Pantoll Campground — Mount Tamalpais State Park

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.

Area offers campgrounds but also its a good place to do day hikes. Its very close to San Francisco so it can get busy. Not the best place to be in solitude but it offers nice trails and views. Restrooms are available and there’s easy parking access.

14 walk in sites (all within a few minutes from the parking lot, which gets very busy during the day). We got the handicap site as it was empty after 5 pm. The other sites are beautiful and very secluded. Firewood available. $25, water at most sites. There is WiFi at the check in station.

Great location—close to hikes. Walk-in camp. Recommend packing light bc walk-in means you need to bring everything from the parking lot. We swooped up sites 10/11 with some privacy in the back and away from the rest of the camp, but alongside a trailhead. About enough room for one 4p tent on each site. Clean bathrooms. Lots of raccoons at night, so lock everything away. Currently no fires or stoves allowed so it’s rough without any source of warmth. The wind chill is real at night!

We enjoyed it

This is an ada compliant walkup campground situated near the top of Mount Tamalpais. Featuring 13 sites ranging from standard campground style to a few more secluded areas. As a first come first serve campground and camping in the middle of a gale storm we had our pic of sites and explored the entire campground. I picked a site more secluded from the rest. While there is some road noise from below it does give some of the feel of a back country trip with none of the hassle. There is a ranger station with maps and selling firewood. Stinson beach is a 3 mile hike away or a short drive down the mountain if you are in need of more supplies.

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.

Basic camping sites. Very popular during the summer, so get there early to get a spot or you will have to go to another campground along the road. Also bring cash for camping/parking fees.

The real draw here is to hike down to Muir Woods. And I mean down to Muir Woods. Save your energy for the hike back up. Absolutely worth it, though, for the gorgeous views.

It is a great camping spot other then a frequented road being so close causing a lot of highway sounds. But the fire pits are wicked stone grills and would be a lot of fun to cook on. But do not give off the classic camp vibe.

we stayed overnight and had a wonderful time sleeping under the stars! would definitely go again :)

This is the only first come first campground around as far as I know. Sites are spacious and include grills and fire pits. I hear some of them have really nice views but we wanted to be near the parking lot so that worked for us. It was really windy but up above in the trees so our tent wasn't blowing away.

So the campground site listed here is not a specific campground but Mt. Tam park which contains several different areas where you can camp. While in the area we hiked a couple of different trails and visited the Pantoll campground which was a great option. My best suggestion if you have a half day (and hike fast) is to do the Matt Davis to Steep Ravine loop that gives you amazing overlooks of the ocean along with beautiful redwoods. The hike was strenuous and well worth it. If I had more time in the area I would have stayed at all the different campgrounds this park has to offer.

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.