Coast Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore

Hike in (or boat in) — part of what makes this place so amazing is the awesome and unspoiled nature. Miles and miles of hiking trails, unique ecosystem you won’t find anywhere else along the coast (or in the world!). This is an experience everyone who loves the Bay Area should have at least once.

Fun baby backpacking trip with my husband . The hike to the campsite went by fast. Only 1.8 miles, not too bad on the elevation gain either. During the day it actually got pretty hot at our campsite (#1), lots of exposure probably around low 70s. At night it did get chilly, 38-39 degrees F, nothing a good sleeping bag couldn’t fix. We went for two nights on 02/28. Got a permit for a beach fire but couldn’t find enough drift wood to make it last. Wonderful campsite though, can’t beat our view and sounds of the ocean. Hardly any bugs and thankfully wasn’t windy when we went. The beach was sandy and beautiful, not that many people around.

Inside the Point Reyes National seashore, this is a hike in only campground. But has pit toilets, potable water. Groups sites also available. Sites have picnic tables and bear/critter lockers for food. 2 min walk to beach, with amazing views of the cliffs and seashore. Access to a long list of other short/long hikes.

Near the beach but protected from the coastal wind.

Coast camp is a favorite get away.  In the Point Reyes National Seashore it is in a valley that is minutes from the beach.  The beach offers tidepools close by as well as a great place for beach fire (permit needed).  There are two routes to hike in. I prefer the longer Coast Trail (about half a mile longer) rather than the fireroad for it's scenic beauty.

The campsites go from surrounded by coyote brush to out in the open to secluded.  I like the sites back in the valley as there is less wind or fog.  That would be 13 and 14.

Always expect fog.  Expect cold and damp at night.

There are miles of beach ot explore, and you can continue along teh coast trail to hike even farther.

The pristine shores of the Western beaches of Tomales Bay await you. Primitive sites are unmarked, first come first serve, and accessible only by boating in. If you plan it right, you may catch a bioluminescence show in the water once the sun sets (plan for new moon times). I recommend, launching your boat from the Miler Boat Launch in Marshall (eastern side of the bay). Overnight parking is $5. First campsites are a 30 minute paddle across the bay. The best (less crowded) can be reached by heading north 45- 75 minutes out. Campsites are by reservation only and require checkin at Pt. Reyes Station.

Things to note: Outside of the two largest beaches, there are no amenities (toilets). You must haul everything in and out on your boat (that includes your waste).

Coast Camp in kind of the tale of two campgrounds. Sites 1-7 are located on the inland side of the Coast Trail just south of the junction with Firelane Trail. They’re spread out in a scrub-brush area that provides a nice amount of privacy and protection for the wind. The spaces are pretty small and definitely only room for one 2-person tent, but maybe two 1-person tents. The down side about sites 1-7 is the bathroom is a little way away, located between sited 9 and 10; not that far from site #1, but a way to go in the middle of the night from site 7.

Sites 8-13 are in the wide open right along the Coast Trail. They are protected from the wind and ocean by a nice hill, but there is no privacy from the trail or between campsites. Site 14 is a bit move protected by brush, but next to 13 which is a group site (13A & 13B).

Coast camp is nice, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for a basecamp in Point Reyes. We just spent one night on a three-day trip around the park, but it was great for that. For anyone wanting to spend multiple days at a basecamp while exploring the area on a variety of day hikes I would definitely recommend Wildcat camp over Coast.

For trails around Coast Camp, the Muddy Hollow and Estero trails are nice and not heavily traveled. There have been Mountain Lion sightings as of early 2018, so take caution and be aware of recent sightings. The Woodward Valley Trail is quite steep heading inland gaining 900-feet in the two miles from Coast to Sky trails.

Overall Coast is a nice camp in a beautiful area, but there are better options within the park.

West Marin offers an incredibly picturesque location to explore, and Coast Camp is about as good as it gets. With a minutes hike to the beach, and all sorts of creeks, coast, forest and wildlife nearby its ideal for those that like to adventure away from the campsite and fire out to the world surrounding you. The sky at night as ideally suited for star gazing since the north bay doesn't get as much fog as the general SF bay area and the city lights don't pollute the night sky too bad!

This site is awesome. It's a short hike from the hostel and has running water and pit toilets. It's right at the beach so it gets windy in the summer. Fall is best. For privacy, book a site out of the meadow.