Hiking Black Sands Beach

Black Sands Beach in the Marin Headlands is a short drive from San Francisco. It’s easily accessible with a short hike. It’s also a great place for a picnic!

Our recent trip to South Africa re-lit the adventure bug in Pat and I. Jet lag be darned, we decided to take advantage of a day off and the gorgeous San Francisco ‘winter’ weather and spend a day hiking outside of Marin.

Marin is about a 15 minute drive from San Francisco, just across the Golden Gate Bridge. Things that make the area awesome – epic coastal trails, Golden Gate Bridge views and a stunning black sand beach that is easily-accessible with a short hike. Despite its proximity to San Francisco, Black Sands Beach is very secluded and usually isn’t too busy.

One warning though – some locals consider the beach to be clothing optional, although I’ve never seen a nudist. Really though, most beaches in the San Francisco could be considered clothing optional. In all honesty, you’ll find people in various states of undress in many San Francisco neighborhoods. #sunsoutgunsout

But I’m getting distracted.

What’s a day of exploration without a stop for a picnic? I love grabbing a handful of those cheese remnants at Whole Foods for a couple of bucks a piece. Add some crackers and fresh fruit and you basically have all of my favorite foods in one place. Picnic Tip: To limit waste and also lighten your load, grab a set of lightweight reusable wooden dishes, like these acacia ones.

To stay hydrated, we packed Naked Pressed, new cold-pressed juices from Naked Juice. Packed with fresh, highest quality fruits and veggies, they are delicious and healthy. As always, reading ingredient labels is an important part of what I choose to put in my body. Naked Pressed juices are just juice. Think apple, cucumber, celery, lettuce, lemon, kale, spinach and wheatgrass. No preservatives, no added sugar. The juices are shipped immediately to ensure only the highest-quality, best-tasting juice hits the shelf every time.

Given my mixed thoughts on beets, I’m surprised to say that my favorite flavor was Bold Beet – a blend of beet, carrot, cucumber, apple, lemon, orange and ginger. It’s also high in potassium, which is great when you’re active. Pat liked Hearty Greens – celery, apple, lettuce, cucumber, orange, spinach, lemon, wheatgrass and kale with a hint of spearmint. Sounds a little questionable with all of those green things, but I promise it’s delicious!

Outfit Deets :: Black Slim Fit Jeans – Madewell (on sale!) // Flannel – similar // Horse Tee – similar (on sale!) or similar // Sneakers – Converse x Missoni // Antique Gold Bracelets – Madewell, Madewell (on sale!), Madewell // Leather Bag – Madewell // New Wayfarer Sunnies – Ray-Ban //

Naked Pressed juices are available in select stores on the West Coast now. Thanks to Naked Juices for sponsoring this post! And thanks to you for reading A Side of Sweet! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube, Bloglovin‘, Snapchat(@asideofsweet), or Twitter. You can also subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts and random musings from me.