Upper Fishermans Trail

Stairs down to Black Sands Beach

Al Greening/National Park Service

The trail down is steep with plenty of stairs. There are a number of places where the flora gets tall and it seems walled in. On a foggy day, the trail disappears ahead of you. On clear days, the beach below provides quite the reward. Become a beachcomber on the Black Sands Beach, take a dip in the Pacific Ocean, and have a picnic before you ascend to the parking lot. 

How to Get there

Drive past Hawk Hill on Conzelman Road and park in the Upper Fisherman’s Parking Lot.

sAFETY tIPS

• See up-to-date alerts on current park and trail conditions.
• Stay on the established trail. Keep an eye out for poison oak. Read our four season guide to poison oak.
• Observe warning signs and railings-these exist for your safety.
• Dress in layers and be prepared for varying weather conditions. Sunny days along the coast can turn windy, foggy, and cold very fast. View our Golden Gate Bridge webcams to see current conditions.
• Do not climb on the coastal bluffs or edges, the sand and rocks are loose and eroding and dangerous!
• People have fallen from these cliffs.