If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Fremont, look no further. Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Fremont, including sites, reviews, and tips. You're sure to find the perfect campsite for your California tent camping excursion.
Jan 2025 - due to to extensive damage from wildfires, this campground will be closed indefinitely.
$35 / night
Castle Rock State Park is a land of sculpted sandstone, lush forests, and sweeping vistas. From one of the highest ridges in the Santa Cruz Mountains, park visitors enjoy hiking, backpacking, and horseback riding. Rock climbers explore the park's caverns and rocks, including the namesake Castle Rock. Plant-lovers come for California black oaks, knobcone pines, and high-elevation coast redwoods. The park’s 34 miles of rugged trails conveniently connect to an extensive trail system that links the Santa Clara and San Lorenzo valleys to nearby Big Basin Redwoods State Park and open space preserves on the Skyline to the Sea Trail.
The Castle Rock Trail Camp is open year round on a first-come, first-serve basis. The campground is a 2.5 mile (4 kilometer) hike from the parking area and you will have to carry all of your equipment into the camp. Castle Rock Trail Camp has trash receptacles, bathrooms, and 20 campsites with picnic tables and fire rings. Wood is available for sale during the wet season. Fires are not allowed during fire season.
Camping is permitted only in designated camps. Campers are required to be in their campsites from sunset to 6 a.m.
To register and pay your fees, check in at the Entrance Station at the Castle Rock parking lot. If you arrive when the station is not staffed, you can use the self-registration envelopes. Make sure you bring exact change or a check to use in case you must use the self-registration. Place your receipt on the dashboard in a visible place as proof of payment. Rangers will verify payment. For more information about camping and fire closure dates, please call Castle Rock State Park at (408) 867-2952. For more information and reservations for Waterman Gap Trail Camp, please visit the Santa Cruz Mountain State Parks Backcountry Trail Camp Page.
$8 / night
In the middle of San Francisco Bay sits Angel Island State Park, offering spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline, the Marin Headlands and Mount Tamalpais. The island is also alive with history. Three thousand years ago the island was a fishing and hunting site for Coastal Miwok Indians. It was later a haven for Spanish explorer Juan de Ayala, a cattle ranch, and a U.S. Army post. From 1910 to 1940, the island processed thousands of immigrants. During World War II, Japanese and German POWs were held on the island, which was also used as a jumping-off point for American soldiers returning from the Pacific. In the '50s and '60s, the island was home to a Nike missile base. Today, there are two active Coast Guard stations - at Point Blunt and Point Stuart - on the island. Angel Island became a State Park in 1958.
CAMPSITES
11 environmental, including an ADA site (each site accommodating up to 8 people) and a kayak-accessible site (holds up to 20 people).
For more information contact the rangers office: 415-435-5390
Please check in with the park staff upon arrival on the island.
Be prepared to carry and/or transport your equipment up to 2.5 miles. Some sections are uphill, total elevation gain may be over 300 feet. Tables, food-lockers, running water, pit-toilets, and a barbecue are located at each site.
Bring charcoal or a stove as no wood fires are allowed. Raccoons are active making food-locker storage very important. Travel on the island after sunset is prohibited in some areas for park security and public safety.
$30 / night
Welcome to Uvas Canyon County Park. This lushly wooded park of 1,147 acres, is nestled in upper Uvas Canyon on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz
Mountains. This mountain park offers hiking, camping and picnicking opportunities throughout most of the year. Enjoy your visit today and return often to experience the many features of Uvas Canyon County Park.
$34 / night
CAMPGROUNDS CLOSED TEMPORARILY
This park unit is partially open. Please take the time to read the information contained on this webpage to find out what is open and closed, and what COVID-19 guidelines are in place: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540
S Rav Camp Area (sites E1-E7)
$25 - $100 / night
Hikers and equestrians have access to an extensive 51 mile trail system. Mountain bikes are permitted on over 75% of the park's trails as designated. The diverse trail system at the park makes this a popular place to stage large-scale organized trail events such as equestrian endurance rides, mountain bike events and foot races. Dogs are also allowed on the trails, picnic areas, and campgrounds as long as they are on a 6 ft. leash.
Shaded picnic areas are available on a first-come first-served basis. Campers can choose from almost forty (40) reservable family campsites. Hot showers are available with paid campsite use. Group picnic and youth camping areas are available by reservation. One large lake and several smaller ponds are accessible for warm water fishing. Fires are permitted in designated fire rings only. Do not gather wood. Extinguish fires when unattended. When posted "NO FIRES", only campstoves or gas grills are permitted. For further questions please call the park office: (408) 274-6121.
$15 - $400 / night
$40 / night
Ranger
I can't think of a better place to camp on or near Mt. Tamalpais than Pantoll in terns of the access to trails and the various parks in the area. From Pantoll you have very easy access to the summit of Mt. Tamalpais, easy access Stinson Beach and the coast, plus you can even skip the long lines and shuttles to get into Muir Woods. There are literally days worth of great hiking accessible from Pantoll!
That said, the campground, while nicely maintained and well-equipped is right next to a relatively busy road and during daylight hours, especially in the high-traffic times of the year, the sites themselves are very exposed to all the day visitors.
Speaking of day visitors, I don't recall if you get a dedicated parking space with a campsite or not, but parking can be a challenge here due to the popularity of the various trailheads, and the limited parking.
Traveler
Im not sure wether or not they had upgrades done recently, but the bathrooms were astounding. Very modern and especially clean. Very beautiful and quiet park with the calmest river and soothing sounds of the birds around you. Great escape from reality!
Scout
Very close to the beach, quiet, excellent friendly staff always happy to help. Had some helpful neighbors for my first time in the travel trailer. They have activities daily and things to do which are sent out daily in a text. The store has many items that may be needed and some souvenirs. It was a great visit!
Traveler
Insanely hot in the summer, I would recommend not going in July like we did. It was 104° or something and I was just drenching my clothes in water to stay cool.
The hike is pretty nice to the summit from there.
Lots of free water and there's free showers too which is awesome, but don't use the stinky toilet at the top there's way better ones around the bottom area.
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.
BRING SHOWER SHOES AND SOAP UR GOING TO WANT IT
Ranger
The atmosphere here is wonderful. It’s quiet and right on the beach. Some RV spaces with hookups back right up to the sand/vegetation. Bathrooms and showers on site. We stayed in a spot without hookups and it was $35 per night. Gate staff was friendly and helpful. No dogs allowed in the beach in the park but a short walk away there is a public beach that is dog friendly, so that was nice for our doggo.
Guide
We stayed here for 12 days while visiting relatives in the Bay area. This campground, while in the heart of Fremont, feels remote and safe in spite of being close to town. Sites are not huge, but arranged in such a way as to feel private. It is in the Coyote hills regional Park. There are many many trails for hiking and biking, and wildlife is plentiful. Our RV is small and we used the showers and bathrooms quite a bit. They are cleaned daily and we're always in great shape. The laundry is run by an outside organization, and the change machine was always empty, but everything worked well.
Traveler
This is a nice mostly Rv sight haven’t seen tenting, but I’m sure you could It has some year round renters towards the backside, of the park. Slips available for needed.
ScoutThe 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.
Traveler
Location is great. Easy access. Noise from the freeway. Heard sirens.
Traveler
My husband and I love to stay here because of the nice walk to the beach. Restrooms and shower are dated , but clean.
RangerHigh priced. Nice people at desk. Damon who helped us park was very friendly. Almost entirely high-priced big rigs, some of whom seem settled here but it's clean, 'orderly,' very quiet. Rigid rules keep the order; nice that no political flags/signs allowed. 2 dog parks and lots of grassy areas to take for a walk. Showers in locker-room/bldg, bathrooms nice and clean. Green grass. Also has laundry with 2.50 wash and.25 dry for 8 min. Skunk wandered by site in the night. Cool train sounds from nearby tracks at night. Was probably the most convenient to San Jose, otherwise we likely would've been in mtns. and too far away from town for our needs at the time. Would not be a regular choice for us.
LegendThere are a ton of reviews for this place already so I will try to keep it short and only add info that I didn't see mentioned in previous reviews.
Showers are $0.25 per min ($0.50 min to start). You don't get to adjust water temp, but it was pleasantly hot. Showers are non-gendered and individual.
Dump station is no longer free; all California State Parks are charging $10 to dump now, even for campers. You pay at the dump site with a credit card. There are 4 dump holes and a potable water fill as well.
We love staying here as it's so convenient to Capitola. We were able to park our RV in Capitola and walk to the shops. We got last minute reservations (it's really hard to book a site here in the summer), but had to move sites in between days, and so we used that 2 hour block between noon checkout and 2pm checkin to drive the RV to Capitola. It seemed like it would have been too much of a hassle to try and get to move to the new spot before checkin, so this worked out fine.
We love all the state parks along the beach in California, and I'm sure we'll be back at some point.
TravelerCampground is quiet except those who run their generators all day and play the radio loud. It is spread out. (But still close, you do see your neighbors.) The camp ground is between fields and the ocean. Site 25 has amazing views but also can be breezy. Or windy. Old but clean bathrooms with coin showers. Water close to sites.
Guide
Feels very off grid. Camp experience was smooth and the sun was shining.
Guide
Nice bathrooms no tokens needed, hot water, clean sink for dishes. Lotsa shaded oak spaces. Good trails.
Scout
The pictures here are very deceiving. Driving in, the first 4 campsites are occupied by broken down trailers, an overturned couch and broken BBQ pits. We stayed in site #6 which was probably one of the best sites. Great shade and car was able to be parked nearby (you walk down non-maintained "stairs" with rotted tree branches as the steps).
Overall, I had high hopes based on the description here especially reading: "Our onsite staff will go around and enforce the rules." but this is clearly a non-maintained campground that was probably very nice 45 years ago. No hiking trails are maintained, the bathrooms are "rustic" which is fine--nice to have running water when you've got little ones to clean. But the floors were rotted and I was afraid we'd step through the floorboards.
If you are a true car camper who can lock your doors at night, this is probably the spot for you. Running water, showers and washing machine. If you are a tent camper with small kids like me, this is not where you want to stay. I'm disappointed I paid the price I did to stay here, I'd pay $25/night because this is essentially a parking space in a poorly maintained campground.
ScoutCold. Foggy. No amenities. Don’t go there.
-Coastside Local
Scout
We love to camp here for barbecuing, mountain biking and hiking. We always do it during 7/4 holidays except for this year when the park canceled our reservation due to high heat. So we booked for the Labor Day weekend. Temperature was perfect and biking and hiking were enjoyable as usual. This year we had two new types of visitors to the the site. A couple of wild turkeys came to pick up the dropped food on the ground. We were able to take a closeup look at them and they were beautiful birds with big eyes spotting tiny bits of crumbs. They come and go from one site to the next quietly and gently. Very cute and we took pictures with their presence. Then came the aggressive yellow jackets. We never had yellow jackets in our previous 7/4 outings here. Oh boy, they fought for the meat relentlessly. At the end of the outing, both my finger and my wife’s were stung. We reported the experience to the attendant at the gate when leaving. She said the park is looking for a solution. In the meantime, she suggested contacting them early on so they might be able to provide another site. Hopefully, next year, we won’t encounter so many nasties.
ScoutHappy
Guide
We had a quick three-day trip here to visit family. The pool is small, yet well-kept and we had it to ourselves every time we went each day. The park was perfect for the kids biking around through the short- and long-term areas.
Guide
Brennan Island State Park is an absolute gem nestled in the heart of the California Delta. From the moment you arrive, you're greeted by friendly staff who make you feel right at home. The park's natural beauty is simply breathtaking, with expansive views of the Delta's sparkling waters and lush landscapes.
The park offers a variety of activities for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. Whether you're into boating, fishing, hiking, or simply relaxing by the water, there's something here for everyone. The well-maintained trails provide the perfect opportunity to explore the local flora and fauna, and the picnic areas are ideal for a leisurely lunch with family and friends.
One of the highlights of Brennan Island State Park is its sense of community. The other visitors are always warm and welcoming, creating a pleasant and enjoyable atmosphere. It's a great place to meet new people who share a love for the great outdoors.
Overall, Brennan Island State Park is a must-visit destination for anyone looking to experience the natural beauty and friendly vibes of the California Delta. It's a perfect spot for a day trip or a weekend getaway, offering a refreshing escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Legend
This is a gorgeous campground! It's big and it's busy, but the sites are mostly very private and lush and green. Each site has a different configuration, but this place books up fast, so you have to look at photos online and the dimensions of the site and hope it works out.
We were a little worried when we arrived in our 26ft class c, we worried that we wouldn't make it through the narrow roads and overhanging trees, but we were ok. Not sure that this place would be good for giant rigs though. Getting into our spot was a bit tricky, and when coming out a ranger truck was blocking our road (he was cleaning the bathrooms, I believe), which made leaving very tricky as well.
There are beautiful hiking trails all over this campground, but there is so much poison oak - everywhere. All over the camp sites, trails to the bathroom, hiking trails, etc, it was everywhere.
Showers and toilets looked clean, showers are coin operated, $0.50 for 2 min.
If you arrive before checkin they will have you wait at the day use area several miles away - heads up.
GuideDespite the website showing every site booked, we drove in about 4 pm to a decent number of sites. Entry ranger was available pretty late. Site was $35 I believe, and has paid showers and restrooms. Site had a fire pit, paved parking for a larger vehicle, table and decent amount of shade. Lots of families and lots of kids. Cool weather along the beach, can't ask for much more.
TravelerBooked this as a last minute escape from the heat where I live and it didn’t disappoint. Towering Coastal Redwoods provide for tons of shade and really nice campsites. Definitely a dry time of year but there were still some beautiful wildflowers to be seen. There’s a lovely easy trail that takes you to a stream along a mostly shaded path. I imagine that during the spring you’ll get a greater runoff but it was still really nice. Saturday was pretty bust with campers but Sunday was almost all vacant so it felt like I had the whole place to myself and the wildlife showed up. The hosts were communicative and descriptions and directions were great. Zero cell service with Verizon but it was nice to just unplug. I would definitely recommend this one. Happy camping!
Traveler
First time visiting, We stayed at site 63 for two nights June 30 and July 1st. Sites are very private and seperated by bushes and trees. The loading zone was a short walk to our site. It was an easy 5-7 minute walk down to the beach. Beach was clean and not crowded. Beautiful sunset views. Only complaints are that the bathrooms were filthy. One of the showers wasn’t working and robbed us of $2. They need to put a quarter change machine for coins for the showers. We had to drive to KOA to get change to shower. We will definitely come back !
Traveler
Small city park with RV Parking on grass between lake and baseball fields. Sites almost level; however, might need to use a few blocks. Park was busy with locals using pavilions for birthday and other parties when we visited on a Saturday in June. Adjacent baseball field was busy on Sunday morning with little league game and parking lot was full. Cars were being parked in unused RV spots. Many people were fishing from the shoreline. Many Candian geese (with poop) were in the dock area and alone the shoreline. Some ducks made themselves at home in the shade under our RV. Temperature was considerably cooler versus the very hot temps only a few miles further inland. Nice that each site has electric / water / sewer hook-ups. Two rest rooms (one by lake and one by baseball field) were a little dirty due to heavy use. Unfortunate there are no showers and that you can only walk around perhaps 10% of the lake shoreline. Quiet at night as they lock the park gate... they give you an access card ($25 deposit req'd) if you need to leave and return after gate is locked at night. Called and requested my $25 credit after refund was not automatically received a few days later. Credit was immediately made. A good option especially if parks along the coast are booked and you want reasonably cool temperatures. Would stay again.
Ranger
I had a big spot and no neighbors my entire half of the campground on a Monday night in June. I was under 2 big oaks that were buzzing with bird activity.
The bathrooms were clean and I had water on my site. I had some AT&T service.
Fremont, California, offers a variety of tent camping options that allow outdoor enthusiasts to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying the beautiful surroundings.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Fremont, CA is Ben Ries Campground — Butano State Park - CLOSED INDEFINITELY with a 4.8-star rating from 18 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 37 tent camping locations near Fremont, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
