Best Tent Camping near Fairfield, CA

The Upper Campground is a gem of a place to camp, nestled among the redwoods on the eastern facing side of a ridge (complete with hiking trails) and a creek.  The Madrone group campground is across Sir Francis Drake Blvd (I personally think it's less scenic but more open).  The only reason I took off a star is the campground's proximity to the road, which is not extremely busy but can be noisy if you are camping in a tent.  Were it not for the noise, we'd go back again and again and again.

I stayed one night in one of the 2-3 tent sites, which was on the water. -It was quite expensive ($55/night) for a tent site. I didn’t request, want, or use them, but I did have a faucet and two 110-V outlets available; perhaps I was paying for that. -Office staff told me I had to sleep in a tent, not my car (I’m testing out a cot in my car; can’t do a tent any more). My thinking is, if I pay and take good care of the tent site, why insist on controlling how I sleep? I found this intrusive - and I set up a tent, but slept in my car. -The sites for RVs were very small. The campground was pretty much full and I felt bad for the RVers, who were almost on top of each other. -Additional notes: good, free showers (but $15 returnable cash deposit to get a restroom/shower key); tent site was on water and had privacy of bush on one side (unlike RVs); friendly office staff; not near town or residential areas, despite being so near an urban area.

Love this campground ... a great basecamp for easy access to everything that West Marin has to offer.  It has wonderful campsites nestled among mature trees with a stream that runs through it.  It's a bit too tight for large trailer or RV camping (unless you are an expert at maneuvering through tight spaces).  Also, if you're tent camping, the vehicle noise from the nearby Sir Francis Drake Blvd can be distracting if you are a light sleeper (and you are tent camping).  But all in all a great locale!

Tent camp here every year. It's small but great for families! Has a creek and many hiking trails!

The staff was amazing. Tent site was spacious. Not too crowded. Clean bathroom and shower. Several trails to walk. Close to town in case we forgot something.

Only 3 tent sites available, You have to reserve ahead of time, No drive in access, unloading our staff was very big work, Very nice views and a lot of hiking trails are available

Do this. “Hike in” means a paved lot with wheelbarrows to help you get your gear to your site which is less than a mile.

Yes these can be hard to get but the new “rolling reservation “ means dates are released 6months to the day not a whole month at a time. Be flexible and you can get a site. We have also stayed in the cabins which are a fantasy experience but the tent sites are cheaper and easier to get.

Tent sites have raccoons and are $25/night Cabins have mice and are $100/night

Site 2 is on the edge of the world. Several trees had been chopped down and there was little shelter but an unbelievable view! We camped for two nights in November and it was sunny and chilly.

Raccoons are abundant and brazen. They got into my lock top storage container but didn’t even try the flimsy food locker. Our bandit made off with a loaf of bread and the marshmallows.

Other tips: Site 1 is very exposed. Site 2 is ample for two tents if needed Site 3 ample for two tents with just a cedar fence between site 2 and 3 Site 4 is tucked down on the hillside with a great view south.

Beach access is via larger boulders. Have good shoes.

Firewood is available onsite for $7. Clean outhouse near tent sites. Clean bathrooms near parking lot- no soap or showers.

I am a tent camper and there are some good tent sites here.  A bit open so can be windy but pick your site.

Access to the Delta with a boat ramp.  Access to fishing all around you. Beyond water sports not a lot to do here but relax. Or go fly a kite.

Nice state park north of Napa, the few car tent sites are nicely situated near a creek. Good space between sites. Easy and fun camping.

Yurts and cabins available. Close to road so a little noisy. Great for a less expensive stay. Saves money for wine tastings...

Pros: Has numerous amenities including hot (free) showers (cleaned daily), flush toilets, full hookup RV spots, laundromat, US Post office, fenced playground, dog park, drive in tent sites, and firewood for sale. Cons: expensive, sites are close and poorly defined and the after hours check in procedure doesn’t prevent overlapping.

While driving through Sonoma Valley, I found this hidden campground that was one of the most amazing campgrounds that I have stayed at. I was tent camping and easily found the perfect spot. Until this trip, I had never seen a banana slug which was HUGE! I stayed for just one night while continuing on my way up to the Redwoods. The hills were covering in the yellowing grass of the summer and combined with the tranquility of the rolling hills, I experienced one of the most calming sunsets of my life. Not far from this campground is the Jack London Historical State Park, which i highly recommend going to see. Overall, this was a fun little hidden gem in California.

This KOA is pretty big with plenty of options for RV sites. Wide variety of full hook-ups or partial hook-ups. Like most (if not all) KOAs, you can also tent camp or tent cabins. Good size dog park for the pets to run and be free, as well as plenty of fun activities to entertain the kiddos. For us, this is a great spot to shoot down the highway and pull in for a few days to get away from the hustle and bustle of normal life! Close to downtown Petaluma with plenty of premium shops and restaurants.

Tent camped here several times before I got my trailer. Fantastically close to many great wineries, and minutes from Calistoga. The park has a great swimming pool that my kids enjoyed, and I heard there was a fun hike to the mill located elsewhere in the park. Heads up for RV campers- the park is hilly, and some of the parking spots aren’t flat, so make sure you check sites like campsitephotos first to make sure you get a spot that works for you.

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.

We got a same day reservation, thankfully, because it was impossible to reserve anywhere in the area. We just wanted to car camp overnight to test drive our gear before a longer road trip. We got placed into site 6, which happened to be a handicapped accessible spot. It was level (perfect for our needs) had a fire pit, two picnic tables, and water source, and handicapped accessible (larger) porta-potty right at our site. Very convenient. 

Overall the campground was nice, clean, and well maintained. Lots of portapotties available around the campsite. Plus, the site offers a location with flush toilets, and pay-for-showers if wanted. Most of the campsites were pretty close together, with no trees or shrubs to give privacy. Those who tent camped had more options for more private settings.

Good for families.

We've been camping here a few times now, since it is about a half hour from where we live. We camp with a 27' Travel Trailer and the campgrounds can accommodate it. There is also several tent campsites as well. The marina to Lake Del Valle is a few miles away. They rent recreational boats as well as aluminum fishing boats. They have a swimming beach area and they rent kayaks as well. There is some decent hiking trails from the campgrounds. There were no hookups where we camped for the travel trailer. Lots of turkey and deer in the area. The fee for us was $27/per night. They is a per fee as well.

Unlike Big Basin or other cabins that neighbor tent camping, the SPT cabins are secluded. Here are my disorganized bullet points:

• Cabins are incredible. They have electricity, outlets, and heating. All you need are sheets, pillows, and blankets.
• Great for families.
• Drinkable water
• Dish washing station at the restrooms
• Showers!
• 15 mins from the nearest store, so you don't need to bring much (or can pick things up if you forgot)
• 45 mins from Pt Reyes

Be aware of the tons of poison oak, and bring a yellowjacket trap to hang. There's not a lot of flat ground in the campground for kids riding bikes, so you'll need to go hike the trails or go down to the other main area for that. But this is like 2% negative and everything else is 98% positive.

Overall I think these are perfect for the mini-vacation style "let's throw a few things in a bag, low effort" camping trips.