El Cerrito is the perfect place for adventurous campers and RVers. There are tons of hikes and other fun activities to partake in. Experience some of the most stunning views that California camping has to offer. Find the best campgrounds near El Cerrito, CA. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
$30 / night
"Angel Island is a unique backpacking experience, one I'd gladly do again."
"Angel Island is a California State Park, but it's surprising how many visitors do not know of the 10 campsites scattered around the island!"
$7 - $25 / night
"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. "
"Pantoll would be one of my favorite campgrounds of all time if not for the noise levels. One would think that quiet time would be respected in a backpackers campground, but not here."
$25 - $100 / night
"There is a separate bedroom, you could sleep 2 couples on beds easily with extra floor space and a small individual bunk for larger families."
"And charcoal grills outside each cabin. A couple general use picnic tables scattered about. So those are the basics you can read anywhere."
$75 - $120 / night
"Tilden Park is 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."
"Tilden is great for anyone looking for a close park right outside of the Berkeley/San Fran area. It is a rather large park area that overlooks Berkeley."
$25 / night
"this is an excellent primitive campground with 3 sites."
"3 sites, very close to each other/nothing separating them. Sites were clean."
$25 - $75 / night
"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."
"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. "
$92 - $140 / night
"Looked like there was easily room for at least a dozen small tents at each of the sites and nice restrooms accessible via combination punch pad."
"Pitch tent on wood chips. Level. Fire pits, water. Nice and close, yet feels a ways away. Accessible to many trails."
"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"
$75 - $200 / night
"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."
$75 / night
"Magical :) I feel at Peace at Such a Beautiful Location. Its a Must see."
LegendPantoll 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.
Scoutgreat 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.
LegendTheses 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.
GuideWe 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.
TravelerI liked the trees, picnic tables, and fire rings at the sites. The sites were spaced nicely to allow for privacy. Frog Flat seemed a bit more secluded than the main camp. There was no water running at the site when I stayed there, but vault toilets were available. There is a nearby shooting range and you can hear the gunshots during the daylight hours.
GuideWe (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!!!
TravelerA 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.
LegendGeneral: 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.
TravelerA 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.
Tent camping near El Cerrito, California offers a variety of scenic locations where nature enthusiasts can enjoy the great outdoors. With options ranging from coastal views to serene forest settings, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near El Cerrito, CA is Sunrise Campground — Angel Island State Park with a 4.9-star rating from 9 reviews.
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