Best Tent Camping near Bodega Bay, CA

The coastal region surrounding Bodega Bay, California offers several tent-only camping options within state parks and environmental campgrounds. Pomo Canyon Environmental Camp in Sonoma Coast State Park provides walk-in tent sites with basic amenities like picnic tables and toilets. Nearby, Willow Creek campground at Sonoma Coast State Beach offers hike-in and walk-in tent camping with drinking water, fire pits, and picnic tables. For tent campers seeking a more secluded experience, Tomales Bay Boat-In Camping in Point Reyes National Seashore provides walk-in tent sites accessible by kayak or boat, offering a unique backcountry tent camping experience.

Most tent campgrounds in the Bodega Bay area feature flat, grassy or dirt tent pads with minimal grading. Primitive tent camping sites typically include picnic tables, food storage lockers, and vault toilets, though amenities vary significantly between locations. Seasonal considerations are important when planning tent camping trips to this coastal area, as fog and wind can be persistent, especially during summer months. Many campsites require advance reservations through recreation.gov or the California State Parks reservation system, while others operate on a first-come, first-served basis with 14-day maximum stays. Wildlife activity, particularly raccoons, is common throughout the region, so proper food storage is essential.

Tent campers frequently use these sites as bases for coastal hiking and beach exploration. According to reviews, Wildcat Campground in Point Reyes National Seashore offers "a very cool spot for backpacking in with 6-8 miles to hike in, depending on the trails you take." The tall grass between sites provides natural privacy barriers. One visitor noted that Tomales Bay's boat-in tent sites provide excellent wildlife viewing opportunities: "You will see sea jellies, bat rays, maybe a leopard shark, and bioluminescent plankton." Morning fog is common at coastal tent sites, with one camper recommending: "Be aware that fog is wet and you may want to use your rain fly." Most backcountry tent sites in the region offer a good balance of seclusion and basic amenities.

Best Tent Sites Near Bodega Bay, California (36)

    1. Schoolhouse Canyon Campground

    8 Reviews
    Rio Nido, CA
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 869-2311

    $48 / night

    "He put us in a very level spot that was great for my rooftop tent situation. Can’t say enough good things about him and his staff. Everyone was very friendly."

    "Location location location…. The Schoolhouse Canyon Campground is located about 400 yards off the Russian River / 1/2 mile down the road from the Korbel Winery (amazing deli!!!)"

    2. Bullfrog Pond Campground - TEMPORARILY CLOSED

    7 Reviews
    Guerneville, CA
    16 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 869-2015

    "Right by Armstrong Redwoods State Park there is a steep winding road at the end of which there is literally a pond. "

    "We had spot number 23 but I think 24 or 21 would have been the best for shade and privacy. THERE ARE NO SHOWERS HERE! we did not know this before hand."

    4. Duncans Mills Campground (Membership)

    2 Reviews
    Duncans Mills, CA
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 865-2024

    "Beautiful river along with campsites surrounded by tall tress. Nice place to relax,hike, fish and or kayaking. full hookups and well maintained campground along with a decent rec center."

    5. Willow Creek - Sonoma Coast State Beach

    1 Review
    Jenner, CA
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 875-3483

    "It’s kinda tucked away and not too busy, which made it perfect by my book."

    6. Highlands Resort

    2 Reviews
    Guerneville, CA
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (707) 869-0333

    $30 - $50 / night

    "Outdoor kitchen with grill and gas stove. ice machine, Camp among beautiful redwoods in Guerneville just off the Russian River. Many bars and restaurants in walking distance. Nearby supermarket."

    "Tucked away from the world, cozy little camp under a bridge and looking out of a crack to see huge waves coming in n! Almost like it will swallow us hole. Will be back for sure!"

    7. Tomales Bay Boat-In Camping — Point Reyes National Seashore

    6 Reviews
    Marshall, CA
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (877) 444-6777

    "You can buy or rent a portable toilet if you want to camp at a more secluded beach or just camp at Marshalls beach and you can walk to the pit toilets there."

    "The beach camping is primative but there is a restroom.  Crossing the bay can be treacherous so study the weather - especially winds before you set out. "

    8. La Bohemia

    1 Review
    Rio Nido, CA
    11 miles
    +1 (510) 866-7826

    $200 - $800 / night

    9. Sky Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore

    13 Reviews
    Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (415) 663-8054

    "The hike in camp is only a 1.3 ish mile hike and it was awesome."

    "There is short backpack trip to Sky Camp which is litereally on the ridge.  You are in the Point Reyes National Seashore up on a ridge.  Beautiful views when there is no fog - but expect fog."

    10. Coast Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore

    9 Reviews
    Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
    23 miles
    Website
    +1 (415) 464-5100

    $30 - $90 / night

    "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."

    "Inside the Point Reyes National seashore, this is a hike in only campground. But has pit toilets, potable water. Groups sites also available."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Bodega Bay, CA

769 Reviews of 36 Bodega Bay Campgrounds


  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 13, 2023

    Gualala Point Regional Park

    Small but beautiful county campground

    General: 19 general and six walk-in campsites among giant redwood and Bay Laurel trees on the Gualala River. Sites 17 & 18 are a double site. 

    Site Quality: Level sites with bear box, picnic table, and fire ring. Site One’s camper pad fit our 18-foot camper van, but it would not accommodate anything much larger. Several other camper pads looked short as well. No hookups. 

    Bath/Shower house: Three individual units with toilet, sink, soap, and paper towels. One shower that takes quarters – three minutes for $2.00. 

    Activities: There is a trail that leads through the walk-in sites, under Highway One, and to the beach, approximately 1.5 miles. You can also drive to the day-use area for a shorter walk. We were there on a weekday but there were many activities scheduled for the upcoming weekend including kayaking on Bodega Bay, outside yoga, and healthy hustle circuit training – I was sad to miss all of these options. 

    This campground is beautiful and peaceful. But note that although we did not encounter any, several other campers experienced over-eager raccoons while eating dinner. There was also a sign warning of mountain lions but we did not encounter any. Shout-out to the ranger who shared a lot of good information about the area.

  • Erin S.
    Mar. 16, 2022

    Pantoll Campground — Mount Tamalpais State Park

    Tent campground with plenty of hiking trails

    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.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 1, 2023

    Doran Regional Park

    Large and popular Sonoma County Park

    General: Located between Bodega Bay and Bodega Harbor, this county park has over 140 sites in four campgrounds: Shell, Gull, Cove, and Jetty. There is also tent camping, a group campsite, and a hiker/biker camping area. No hookups in any site. 

    Site Quality: Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. Sites all appeared to be level. Depending on your site, you may have more privacy/separation than in others. Site 21 (in Shell) was nicely positioned, however, the sites on either side of us were not occupied during our stay so we had more privacy. 

    Bath/Shower: Self-contained units with a toilet and sink with soap, HOT water, and air dryer. One coin-operated shower house for Shell, Gull, and Cove campgrounds, located between Gull and Cove. Additional showers in the tent-only section and the Jetty campground. Generally clean. 

    Activities: Hiking, fishing, birding, beachcombing, wading, and water sports. There was a very short boardwalk and sandy walking paths, although some of these were very overgrown. 

    One thing I appreciated was propane cylinder recycling. We learned there is a program where select vendors will refill the small cylinders and we hope this becomes more readily available. This is a much larger county park campground than we have been in before and it was very busy when we were there on a weekday in late October. Nice but I prefer the smaller and quieter campgrounds.

  • MarinMaverick
    Sep. 1, 2020

    Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area

    Hidden Gem

    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.

  • A
    Jun. 4, 2019

    Westside Regional Park

    Bodega Bay - launch pad to the Sonoma Coast

    Bodega Bay's Westside Regional Park is a great place to stay as a base camp for exploring the Sonoma Coast. Situated by the Bodega Bay yacht harbor, this is a dry camp facility managed by Sonoma County Regional Parks, and is a great alternative to the more popular and always crowded Doran State Beach campground. There are well situated and spacious tent and RV sites, both back-in and pull-thru. The campground has very easy access to the bay's water edge to explore. Each site has a large fire ring and picnic table. Bathrooms and showers are at each end of the campground, and a dump station is onsite too. Generator curfew is 8PM - 8AM which is great! Just a few minutes off Hwy 1, this is a fantastic launch pad for exploring the southern part of the very beautiful Sonoma Coast by car, motorcycle and bicycle (worthy road and touring bicycles recommended). Hiking, kayaking and beach exploration are all around. The mouth of the Russian River is close by and is another beautiful area to check out. Just know the weather, even in the summer, is generally cool and foggy mornings are the norm.

  • MarinMaverick
    Aug. 14, 2020

    Westside Regional Park

    Not The Best for Tents

    This site is all about location.  You are right on Bodega Bay.  But that also means the wind is fierce.  So while I have tent camped here it not something I would do again unless there were no other choices.  The sites have tables and fire rings but they are really meant for trailers & RVS.  We were there in the fall and when it started raining our tent was soon in a puddle!

    But the location is great for fishing or kayaking  in the Bay or access to hiking at Bodega Head.  Also remember to see if the Bodega Marine Lab is open for a tour.  Very few days and times open but if you hit it right it is worth a visit.  The other great thing about location is that you can walk down to where the fishing boats come in and get a fresh catch for dinner.

    Nothing fancy here but it can work.

  • Lori A.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jan. 5, 2022

    Glen Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore

    Simple and Basic

    A 5 mile hike from the Bear Valley Trailhead leading to a small campground with 12 sites.  We stayed at #9.  Potable water and vault toilets are available, with each site also having a picnic table, charcoal barbecues and bear boxes.  Wood fires are not permitted.  A stream runs beside the campground and there are hiking trails leading to the sea.

  • Michael I.
    Jul. 25, 2025

    Bodega Dunes Campground — Sonoma Coast State Park

    Not Kidding About the Dunes

    I have to confess that I feel pretty silly for not being as prepared for the sand as I should have been from the name of the campground. Who would have thought!?

    We walked around sites 22-55 and all seem to be entirely on the sand. Come prepared to deal with sand.

    The campground itself it pretty nice. Walkable to the Pacific Coast, very walkable to Bodega Harbor, and direct access to the trails of Bodega Head. The campground is also just a short drive from the town of Bodega Bay, which offers a few restaurants and limited services.

    In June of 2025 the bathrooms in the site #22-55 loop was undergoing a pretty major renovation and portable toilets were in use.

    We did see a few foxes, or the same fox a few times, so make sure to keep camp sites clean.

  • DThe Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 8, 2021

    Westside Regional Park

    Great views, but close to the neighbors

    First, you stay here for the views. Great views from the first two rows closest to the water. There are very few plantings between spaces. No hook ups at all, but water is available if you fill before you park. Seven dollar dump station. Each campsite has a fire ring and a wooden picnic table and grass. Since there’s no hook ups between the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM, you will always be listening to somebody’s generator running. Always. No privacy at this campground. I did not check out the bathrooms for the campground, but I did look at the bathrooms for the large boat launch area next-door. No showers in that bathroom, but it was clean. A bit spendy for no hookups. Safe. Zero long term campers when I was here. There are no first come first served campsites at this location. All camping spaces had a reserve sign on them, even though the place was about 40% full. Completely dark at night, which was great.


Guide to Bodega Bay

Bodega Bay camping areas sit along the rugged Sonoma County coastline, characterized by steep cliffs, pocket beaches, and dense coastal vegetation. The area transitions from coastal scrub to redwood groves as you move inland, with elevations ranging from sea level to over 1,000 feet at nearby ridgelines. Morning fog frequently blankets tent campsites near Bodega Bay, California, creating damp conditions even in summer when daytime temperatures rarely exceed 70°F.

What to do

Beach fires at sunset: Coast Campground at Point Reyes National Seashore offers a unique opportunity for beach fires with a permit. "The beach offers tidepools close by as well as a great place for beach fire (permit needed)," notes a camper who prefers sites farther back in the valley to avoid wind and fog.

Kayaking Tomales Bay: Experience the pristine western shores by paddling across Tomales Bay to reach boat-in tent campsites. "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)," shares a Tomales Bay camper who recommends launching from Miller Boat Launch in Marshall for a 30-minute paddle to the first campsites.

Hiking coastal trails: Sky Campground serves as an excellent base for exploring Point Reyes National Seashore's network of trails. "We chose to stay two nights and had a great time exploring the surrounding hiking trails - a personal favourite was Alamere Falls," writes one hiker who recommends reserving well ahead of time, especially during high season.

What campers like

Private beach access: Schoolhouse Canyon Campground provides a secluded beach experience on the Russian River. "The beach is across the street and through a little trail but well worth it. Very nice water for floating and swimming, with a cute little beach area to keep your stuff," explains a camper who notes that sites closest to the entrance offer the most privacy.

Redwood camping atmosphere: The towering trees at Bullfrog Pond Campground create a distinctive camping environment. "You feel you are so far from the world when you are not... The campsites are around the pond - some actually on the pond and some in the woods around. So depending on your sun tolerance pick your site accordingly," advises a frequent visitor who appreciates the well-maintained facilities.

Star gazing opportunities: The coastal area offers excellent night sky viewing. "The stars at night are fantastic, and Jenner and Guerneville are close enough so you can run out and pick up anything you might have forgotten to pack in," remarks a visitor to Willow Creek Environmental Campground, who appreciated the quarter-mile hike-in experience and proximity to the Russian River.

What you should know

Site selection strategy: Campsite choice significantly impacts your experience at Coast Campground. "Coast Camp is 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 from the wind," explains a visitor who notes these sites are smaller but more private than sites 8-13.

Road access challenges: Some campgrounds require navigating difficult roads. "One lane road access that would be intimidating at night," warns a Bullfrog Pond Campground visitor about the steep, winding route to reach this hilltop camping area.

Campground rules: Schoolhouse Canyon Campground maintains specific guidelines to preserve the camping experience. "Quiet (due to the rules), clean and both Chris and his wife work hard every day to create an excellent experience for their guests. Beautiful property on the Russian River and I spent most of my days down on the beach and floating," shares a visitor who appreciates the family-friendly, peaceful atmosphere created by the owner's careful vetting of guests.

Tips for camping with families

Separate camping sections: Schoolhouse Canyon Campground offers designated areas for different camping preferences. "There are two sections to this campground. Lower half is family section and the upper section is adults only," explains a regular visitor who has camped there multiple times over five years and appreciates the quick walk to the river for swimming.

Easy beginner backpacking: For families wanting to try backpacking with kids, Coast Campground offers an accessible introduction. "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," shares a camper who visited with their family in February and enjoyed the beach despite temperatures dropping to the upper 30s at night.

Kid-friendly beach options: Some camping locations offer particularly good swimming spots for children. "Great beach for kids as there is sand bar so there is shallow area that warms the water for them to play," notes a Tomales Bay visitor who also mentions hiking opportunities on nearby ridges and the chance to spot resident owls.

Tips from RVers

Limited RV options: Most campgrounds near Bodega Bay are tent-focused with few RV amenities. "The campsite is primarily designed for tent camping, but I did see several pop-up trailers," observes a visitor to Schoolhouse Canyon Campground, who also noted the clean facilities including hot showers ($1.25 for 6 minutes) and spigots with fresh well water throughout the campground.

Site sizing considerations: When bringing an RV, carefully review site dimensions before booking. "The sites vary in size and many are on a hill so they are not exactly flat," cautions a Bullfrog Pond visitor, highlighting why this location works better for tents than larger vehicles despite being drive-in accessible.

Rooftop tent options: For those with vehicle-mounted sleeping setups, some campgrounds offer suitable parking spots. "Brought my son out here from Colorado without a reservation, and Chris took great care of us. He put us in a very level spot that was great for my rooftop tent situation," reports a Schoolhouse Canyon camper who appreciated the friendly staff and clean facilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Bodega Bay, CA?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Bodega Bay, CA is Schoolhouse Canyon Campground with a 5-star rating from 8 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Bodega Bay, CA?

TheDyrt.com has all 36 tent camping locations near Bodega Bay, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.