Best Tent Camping near Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Kirby Cove is a campground different than I have ever experienced before. You’re clearly very close to everything (i.e. San Francisco), while feeling like you are away from everything at the same time.

The campground is located in the spectacular Golden Gate National Recreation Area and down a 1-mile dirt road from Hwy. 1. You’ll get a gate code when you make a reservation so you can access the road.

All sites are walk-in, so depending on which site you get you might want to bring a cart of backpack to haul your gear to your site. We camped in site #1, which was awesome, but also the furthest from the parking lot at about 800 feet each way.

The views from site #1 are spectacular. You’ve got front row seats to the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco to your south. The site is located on a bluff just above the Kirby Cove beach.

Battery Kirby is right there at the campground and interesting to explore. Active from 1898 to 1934 the battery in quite interesting to walk through, despite the vandals that have clearly spent a lot of time there. Aside from the battery there isn’t a lot to do at the campground and we spent half a day picking up garbage at the beach.

There is however a ton of wonderful hiking in other parts of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, but you will need to drive to access the other trailheads.

Before camping here we were warned about the fog horn going off all night, but we didn’t hear it once during the night, so maybe we got lucky.

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.

Often booked so you’ll want to get a reservation. $35/night for tent camping plus 7.99 reservation fee. No electric for tent camping but there is water. Safeway is just a mile away. Super cute town close by with fun shops and restaurants. The wind in the afternoon can be annoying but the views are worth it. I love staying here after working in Burlingame which is only 30 minutes away. Super easy to get to Mavericks, San Francisco etc.

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!

Not much privacy for tent camping. Fog horn goes continuously. Good hwy 1 access. Affordable. Walking distance to awesome beach.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

There are only a handful of tent only sites, most of which are secluded by trees. We have gone twice and enjoyed it. The group site is large and open. Beach access is very easy, especially with kids. The beach is wide, flat and great for families. The first Saturday of the month the rangers do a tide pool talk. They bring sea creatures (like sea stars, sea slugs etc) to share and let the kids hold them.

One thing to be prepared for is the wind. The tent sites are VERY windy, especially at 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. 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.

Short walk to the beach. You can walk for miles on the beach or on the bluff trails. Everyone is laidback which makes for a peaceful experience. Great sunsets!!

Tenting camping and RVs. Limited electrical hookups.

This is a hidden gem. A little bowl full of redwoods, a creek and great hiking. Lots of great tent sites but pick your site wisely so you are not too close to your neighbors.  Also have some good back country hike in sites.

There is a nature trail along the creek.

If you hike up to the ridge on a clear day you can see the ocean.  There is also an old landing strip on the hill you can hike to as well. Great hike along the ridge where you can bakcpack into a trail camp.  Little streams along the way to get access to water.