My 5 Favorite Beaches in San Francisco
San Francisco is located on a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay. Thanks to that fantastic location, it has so many picturesque beaches all over the city. From long and sandy beaches to narrow, rocky coves, everyonce can find something suitable. In today’s post, I put together a list of my 5 favoraite beaches in San Francisco, that I often go to on a sunny and warm day!
Baker Beach
Baker Beach is the most famous beach in San Francisco, offering picturesque views over the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands. It’s located in between the Presidio and the Cliffside neighborhoods. The beach is very long and sandy, but unfortunately due to rip currents, the water is unsafe for swimming. On top of that, the water is very cold. However, it’s a good place for hiking, sunbathing or picknicking. In the summer, it’s also possible to see dolphines or whales from Baker Beach. I often go there to take photos or just relax and admire the sunset!
TIP: At the north side of the beach, you may see some nudists, because the beach is clothing optional, so be prepared for that. I highly recommend going to Baker Beach for sunset, the views are spectacular!
How to get there? The best and easiest way is by car (there are two free parking lots), but you can also take the Muni bus from the city center, which goes directly to the beach (line #29)
Marshall Beach
Marshall Beach is a hidden gem and a smaller version of Baker Beach. It’s also more narrow and it has lots of big rocks. This beach offers the best views off the Golden Gate Bridge, because it’s located right next to it, further up north from Baker Beach (this is why the view is even closer). You can take a walk during low tide from Marshall Beach towards the bridge, but it’s a pretty adventurous walk. To get to Marshall Beach, you need to start your hike at the trailhead located at the northern end of Batteries to Bluffs Trail (it’s located near Golden Gate Overlook, about 5 minutes walk from the parking lot, you can find the exact location below). Halfway there’s a detour branching off the main trail, that goes down to Marshall Beach (you need to take a right turn). The trail itself is well-maintened, it’s a combination of wooden stairs and dirt paths. It’s easy and it’s 0,5 mile long.
TIP: The best time to visit beach is during low tide, because it’s pretty narrow with lots of rocks, so it’s not very walkable. I recommend watching sunset there.
How to get there? The easiest way is by the car, you can leave it at the Golden Gate Overlook parking lot. It’s only 5 minutes walk to reach the trailhead. If you decide to go by bus, it’s by line #27 or #28.
Black Sands Beach
Black Sands Beach is a beautiful, black beach loceted in Marin Headlands (Marin County), about 30 minutes drive up north from San Francisco. It reminds me of Hawaii, because of its dark and black pebbels, which look like black sand. The beach features lots of rocks and it’s surrounded by big cliffs, that’s why it feels so private, but at the same time it’s pretty empty and open. Black Sands Beach is a hidden gem, only locals know about. You can find there “shaka rock”, which give me all the surfing vibes!
TIP: Visit Black Sands Beach during your day trip to Marin Headlands, since there is lots of beautiful spots nearby. You can also stop at Battery Spencer on your way.
How to get there? I highly recommend a car to get there, it may be hard with Uber/Lyft. The parking lot is not obvious, it’s very small and located off the Conzelman Road, which turns into a one-way road, so don’t miss the entrance! Otherwise, you would need to go around. It’s 10 minutes walk from the parking lot to the beach itself, but it’s pretty easy.
Crissy Field Beach
Crissy Field is a long and sandy, dog-friendly beach located in the northern part of the city, inside the Bay. If offers beautiful views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Sausalito. The name Crissy Field comes from the large green fields behind the beach. It has lots of walking trails and a long promenade, which make it easily-accesible and walking friendly. Crissy Field is a flat beach, and very windy, it’s popular among kite-surfers and wind-surfers. The beach is perfect for a walk or hike, because it’s very long. I usually start my hike at East Beach at Crissy Field and walk up towards Fort Point at Golden Gate Bridge, the views are picturesque. Crissy Field Beach is perfect for a picnic, since you may find there lots of picnic areas (near East Beach and Fort Point).
TIP: Crissy Field is a great beach for swimming on a warm day, because there are no rip currents, like on Baker or Marshall’s Beach. Check out the Warming Hut Cafe and Torpedo Wharf.
How to get there? I recommend a car, you can park at East Beach parking lot, which is free. Also, the Muni Bus #30 stops at Crissy Field.
Mile Rock Beach
Mile Rock Beach is a small cove located along Lands End Trail. It has a beautiful, rugged coastline and it’s very wild, surrounded by forests. It requires a long trail walk to get the the beach. The easiest way is to start at the visitor center (Lands End Lookout Visitor Center), near Sutro Baths.
TIP: At hide tide the beach can get very narrow, but when it’s out, you can explore it! I recommend checking out this beach when hiking Lands End Trail
How to get there? Leave your car at 680 Point Lobos Avenue (Lands End Visitor Center) and hike for about 20-30 minutes.
I hope you enjoy this post about top 5 beaches in San Francisco. You can check more post about California + SF here, and don’t forget to follow me on Instagram! @sarowly
