Best Glamping near Kenwood, CA

We camp here as often as we can. It’s a lovely campsite with most sites being under tree canopies, with a large meadow in the center, which is great for frisbee, or other games. The campsite is only a few minutes from Kenwood and many many wineries, but feels more remote than it is.

There’s great hiking, an observatory, and often nature events throughout the summer (docent led hikes for example). The volunteers who run the place do a fantastic job with everything, from keeping the site clean, to providing tons of info for budding naturalists.

The downsides are that it’s often booked in the summer months, and rattlesnakes on trails are not uncommon. There is also no cell coverage for any of the major providers, but free (slow) Wi-Fi covers half the camp, and premium Wi-Fi is available to purchase.

This campground is beautiful, set in the redwoods, with a creek and nature trails. It has all the amenities: flush toilets, showers, fire pits, running water, and grills. The only drawback is the sites are small and close together, affording very little privacy. The campground can be pretty loud at night too. If you're looking for peace, quiet, and seclusion, this might not be the campground for you. We really enjoyed it though because we have a three year old, and with all the other noise in the campground, I didn't have to feel bad when she was being loud. Also, watch out for the raccoons! They stole my bread that I stupidly left out, and then tried to get into our ice chest. There are lockers provided at each campsite. Use them!

Just got back from a 2 night stay at Johnson's Beach campsite. We found the camp grounds to be so-so and not the most maintained. While we were there, we saw more than a few families come for a night and leave earlier than expected because of complaints of their sites. 

If you are interested in Johnson's Beach, I'd rather do one of their glamping tents or bungalow instead.

Pros:

• Good location to the beach; 2 minute walk from camp site to the beach.

• Nice clean and well maintained bathrooms and showers.

• 5 minute walk to downtown / Safeway

• Host (Chris) was nice and did his best.

• Outlets at each site.

• Well shaded by trees (although is also a con).

Cons:

• Camp sites too cramped/small, especially from 20 - 25. Hardly any breathing room.
• Camp sites are right behind a bar (?) and homes so we heard a lot of partying, singing, dog barking well into the night
• Road next to the camp sites used by cars to reach the beach. Cars would stir up dust. 
• A lot of trees but frequented by crows. The crows can be very noisy and loved to poop all around the camp grounds.

Campground Description

The Rob Hill campground claims the title of the only overnight campsite in the city! Stumbled across this campground by accident a few weeks ago as we were hiking around The Presidio. It was quite the hidden gem set amidst a stunning cypress and eucalyptus grove. 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. (You can see how much space there is in the photos and video)

I found out that 2 of the 4 sites, that can accommodate 30 people each, are open to the public, reservations are handled through the emailing the PDF reservation form to camp@presidiotrust.gov. The staff person indicated yesterday that weekends are booked solid through the end of the year; however, weekday sites are available.

This is a great place for a group camping event. With the campsites centered around a large communal campfire circle. Really seemed like the whole campground is very well organized and clean, with each of the 4 sites also having individual fire rings, looked like nice clean bathrooms, and plenty of space for people to run around. There's a great view of the ocean nearby as this is basically directly above Baker Beach. Since it's in the Presidio, come prepared for fog and cold weather. With a nice big fire and plenty of warm clothes, it seems like it could provide a very cool experience to watch the fog blow in through the trees. Note we haven’t camped here because of the crazy high campground cost being $125 per site, thus I’d say that Rob Hill is definitely intended for groups, not for individuals.

The campsite’s main distinction is the site for the Camping at the Presidio (CAP) program, which provides youth with meaningful outdoor experiences.

When the U.S. Army left the Presidio, Rob Hill was a dusty, rustic site. It was expanded and improved in 2010 with support from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. "Rob Hill Campground is a place where children and families have the opportunity to pitch a tent in their national park, enjoy s’mores cooked over a campfire, and wake up in the woods to the sounds of nature,” said Walter J. Haas, Chair of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund and son of its founders.

2018 Rob Hill Campground Application and Payment Form PDF >>

To request a site, please right click on the above link and Save Link, complete it, and email it to camp@presidiotrust.gov. (Mac Users: print the form, fill it out, scan it, and send it to camp@presidiotrust.gov.) Some browsers are unable to open this form properly, so please make sure it is saved to your computer.

Reservations are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and are confirmed via email. For questions, please call the Presidio Visitor Center at (415) 561-4323. Reservations cannot be made over the phone.

Please Note/Restrictions

• RV, pop-up and camper-truck camping is not allowed in the Presidio. No hook-ups available.
• Reservations begin at 12 pm and end at 11 am the following day.
• Service dogs are the only pets allowed.
• Alcohol, smoking, firearms, explosives, and generators are not permitted.
• Campsite permits come with four parking passes. Please park in the designated parking area; illegally parked vehicles are subject to ticketing and towing by the U.S. Park Police. Additional paid parking is close by for additional vehicles.
• All sites are walk-in. ADA access to the sites is available. Vehicles are not permitted in the campground proper.
• Each campsite is equipped with a fire pit (you must bring your own firewood) and a fixed charcoal barbecue grill. Please do not burn wood or charcoal when there is a Spare the Air alert in effect. Visit http://www.sparetheair.org to learn more.
• Quiet time is 10 pm to 6 am.
• No amplified music is allowed.
• The campground cannot be considered a temporary residence.
• Heavy rains and high wind advisory cancels. Please call the weather hotline (415) 561-2115 for updated information.
• The Great Room and Fire Circle are reserved for education programs only. Please do not disturb the groups using these spaces.

CAP Program

Two of Rob Hill's four group sites are reserved for the Camping at the Presidio (CAP) program, which provides youth with meaningful camping experiences. Through this 'train the trainer' program, the leaders of schools and community organizations are given the skills to bring groups of kids to explore the Presidio's outdoors. These adventures offer hands-on learning and exploration. CAP leaders love "getting to know the kids in a different setting" and seeing their kids' enthusiasm about simple natural wonders like a banana slug or the night sky. "The whole experience was truly magical!" said one CAP participant. CAP is a partnership of the Presidio Trust and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

Overall, I gave the campground 4/5 stars because it was very well maintained and in a great location. But the cost is pretty exorbitant and there are only 2 sites open to the public.

Lived in this area almost my whole life and never knew about this campground. Did a little recon prior to booking our trip and decided on site #39, as we were only staying for 3 nights and did not need any sun for solar for that short of a stay. Tons of shade with the sites along the south side of the campgrounds, tons of sun along the north side. So depending on the time of year and your solar charging needs, this may make a difference. There were ample water faucets along the campground road and bathrooms were only a short walk in just about any direction. The showers are located along the north east portion of the loop, and they are fantastic. Large, hot, coin operated showers at the rate of $0.25/min. There is free WiFi with limited bandwidth at and around the visitor’s center, as well as an option to pay for premium internet at a reasonable daily or weekly rate. There is firewood and bagged ice available at both the visitor’s center and with the camp hosts. They can take card, cash, or you can pay using their QR code. They also have some basic supplies and snacks at the visitor’s center. The campsites are your standard fare with a parking area, a picnic table, and a fire pit. Some of the sites are less level than others, but there are plenty of good places to set up tents. Additionally, some of the parking areas for each site are better than others. At our site, we were able to fit our teardrop, our tow vehicle, and our parent’s jeep in our assigned parking area at site 39. The campsites are relatively close together, so that might be an issue if you visit when it’s booked up, but we went just after Labor Day and we had at least two to three empty sites to either side of us. The camp host was friendly and helpful, as were the rest of the staff. Lastly, depending on the time of year, you may encounter yellow jackets, so prepare accordingly. If you don’t have your own mosquito net tent, you can rent one at the site for about $15/day, plus a $25 mandatory setup fee. It appears that they also have a couple “glamping” sites which are furnished with a fancy teepee tent, chairs, and I believe they even have their own private portapotty. Speaking of portapotty, you can rent your own at your site for about $10-15/day, too. Very convenient if you are reliant on that amenity and your chosen site is far from the other restrooms. Lots of hiking around, there’s an observatory nearby, and it looks like a popular spot for cyclists, as well.