Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area

I first stayed here as a kid decades ago, but some things never change. Love having this close-in spot; the trailhead is only minutes from San Francisco. The walk to Tennessee Beach is very flat and level and doable for kids. The campground is off on a slight detour but it’s an easy starting spot for hike-in camping.

Mornings can get foggy here, so bring a sweatshirt regardless of the season. Pack in the water you need (if push comes to shove you can head back to the main trail to get more). Sites are level and well marked.

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.

Theses are limited  (5) hike in tent sites.  Not far in - less than a mile.  You are on your own here. Bring your own water.  No fires. You get a picnic table and a food storage locker, nothing else.

Meadow sites against a row of trees. There is very little privacy between sites but the couple times I have been here it was not full.  It can get windy - there is some shelter under the tress. 

Here you can strike out hiking through Tennessee Valley to the beach and beyond!

Great for a close get-a-way and seclusion.

Nice spot. Gotta either bike in or hike in.

This campground is about a 0.75 mile hike from the Tennessee Valley trail head. Very limited number of sites, so you’ll definitely need a reservation. No fires. Bring your own water and a camp stove.

There are owls perched in eucalyptus trees next to the campsite, and coyotes. Came across one on the way back from a sunset hike to the beach.