Entrance to SF Bay - panoramio.jpg
Annette Teng · CC BY 3.0

Black Sands Beach–Marin Headlands Beach, 3 beaches is a 3.6-mile out-and-back in Marin Headlands near Sausalito, CA. The route passes Black Sands Beach and Marin Headlands Beach. It climbs 716 ft, with sections as steep as 22% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 53/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi131 – 594 ft · steepest grade: 22%3.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Upper Fisherman's Trail 37.82536, -122.50962
Nearest town Sausalito, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Black Sands Beach–Marin Headlands Beach, 3 beaches

3.6 mi · ▲ 716 ft · 1 hr 33 min

Elevation 132–593 ft

Out & Back · Marin Headlands

Trailhead: Upper Fisherman's Trail · 37.82536, -122.50962

Weather Aug 3: Fog, high 65°F / low 55° · precip 1% · wind 13 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:18 PM

Toilets at the trailhead

  1. Start on Upper Fisherman's Trail, heading NW.
  2. 50 ftPass Black Sands Beach.
  3. 50 ftPass Marin Headlands Beach.
  4. 0.2 miTurn left onto Coastal Trail, heading N.
  5. 50 ftTurn right onto Upper Fisherman's Trail, heading N.
  6. 0.2 miTurn right onto Julian Trail, heading E.
  7. 1.4 miReach Black Sands Beach, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  8. 1.4 miTurn left onto Upper Fisherman's Trail, heading S.
  9. 0.2 miTurn left onto Coastal Trail, heading S.
  10. 50 ftTurn right onto Upper Fisherman's Trail, heading S.
  11. 0.2 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

86% dirt14% unspecified

Weather

FogTemperature 65°F55°
Precip1%Wind13 mphUV8Humidity100%
Hourly temperature
65°55°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:18 PM
Tue 60°55°
Wed 66°55°
Thu 73°55°
Fri 76°53°
Sat 76°53°
Sun 69°53°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.2 mi in (~9 min). Leave by 7:49 PM for the 8:18 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:37 PM — 10 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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