Pantoll Campground — Mount Tamalpais State Park

Pantoll would be one of my favorite campgrounds of all time if not for the noise levels. One would think that quiet time would be respected in a backpackers campground, but not here. This is a major party campground, especially in summer. Don't let the fact that it's behind a ranger station fool you-- they clock out by 10pm, and if you have an issue after that, good luck. Last time I camped here the dude on the site next to me would not stop pointing his light into my tent. I was in my 1 person backpacking tent with the rainfly off. So irritating. But the campground itself is so beautiful. It's just a few miles uphill from Muir Woods, and you don't need additional reservations to hike in from the campground. Like Bootjack this is a first come first serve tent only campground. Pantoll is closer to Cardiac Point and more trails. You could hike pretty much anywhere in Mt. Tam from here. No camp hosts but the Rangers are available from about 9-5, some of my favorite rangers outside Yosemite. Wifi is available at the ranger station.

Pantoll is a pretty campground located adjacent to the entrance to Mount Tamalpais.  You can hike to, bike to, take the bus to, or even drive to this campground.  If you choose to drive, just know that it can be impossible to find a place to park on busy weekends (you'll need to drop your stuff off, find a place to park along the road, then come back to park in the evening when the parking lot clears).  We hiked in.  On a weekend night in March, only four of the 16 sites were taken so we had no problem nabbing a spot.  The campground is situated across a steep-ish hillside.  Water spigots are spread out among the sites, but all the bathrooms are located down the hill near the parking lot.  Each site has a fire pit, picnic table, and a flat spot to pitch a tent.  Sites are fairly close together in bunches (for example, 2, 3, and 5 were close, 6 and 7 were close, but there was a bit of space between the groups). Firewood is sold at the ranger kiosk but they have limited hours. Some spots are larger than others, and very few can accommodate a house-size tent (you know what I mean - and no judging, I have a house-size tent for car camping).  We had our 3 person backpacking tent with us and it would have fit in all the sites.  Sites up the hill require a bit of a hike-in but are farther from the road noise and busy parking lot.  There is one dishwashing station near the bottom.  

Pros: 

- Location.  You can hike anywhere from this campground.  Down to Muir Woods in less than 3 miles.  Up to Rock Springs, Bolinas Ridge, and Mount Tam.  Down to Stinson Beach.  I could spend a week here exploring all the trails.

- Amenties.  Dishwashing sink, many water spigots, food storage lockers, fire pits, toilets that flush.  And Wifi from the ranger kiosk (squee!!!) which we appreciated to check the weather and bus schedule (very poor Verizon signal).

Cons: 

- Noise from Panoramic Highway.

- Busy parking lot with lots of people potentially moving around the campground (especially the lower sites). 

- No reservations: FCFS only.

Overall I'm really happy I finally got to chance to camp here and would recommend.

The Pantoll campground is up on Mount Tam which rises up above San Francisco. I came from the north and wound my way through the incredibly Marin countryside before heading up Tam. Take care on the drive up to Pantoll, no matter which way you come at it the road is steep and winding. I'm not sure I would want to drive up or down in the dark because the road has so many sharp curves, you wouldn't be able to see the magnificent views if you were traveling in the dark either.

There are just a handful of campsites on the hill above the Pantoll Visitors Center. Campers must park in the lot by the visitors center and then carry their belongings up the hill to their site. There are several sites within a few hundred feet of the parking lot and toilets while others are much further up the hill. Each site is equipped with a fire pit, a grill, picnic table, and small food locker (not animal proof). The lower sites are pretty close together so you will certainly hear your neighbors and hikers passing by. I enjoyed that wifi was available as are flush toilets and an outdoor sink for washing dishes.

It was also SO windy the night I was there and the ground wasn't ideal for staking a tent.

100% take a drive or hike up to the summit and admire the views of San Francisco, Marin, and the bridges. There's lots of good hiking, mountain biking, and road biking. If you happen to be there on a weekend morning, you will encounter lots of locals out for a hike or ride.

We passed through this area while doing a hike that started from the campground and I wish I could go back there right away. First off the campground is really nice and has an organized check in building with a separate bathroom facility. We didn't see any showers but there are flush toilets and sinks. The sites are nice size and level but the downside is they are pretty close together and right next to the parking area so there isn't much privacy. I liked how the campground was tent only so it wouldn't be overrun with RVs. Overall it isn't the best camping I have ever been to but the hikes make it worth it.

Now, the important part of the review. If you stay at this campground make sure to go down the Steep Ravine trail through the redwoods. It is one of the most amazing hikes I have ever done. We were constantly stopping to take pictures and check out all the trees and you can make it a great loop by starting on the Matt Davis trail then coming back up Steep Ravine. Either way make sure to explore the hikes in the area and I would even suggest taking several days to check them out.