Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Erin S.
Reviewed Mar. 16, 2022

A no-frills but pretty campground in Marin Headlands

A hike-in campground in Tennessee Valley, a short 20 minute drive from the Golden Gate Bridge and the hustle and bustle of the City.  My family of three stayed here for one night in mid March.  It was a Sunday night, and three out of the five sites were occupied.  

The tent pads (a flat sandy area surrounded by wood beams) were fairly small - maybe 10' x 10'.  Each site had a picnic table and a large metal food locker.   The sites were well spaced and did not feel cramped.  Two vault toilets, fairly clean. The campground was located at the end of a 0.5 mile dirt road, which was about a quarter of mile down an old paved road from the TV parking lot.  A few folks walked into the campground that weren't staying there, but they weren't a bother, just going for a walk. The campers we saw varied from families, a solo bike-packer, and a couple just starting out camping.  I was worried that being so close to the city and the parking lot, it would be party central with groups hauling in a bunch of alcohol, but it wasn't the case at all. Neither the parking lot nor the campground had running water, so come prepared unless you want to drive into town.  

Pros:

- Very quiet and peaceful.  The night had beautiful stars with no artificial light.  No road noise.

- Small number of sites with great spacing.

- Decent toilet facilities.

Cons:

- No water.  We backpacked in from the Golden Gate Bridge.  There was no place nearby to fill up on water, and had to be extremely conservative in our use.  No springs or creeks running nearby this time of year either.

- Would have been nice to have a fire.  

Overall, we had a pleasant camping experience and would recommend.

Site2
Month of VisitApril
  • Review photo of Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area by Erin S., March 16, 2022
  • Review photo of Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area by Erin S., March 16, 2022
  • Review photo of Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area by Erin S., March 16, 2022
  • Review photo of Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area by Erin S., March 16, 2022
  • Review photo of Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area by Erin S., March 16, 2022
  • Review photo of Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area by Erin S., March 16, 2022
  • Review photo of Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area by Erin S., March 16, 2022
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