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Best Tent Camping near Concord, CA

652 Reviews

Tent camping options near Concord, California include several established campgrounds within state parks and regional preserves. Mount Diablo State Park's Juniper Campground offers tent sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and drinking water, while nearby regional preserves like Briones Regional Park and Tilden Regional Park provide more primitive tent camping experiences within a short drive from the city.

Most tent campgrounds in the area require reservations, particularly during peak seasons. Sites typically include basic amenities such as picnic tables and food storage lockers, though facilities vary significantly between locations. Juniper Campground provides drinking water and trash disposal, while many of the regional preserve campgrounds have more limited facilities. According to one visitor, "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." Fire regulations are strictly enforced throughout the region, with seasonal fire bans common during dry months.

The tent camping experience in the East Bay area offers unique access to hiking trails and natural features. Many campgrounds serve as gateways to extensive trail networks, with sites at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve situated on an actual volcano with panoramic views. A camper noted that "the site has basically 360 degree views of Mount Diablo, Vollmer Peak and Tilden Park." Tent sites at Mount Tamalpais State Park provide coastal access with morning fog creating a distinctive camping atmosphere. Wildlife encounters are common, with raccoons frequently mentioned in visitor reports. Most tent campgrounds fill quickly on weekends, especially during summer months, making advance planning essential for securing sites at popular locations like Angel Island State Park or Point Reyes National Seashore, which offer tent-only walk-in sites with spectacular Bay Area views.

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Best Tent Sites Near Concord, California (38)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Concord, CA

58 Photos of 38 Concord Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Concord, CA

652 Reviews of 38 Concord Campgrounds

  • 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.

  • Rommel C.
    Oct. 31, 2022

    Live Oak Campground — Mount Diablo State Park Campground

    juniper campground - site 15 - end of october

    great campsite! be careful driving up the windy road and watch for the many cyclists. going up/down with you. 

    driving in was very easy; parking is right next to the site. the campsite itself was beautiful - panoramic views of the east bay area. i could recognize walnut creek, lafayette, danville and san ramon through the binoculars. site was clean, but the ground itself was very rocky. irritating that there wasn't really any level spots to set up the tent, so sleeping on a slant was a real treat (sarcasm). weather was very mild during the day; not too hot, nor too cold. nights were bearable in the high 50s, and by late night (cuz i kept waking up because of slanted sleeping), but felt like low 40s and slightly windy. make sure you bring thermals and a warm sleeping bag. sleeping pad is a definite must on the sharp rocks; be careful when stepping around in the tent with just socks on. 

    drought meant that flushing toilets were all locked.. as were the showers.. but from what i heard the "chemical toilets" (aka porta-potties) were an adequate substitute. water access had been shut off as well, so make sure you bring plenty of your own for washing and drinking. 

    critters - we didn't encounter any during our stay. no racoons, bears, mice, rats.. nada. just a ton of pincher bugs everywhere. not even many flies! we had those spinning fly deterrent things, though. maybe those really DO work? 

    ALSO because of the drought - NO WOOD FIRES ALLOWED. total/complete bummer to camp without a campfire. gas stoves and lanterns were permitted, though.

  • 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.

  • S
    Nov. 12, 2020

    Live Oak Campground — Mount Diablo State Park Campground

    Juniper Campground: hiked in

    We hiked up to Juniper campground from the Clayton side. The sites in the teens have less overhead shade but more privacy than those of higher numbers. The sites closest to the driving road/entrance/overlook will have the potential to be downwind of the bathroom, unfortunately.

    The campground is a dry campground - as in no alcohol.

    That said, we loved our site #15, and enjoyed the privacy it provided, plus the views (if you stand on the table or are tall). We didn't encounter critters. We had some trouble staking down on the rocky dirt. 

    This is a good campground to explore the rest of the summit areas, plus Rock City.

  • Larry W.
    Aug. 28, 2020

    Sugar Barge RV Resort & Marina

    Quiet, NO other tenters!

    We (party of 4) were there primarily because we rented a boat from their Marina. That went well! This is an RV campground & full-complement resort on Bethel Island, San Joaquin River Delta. Many RVers appear to be long-term or full-time residents.

    The tent-area was a clearing, fully backed up to the levee, with some shade and a water spigot. Appears to be only 4 “sites,” which are defined by picnic tables, GENEROUSLY spaced, no fire rings AND the Delta is h.o.t.! It’s also on the far edge of the property, so car traffic was MINIMUM — and NO generators were heard, even though the RV section is huge!!!

    The rest rooms were in the Marina building, a short walk. We would DEFINITELY return for boating and tenting!!!

  • Cococounty L.
    Apr. 25, 2020

    Briones Regional Park

    A nice spot!

    A few low spots. Cleared 12' barely with minor scrapes. Good parking and turn around. Lots of opportunities for horse riders in area. Pets on leash.

  • 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.

  • Erin S.
    Mar. 16, 2022

    Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area

    A no-frills but pretty campground in Marin Headlands

    A hike-in campground in Tennessee Valley, a short 20 minute drive from the Golden Gate Bridge and the hustle and bustle of the City.  My family of three stayed here for one night in mid March.  It was a Sunday night, and three out of the five sites were occupied.  

    The tent pads (a flat sandy area surrounded by wood beams) were fairly small - maybe 10' x 10'.  Each site had a picnic table and a large metal food locker.   The sites were well spaced and did not feel cramped.  Two vault toilets, fairly clean. The campground was located at the end of a 0.5 mile dirt road, which was about a quarter of mile down an old paved road from the TV parking lot.  A few folks walked into the campground that weren't staying there, but they weren't a bother, just going for a walk. The campers we saw varied from families, a solo bike-packer, and a couple just starting out camping.  I was worried that being so close to the city and the parking lot, it would be party central with groups hauling in a bunch of alcohol, but it wasn't the case at all. Neither the parking lot nor the campground had running water, so come prepared unless you want to drive into town.  

    Pros:

    - Very quiet and peaceful.  The night had beautiful stars with no artificial light.  No road noise.

    - Small number of sites with great spacing.

    - Decent toilet facilities.

    Cons:

    - No water.  We backpacked in from the Golden Gate Bridge.  There was no place nearby to fill up on water, and had to be extremely conservative in our use.  No springs or creeks running nearby this time of year either.

    - Would have been nice to have a fire.  

    Overall, we had a pleasant camping experience and would recommend.

  • Joseph G.
    Apr. 18, 2024

    Samuel P. Taylor State Park Campground

    Decent Camping with Great Hiking & Views

    As the title says! Due to a cancellation at another state park, we booked a site at Sammy P. last minute, 2 days prior to our check-in date. It rained during our trip which we knew about beforehand. 

     We stayed at campsite #56, which was a surprisingly small lot. Keep in mind, not all campsites at Sammy P. are the same size, but I noticed the handful that we saw were smaller than what I’ve seen at other state parks. Not much space to pitch a larger size tent - we used our Big Agnes Big House 4 person tent and barely had enough space to set up the tent’s guy lines, however, a 2-3 person tent would fit just fine I think. Don’t plan on pitching more than one tent though, if you book site #56. I’d like to add that the area designed for you to deploy your tent was on a slope; you can tell there was an effort to make the area flatter but there was still a slope. This was a little problematic during the rain because the rain runoff would pool up in that area. We didn’t actually take on water inside our tent, but the footprint and lower outside area of the tent body were extremely muddy. 

    The site’s accompanying picnic table was positioned oddly close to the fire ring and was sitting on top of wooden planks to keep it level. I guess you could move the table away from the fire ring if you wanted but you might end up with a wobbly picnic table (also remember: not much space). The food locker onsite is made of wood. Make sure you bring a pad lock as there is no locking mechanism on the door. Also, most of our goods got wet from the rain so the food locker is definitely not waterproof. Keep your eyes peeled for wild life and your food no matter what time of the day it is. We were harassed by cute little chipmunks and birds that didn’t seem too intimidated by humans. The bathrooms were about what you’d expect to see at a public facility, nothing fancy and clean enough to use. The sinks had hot water and good water pressure. We never ended up using the showers because we were deterred by the rain.

    Enough of the “bad”, the local trails and creeks were breathtaking. We hiked Pioneer Tree Trail which was the perfect length for a novice hiker. Hiking through the forest felt like you were walking through a scene from Fern Gully. The various runoff creeks that you hike alongside were so neat to see. We would like to visit again, it was definitely a great last minute trip.

Guide to Concord

Tent camping near Concord, California offers more than 15 trails within a 25-mile radius and access to volcanic terrain. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 100°F at Mount Diablo's Juniper Campground while coastal options like Pantoll Campground experience morning fog with temperatures 15-20 degrees cooler. Most campsites in the region require advance booking 3-6 months ahead during peak season.

What to do

Explore volcanic formations: At Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve, campers can hike on former quarry haul roads with self-guided volcanic tours. "San Francisco East Bay residents actually have a volcano in their backyard at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve," notes one camper who appreciated the unique geology and panoramic views.

Enjoy water activities: The Delta Bay RV Resort provides fishing opportunities close to Concord. "Spent the night at my usual fishing spot and had a great time. Staff is friendly and food is good," reports a regular visitor who enjoys the water access.

Hike coastal trails: From coastal access points like Mount Tamalpais, hikers can complete the Matt Davis to Steep Ravine loop trail offering both ocean views and redwood forests. According to one visitor, "If I had more time in the area I would have stayed at all the different campgrounds this park has to offer."

What campers like

360-degree views: Elevated sites provide remarkable visibility across the Bay Area. At Sibley's backpack camp, one camper noted, "The site has basically 360 degree views of Mount Diablo, Vollmer Peak and Tilden Park," highlighting the unique perspective available from these elevated sites.

Urban proximity with nature immersion: Tilden Regional Park offers a natural retreat minutes from Berkeley. A camper described it as "perfect for anyone whose interested in wildlife and hiking in perfect climates. Tilden offers a lake in the middle to swim in and fish. The campsites have lots of fire pits."

Diverse terrain: The region offers everything from volcanic landscapes to redwood forests within a short driving distance. "From the parking lot, there's 3-4 hiking trails to take," mentions a visitor at Las Trampas, highlighting the variety of terrain accessible from a single campground.

What you should know

Weather fluctuations: Coastal sites experience significant temperature swings and wind. At Pantoll Campground, a camper warned, "Currently no fires or stoves allowed so it's rough without any source of warmth. The wind chill is real at night!"

Wildlife encounters: Food storage is essential as wildlife activity is common. "They have food lockers, not bear lockers, and ours was broken one time so have a solid backup plan, the raccoons are very intelligent and they come out at night so be prepared for that," warns a Juniper Campground visitor.

Parking limitations: Many sites have restricted parking, especially during peak periods. One Pantoll visitor explained, "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."

Tips for camping with families

Look for educational opportunities: Morgan Territory Regional Preserve offers backcountry camping with educational hiking trails. "Feels very off grid. Camp experience was smooth and the sun was shining," notes a visitor who appreciated the remote yet accessible setting.

Choose sites with easy beach access: Campgrounds near Stinson Beach provide family-friendly coastal activities. A camper mentioned that from Pantoll, "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."

Visit animal attractions: Tilden Park features a little farm where children can interact with animals. A visitor commented, "Tilden Park is great for anyone whose interested in wildlife and hiking in perfect climates," making it ideal for families seeking nature exposure.

Tips from RVers

Consider tiny home options: Delta Bay RV Resort offers unique accommodations beyond traditional camping. "They have a lot of cute tiny houses in this campground. You can bring your own tiny house, or rent one for the weekend," reports a visitor who enjoyed the alternative camping experience.

Look for pull-through sites: Las Trampas Regional Wilderness offers suitable spaces for smaller RVs but requires advance planning. A visitor noted, "From the parking lot, there's 3-4 hiking trails to take, but the one to the campsite is the only one heading south from the parking lot," indicating the specific access requirements.

Check seasonal road conditions: Narrow, winding roads to campgrounds like Juniper can challenge RV drivers. "Just a heads up the drive is windy, I got carsick on the way down," warns a visitor who experienced the challenging access roads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any private tent camping sites available near Concord, California?

While most camping options near Concord are public lands, several offer private-feeling sites. Juniper Campground — Mount Diablo State Park provides spacious sites with food storage boxes, picnic tables, and fire pits that feel relatively secluded. Each site at Juniper includes nearby bathrooms and showers. For a more isolated experience, Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area offers five hike-in tent sites less than a mile from the trailhead. While you'll have neighbors, the meadow setting against trees provides some separation between sites. Each includes a picnic table and food storage locker. Remember to bring your own water as facilities are minimal.

What are the best campgrounds near Concord, CA for tent camping?

Pantoll Campground — Mount Tamalpais State Park is a standout option with its beautiful setting adjacent to Mount Tamalpais. This first-come, first-served campground is accessible by car but can fill quickly on weekends. For a more adventurous experience, Wildcat Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore offers a rewarding destination after a 6-8 mile hike. The tall grass between sites provides privacy, and the campground includes water spigots, vault toilets, and trash facilities. It's just yards from the beach, making it perfect for those who want to combine tent camping with coastal exploration. Reservations are essential for this popular spot.

What are the closest car camping locations to Concord, CA?

Briones Regional Park is one of the closest options to Concord, offering good parking and turnaround areas even for larger vehicles. The park features opportunities for hiking and is pet-friendly (leashed). For a mountain experience, Mount Diablo State Park is also nearby, with Juniper Campground providing drive-up sites that include amenities like picnic tables, fire pits, and food storage boxes. The park offers spectacular Bay Area views and is accessible year-round, though reservations are recommended, especially during weekends and summer months.

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