side of the road. This beach is beautiful and should not be missed!

Beautiful beach, but was expecting a much darker sand. The trial is a tough and very steep going up. It's over a mile from the parking area. Plan ahead

Really enjoyed the hike down (don't do this hike if you have health problems, it's arduous and a difficult climb back out). The beach is amazingly beautiful.

Highly recommend. The trail down is manicured and clear. The hike down is pleasant, the hike up not so much. It is definitely a steep hike up, but worth it. The sand is very coarse and a cool colors. Put this on your itinerary if you're in the area.

Black Sands Beach is a unique location to get to and from. It’s a beautiful location that is very enjoyable. The sand itself is more of refined/grounded up rock. It’s a bit hard to walk on and if you walk while a wave comes it the sand will wash from underneath your feet. Under the sun is very hot so make sure to wear water shoes or sandals.

I am not in fabulous shape and I made it down the stairs knowing that going back up would be HELL. It WAS...but it was worth it. There were about 5 other people on the whole beach on a summer day! So pretty. I may have had to stop frequently, but I was pretty proud of myself for making it back to the top LOL.

Such a beautiful hidden beach. There isn’t a lot of parking. Just keep that in mind. There is a bathroom in the parking lot. Which is a huge plus. You hike down to the beach. My phone calculated 10 flights of stairs down and 10 flights of stairs going up. So, in total 20! Good little hike. Bring water! The stairs are a little steep. We saw a lot of people bringing strollers and chairs down to the beach and were struggling to bring them back up.

Beautiful beach, kinda' empty even on a warm weekend (which has its pros and cons). Rocky. The sand is actually made of tiny pebbles that can be uncomfortable (bring a beach towel!) and can get super hot (like asfalt!) when it's sunny.

After climbing down the stairs, you will be rewarded with a beautiful and unique beach. The sand has nice dark colors.

It was a pretty view, but other than that, it was extremely hot and an intense workout, the water is very dangerous due to the lack of sand and abundance of pebbles a fun one time visit in my opinion but I would never go back

Five stars, Alot of steps down to beach so not for everybody. But if your able to walk the steps down to the beach, completely worth it.

Came here for a visit on a Friday afternoon. Plenty of parking available on site. The trip down to the beach gives you pleasant views into the Bay. The beach itself is beautiful, definitely lives up to its name.

Beautiful! There isn't much parking (maybe 10 or so parking spots) and then it's a short, but steep hike down to the beach. It's a good dirt trail with a lot of stairs. It was a great stop while sightseeing around the Golden Gate Bridge area.

It's a beautiful beach. The hike is short but steep. Can be a challenge if carrying a lot back up from the beach.

Nice views moderate hike to the beach and back for the parking.

Worth the difficult climb down to and back up very steep cliff face trail, but worth the effort for this view of the Pacific Ocean.

Beautiful beach in both hazy and sunny weather. Especially spectacular during golden hour. Hike to the bottom is steep but not strenuous, though you would benefit from good shoes. Traveling back up is definitely a bit more intense but, if you go slow, people of all fitness levels could handle it.

no guys the people aren’t kidding. you have to HIKE up the stairs to get back lol. it’s doable though and i am so so unfit. just take a few breaks and rest at the top haha. beach itself is awesome and wasn’t crowded (on a weekend in the middle of summer). but yeah def don’t recommend bringing a lot of gear or going if you’re not prepared for a little ummmm exertion

Holy cow, who knew there was a black sand beach in San Francisco?!?! Fun little hike down from the parking lot and very fine sand. Really enjoyed this.

Quite the hike up after the hike down lol! Beautiful view to spend golden hour!

Absolutely worth the trip! Drive slowly

Was doing a day hike from the Bridge to Point Bonita Lighthouse. After starting the day with a squatters point view I hiked all the way down to Black Sand Beach. I'm glad I did! Not crowded, beautiful waves, and black soft sand! I had lunch and took a nice snooze in the sun before continuing on my way!