Best Tent Camping near Brisbane, CA
The San Francisco Bay area surrounding Brisbane, California provides tent campers with unique urban-adjacent backcountry opportunities at several established campgrounds. Angel Island State Park's Sunrise Campground offers primitive tent camping with unobstructed views of the bay, while the nearby Bicentennial Campground in Golden Gate National Recreation Area provides walk-in tent sites with views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Both locations require advance reservations through their respective reservation systems.
Most tent sites in the area require a short hike from parking areas to reach the campgrounds. At Bicentennial, campers must walk approximately 200 feet down a service road to reach the three tent sites, which have no separation between them. Angel Island's tent sites are accessible only by ferry from Tiburon or San Francisco, requiring campers to hike in with all their gear. Facilities at these campgrounds are minimal, typically including vault toilets or porta-potties, picnic tables, and sometimes drinking water spigots. Food lockers are available at Angel Island, important for securing supplies from wildlife.
Tent camping in this region offers remarkable urban wilderness contrasts, with city views juxtaposed against natural settings. At Angel Island, the three "Ridge" sites provide panoramic vistas from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge with San Francisco and Alcatraz between. Weather conditions can be challenging, with fog, wind, and cold temperatures common, particularly at night. According to one visitor at Angel Island, "Remember there will be fog and there will be wind." At Bicentennial Campground, tent campers should be prepared for the sounds of foghorns from the nearby bridge. Reservations for these popular tent sites should be made well in advance, especially during peak seasons, as the limited number of sites fill quickly.
