Best Equestrian Camping near El Cerrito, CA

This location is easily accessible for all. Biking, trails for hiking and the gardens are gorgeous. Rvs and horses welcome.

Sibley Regional Preserve

San Francisco East Bay residents actually have a volcano in their backyard at Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve. Originally called Round Top Park, Sibley shares with Temescal and Tilden Parks the distinction of being one of the East Bay Regional Park District's original parks.

The Sibley backpack camp is a small, primitive hike-in site for a maximum of 15 campers (although this would be super cramped in my opinion, unless it a bunch of small kids), a moderate 0.2 mile walk from the parking lot (NO VEHICLE ACCESS). The site has basically 360 degree views of Mount Diablo, Vollmer Peak and Tilden Park. There are only two tent pads - approximately 10'x25' and 10'x20'. Site has 2 picnic tables, 1 serving table, and a pit toilet close by which was very clean and well maintained.

During the day you’ll have lots of people walk semi/sorta by the campground, but there is no reason that anyone would walk through your area as if they did they’d tumble off and down the side of a nice steep hill…

 No wood fires or BBQs are allowed; only camp stoves are allowed for cooking, your night time enjoyment.

 Drinking water is 0.2 miles from camp at the trail head so keep that in mind before it gets too dark to hike back and forth for a drink.

There are several trails providing tons of access throughout the preserve. The 31-mile East Bay Skyline National Recreation Trail, part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail system, traverses the preserve along the ridgeline between Wildcat Canyon and Anthony Chabot Parks. Round Top Road goes from the Sibley visitor center to the top of Round Top. Round Top Loop Trail circles Round Top peak. Volcanic Trail, once a quarry haul road, contains most of the stops on the self-guided volcanic tour.

 Dogs are allowed throughout this section of the park and in camp on leash but are not allowed on the adjacent Huckleberry trails. Also, the EBRPD lists, dogs “must be under owner's control at all times” and must not disturb other animals or park visitors, but I definitely saw a lot of loose well behaved dogs running free.

Bikes are allowed on the fire trail, but there are lots of hikers and dog walkers in this park so be mindful. Also, Horses are allowed but there is no hitching rail and no water troughs in the park (or at least that I saw anywhere).

If you decide to try and bike be mindful that most trails are hiking and equestrian only. A few trails are multi-use. Bicycles are not allowed on narrow-gauge trails, except on the Skyline Trail between the Sibley visitor center and Old Tunnel Road. Bicycles are allowed on the wider-gauge fire trails and paved roads but are not allowed on Sibley Round Top from EBMUD water tank road junction to top of Round Top Peak.

Vehicles must be parked in the staging area and display a valid overnight parking permit: 3 parking permits are included in the reservation and will be mailed 5 days in advance. No additional parking permits are available. Otherwise, you can actually get here via public transport by Taking the AC Transit CB bus to the Mountain Blvd stop, them walk about 3 miles to the park.

While you can check if it’s already reserved online. Reservation must be completed at least 5 days in advance by calling 1-888-EBPARKS or 1-888-327-2757, press option 2.

Ranger Review: Mountain House’sHomestyle Turkey Casserole Dinner at Wildcat Campground – Point Reyes National Seashore: Great spot to watch the fog role in and explore some solitude on the beach…

Campsite Review: Wildcat Campground, in Point Reyes National Seashore, is located in an open meadow on a bluff overlooking the ocean with a short walk to the beach and a 3.2 kilometer (2.0 miles) round-trip walk to Alamere Falls, which is one of the main draws of this campground. The Falls will get extremely busy during the day as people start hiking in and this way you can head over for a little bit without too any people first thing in the morning. Tip: If you head in the opposite direction of the Falls, you’ll have miles and miles of no one around…

The campground is about 10 kilometer (6.3 miles) hike from the Bear Valley Visitor Center or an 8.8 kilometer (5.5 miles) hike on the Coast Trail from Palomarin.

Note: Reservation/Confirmation Notice ≠ Permit. So even though you may have already made a reservation online, you must stop by the Bear Valley Visitor Center on your arrival date to pick up your camping permit and parking pass.

So, if you want to drive back to the Palomarin trailhead for the “shorter” hike this could make your overall trip a bit longer as it can be almost a 40-minute drive. Also, you could bike to the campground, but the only bicycling route is via a strenuous 10.7 kilometer (6.7 miles) ride along the Stewart Trail from the Five Brooks Trailhead. The campground consists of five individual sites and three group sites; three of the individual sites only hold up to four people.

Vaulted toilets, and potable water! Campsites have charcoal grills, picnic tables, bear boxes/food storage lockers, and some sites have a little privacy due to the high grass. Because the campground is in the middle of a grass field, campfires are only allowed on the beach (You need to get a permit from the Visitor Center). That’s really a good thing as whom wants to wake up in the middle of a field on fire. Also, you might want to be on the lookout for small vermin running around the fields and looking to snag any food you’ve left out. We didn’t have any issues, but definitely heard them.

During our hike in and out we hung out at site #2 as this site didn't have people currently camping there. I'd be cautious about actually staying at this site as unfortunately it had the horse riders come right by as this is really the only way they can get to the hitches…I’d avoid this site at all costs if possible (unless you come in on a horse!). Also, it looked like sites #4 and #8 are basically connected and if you happen to be there in both sites with friends that might be OK, otherwise you’re staring at strangers the entire time…

Thus, from our exploring the campground I’d recommend campsites 6 &/or 7 as they provide a little more seclusion. Also, as I went in late July the majority of the campground seemed a little drab. Mostly brown dried out and dead glass, from what I understand this is typical of summer in this part of CA. I’d maybe try coming in spring (May) as the wildflowers in the area are amazing!! Saw them off the Tomales Point Trail, which I highly recommend.

While the campgrounds themselves are nice, and I appreciate not having to lug in all of our water and the use of the vault toilets I personally think that the amount of day hikers, and horse back riders detracts from the feel of this being a back-country campground. Maybe in the Fall/Winter or Spring it’s better.

Gear/Product Review: As a Ranger for TheDyrt.com from time to time I get to review different products and during this trip I got to reward myself for the hike into the campground with Mountain House’s new 2-Serving Homestyle Turkey Dinner Casserole. I’ll admit that after reading the description I was a little skeptical at first, however, I think the best way of describing this meal is that it tastes like Thanksgiving!!

I really enjoyed the combination of turkey, stuffing, vegetable and spices. They really did add up to what I think a true Thanksgiving day meal tastes like. While like any dehydrated meal you have to be good at mixing it, this one is no exception. If you don’t mix it up properly (they suggest at least twice in the directions) you could definitely find yourself with a ball of spice or a piece of stuffing that isn’t fully rehydrated, but that’s easily fixed by mixing it up some more.

The large chucks of turkey and what ends up looking like real stuffing was a very pleasant surprise to this meal. It was well deserved after an 8+ mile hike. The amount of carbs and protein are perfect for that post hike meal. Especially if you eat both servings like I did! Although, I think that a normal couple could easily share the meal.

As my final thought, I would definitely recommend that anyone looking for a meal that tastes home cooked with little effort, you take this one along with you on your next backpacking trip. As it weights less than 4 oz, you’ll be able to bring quite a few!

I give the Mountain HouseHomestyle Turkey Dinner Casserole 4.75/5 Stars!

Great spot for cheap and restful accommodation while Visiting wine country. Yurts, and campsites, pull thru and rv sites. Not super cheap cuz you are in California but way more affordable than any hotel and 5 minutes from Calistoga, thru vineyard lined lanes. Lots of hikes for a hike level. Mosquitos started coming out but tolerable. Nice trickling river and peaceful pondering spots. Great bathrooms but bring lots of quarters for showers, helpful staff! Rico you are the best for giving me firewood!

Great place to stay at when visiting the Napa wine valley that is halfway between St Helena and Calistoga, two nice tourist towns. There are nice hiking trails in the park though they are closed currently (Dec 2020) due to the fire in the area. There was no damage to the campground even though the fire burned into the grounds. The weekends usually are full, it clears out Sunday evening so during the weekdays it is really nice. Staff are really nice. Be careful of the poison oak, it is prevalent there as it is so anywhere in Northern California.

I've camped here more times than I can count.  I remember camping here during several wine-soaked weekends with large groups of friends, back in my younger days.  We rode our bikes through the Napa valley, stopping at multiple wineries along the way.  Then, after a day of riding and wine tasting, we retired back to our campsites for an evening of grilling and drinking of local wines (of which there are many, many excellent choices). I've only tent camped here; I've not brought my Airstream because I don't think there are spots that are large enough for it.  However, I do recall seeing trailers and RV's here in the past, so it can accomodate rigs of smaller sizes.

There's nothing dramatically beautiful about this park, but if you like California country living - oaks, madrone, rolling hills, and lots of sunshine - than you'll enjoy it here.  It's a short drive from the San Francisco Bay Area, and is quite literally in the Napa valley, on its northern end, near Calistoga.  You'll easily be able to get to all the restaurants and wineries in the valley. You won't be disappointed with a couple of nights camping at Bothe-Napa.

One important note: I have not been here since the fires that have ravaged Napa and Sonoma every year since 2017.  There has been at least one fire that burned very near this park, causing it to close temporarily.  I don't know how bad the impact to the park has been, as I've not seen it first hand.  As I write this in summer 2021, the campground is open, so hopefully the fire and smoke damage was minimal.   As I've mentioned in many of my other posts, the sad reality of the ongoing drought in California is that summer camping is not the experience it used to be.  It's still fun, but I would argue winter or early spring is now the best time to visit places like Bothe-Napa.  The creeks will be flowing, you'll be allowed to have a campfire, and the vegetation will be greener and lusher.

Per my rating system, I give this 4 stars as it's not a place you'd plan a trip to from out of state, but it is a place you should consider visiting as part of a larger trip to Napa/Sonoma.  For locals, this is a top tier spot.

This site is a nice hidden gem that many won't know even has a campground. While tiny and available only for a small number of campers, if you can get a spot booked well in advance, you'll have the place nearly all to yourself. Located just off of 680, you'll take Bollinger Canyon Road where you'll head just north of Las Trampas Stables before coming to a round-about where there's ample parking for about 30 cars (no worries, overflow parking on the street is allowed). 

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. You'll have to hike all your gear in from here, and it's about 150 yards, so not all that bad, but the pathway is a bit choppy in places, so you'll want to carry most of what you've got on your back (or head!). There's just a few simple amenities at the campground, where I could only count 6-8 or so places to park a tent. Once you're all set up, take the hiking trail straight up to Las Trampas hiking ridge (there's only one trail up from your campground, so if you're not panting, then you're heading in the wrong direction). Pass the cows grazing in the meadows to climb clear to the top for a most spectacular view of Eastbay and nearby Mt. Diablo. 

The other 2-3 trails that you'll find here are all worth taking and all fairly easy-to-medium in difficulty, but anyone heading up to the ridge, will find at many places it is steep and can be difficult hiking (just apply the icy hot after your hike!). As for the campground itself, it is bare minimum - the ground is relatively flat, but the entire space is encased in a barbed wire fence area playpen to keep the roaming cattle and other wildlife from coming near the area. When we were there we saw deer, cattle, raccoons and many other four legged vermin running around the area. Inside of the pen though, there's 5-6 stone picnic tables, a water fountain, only a single locker to place your food (so first-come, first served!) and a double-mounted grill. 

All in all, if your aim is to spend 2-3 days scouring Las Trampas ridge, then this is a great place to call home for a few days, but it lacks the amenities and natural serenity that you would normally expect when outbacking here in Cali. And if you get tired of the campfire food, it's SO easy to just head into nearby San Ramon for a classic In-N-Out burger (it's a staple here in Cali, but I'm not from here, so I don't get what all the fuss is about: sorry California, but Johnny Rockets burgers from Chicago still win out!) or for the best bite around, try out Zachary's Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza (this Chicagoan approves!) and a frosty cold mug of Anchor Steam to wash it down with. 

Happy Camping!

This place is magical. We rode our bikes around the vineyards and enjoyed every single moment. Would come back next time for sure.

Checkin process a little hectic but wonderful camp hosts and overall nice facilities. A ton of great hiking and horseback riding trails. Literally 5 mins outside of the town of Napa. Ate at an amazing Brazilian Steakhouse and came to camp in just a short drive. Sites are free form and come as you are, basically you’re assigned to a section and you camp where there room to do so. Sites backs up to Wilderness and saw a doe within 10 mins of setting up camp just a few steps away. Level sites, water, picnic table and grill at each spot. All close to restrooms and showers, needs some updating but very clean. You’ll need to make sure you have a tent, no car-camping. All-in-all, felt like going to summer camp in the city but left with a smile on my face!! :) Would stay again for sure! Enjoy!

Skyline Wilderness County Park is a great little campground just outside of downtown Napa. There are always a lot of RVs there, but thankfully the tent section is separate from most of the RVs. The tent area leaves a little to be desired and is basically just a stretch of grass with picnic tables, BBQs and very little separation or cover from trees. Of course you don’t really think wilderness camping when you think of Napa Valley.

Despite being close to town there is actually quite a bit to do in the park and once you get back from the campground a bit you can really feel kind of far away from the congested Napa Valley. There are quite a few hiking trails and some offer beautiful views of the valley. By far the most popular is the Lake Marie Trail and Fire Road and Manzanita is popular with mountain bikers.

The River to Ridge Trail is nice and provides access to the Kennedy Park, the Napa River, and miles of bike paths, but check at the kiosk if the gate next to highway 221 (Soscol Ferry Road) is open and I have found it to not have a very consistent schedule.

According to a couple of friends that are pretty die-hard disk golfers, the course at Skyline is one of the best and most challenging in the area. I found it to be pretty fun, especially is your expectations are extremely low.

Being Napa Valley there is of course wine tasting and having a parking spot at the campground you have the perfect opportunity to take an Uber or car service to ensure your safety while enjoying Napa’s most famous export.

This is not a park that will provide you with memorable hikes or photos for your Instagram, but it is a decent place to stay in Napa if you’re the type that prefers to sleep in a tent or RV over a very pricey hotel.

Clean showers and bathrooms, some trees, close to Raley’s Grocery store. Easy drive to the wineries of Napa Valley, a little further to Sonoma but a nice drive. Picnic table, some full hook-ups and some partial, we will ask for full hook ups next time just for ease of getting out when your ready to go.

Napa only has a few nearby camping options, so having Skyline is a good thing. The park itself has some great trails, as well as a disc golf course and native plant garden. The campground is pretty much just a grassy field, so nothing too special about it--but if you come with good company and make use of the park you can have a very nice time.

A lot of the available space does not have shade--so consider bringing a shade structure. There are both RV and tent options.

It gets very dry and hot later in the season, so I would also recommend spring camping here. Plus, then you can enjoy the wildflowers on the trails.

The park did burn in the October 2017 wildfires, but volunteers have worked hard to get the trails back in shape and open again. The campground and surrounding area did not burn.