Tom T.
Scout
ScoutDumbarton Quarry Campground on the Bay
Open sky great starlink users.
Very quiet campground at night. See stars clearly. Use the fire pit after 730pm when the wind has calmed down.
Camping near Kensington, CA
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Campgrounds near Kensington, California range from urban-adjacent parks to island retreats across the San Francisco Bay Area. Anthony Chabot Regional Park, located 10 miles southeast in Castro Valley, provides year-round camping with tent and RV accommodations. Angel Island State Park offers a unique camping experience with tent sites accessible only by ferry from Tiburon, providing dramatic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the San Francisco skyline. Tilden Regional Park in neighboring Berkeley and Mount Tamalpais State Park's Steep Ravine in Marin County feature a mix of primitive and improved sites, with the latter offering rustic cabins and glamping options.
Many campgrounds in the region require advance reservations, particularly for weekend stays and during summer months. "The sites have basically 360 degree views of Mount Diablo, Vollmer Peak and Tilden Park," noted one visitor describing Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve's primitive backpack camp. The urban-proximate nature of these camping areas means they often fill quickly, especially those with water views or unique features. Weather conditions vary significantly between coastal and inland locations, with coastal sites experiencing frequent fog, wind, and cooler temperatures even in summer. Campers at Angel Island and other Bay-facing locations should be prepared for strong winds that can challenge tent setups, while inland parks like Mount Diablo State Park may experience much warmer conditions.
Camping experiences throughout the region reflect the unique intersection of urban proximity and natural beauty. A camper at Angel Island remarked, "Once the last ferry leaves, you have the island practically to yourself. It is pretty awesome." These mixed-use campgrounds provide varying levels of development, from primitive sites with vault toilets to developed campgrounds with showers and electrical hookups. Sites with views of the Bay consistently receive high ratings despite typically having more exposure to elements. Many campgrounds prohibit wood fires or restrict them to designated fire rings due to fire danger, with some allowing only camp stoves. Wildlife sightings are common across the region, with turkeys frequently mentioned in reviews of Tilden Park and other East Bay sites.
Best Campgrounds near Kensington (155)
1. Anthony Chabot Regional Park
"as usual some spots are better than others but most close to restrooms and/or water. lots of poison oak and star thistle right off trail. great deterrent for kids to stay out of tick areas but id worry"
"Midweek in June the park, which is fairly large, is still nearly empty."
from $25 - $200 / night
Check Availability2. Kirby Cove Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area
"The walk to the beach was 60 seconds and the ocean can be seen from the site. Cool ww2 structures. You get a code to open the gate uptop and drive down to park for your stay."
"If you plan to leave your cooler outside of the bear box make sure it has a lock or secure latch. 3- you get a gate code and parking pass to drive down, but have to walk your gear the last 500-1,000 ft"
from $40 - $75 / night
Check Availability3. Sunrise Campground — Angel Island State Park
"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!"
"Campsites are walk in throughout the island. Remember there will be fog and there will be wind. We try to get what they call the "group" kayak site. "
from $30 / night
Check Availability4. H. Dana Bower Rest Area Northbound
"I decided to stay here, because it was the right location for my road trip, it was free, and I thought the view of the city would be excellent."
"Reasonably quiet on the side away from the road. Very safe, police patrols throughout the day/night. Good hiking areas nearby. Bathrooms and trash cans. Highly recommend as it is also completely free."
5. Marin RV Park
"30 mins away from the City. A bit pricy but that is to be expected in SF."
"Great location to the city and Muir woods. Good stores near by. Narrow sites. No room for awning. Close to gather. Sites are gravel and level. Nice area for pets with view."
from $99 - $115 / night
Check Availability6. Samuel P. Taylor State Park Campground
"Beautiful trees and wonderful California charm. The campsites were decently located. Above the Mendocino coast the mornings are wet and Cold. Loved this place"
"This campground is less than an hours drive from San Francisco. It is along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard which takes you through a bunch of very cute tiny towns."
from $35 - $225 / night
Check Availability7. Tilden Regional Park
"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."
"Tilden offers a lake in the middle to swim in and fish. The campsites have lots of fire pits. The weather is always great too!"
from $75 - $120 / night
Check Availability8. Pantoll Campground — Mount Tamalpais State Park
"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. "
"This is an ada compliant walkup campground situated near the top of Mount Tamalpais. Featuring 13 sites ranging from standard campground style to a few more secluded areas."
from $7 - $25 / night
Check Availability9. Live Oak Campground — Mount Diablo State Park Campground
"This mountain has many of hiking trails for various levels of hikers."
"Live Oak is the closest to the entrance (and town), and features some cool rock formations to explore, but it's colder, has terrible cellular data service, and doesn't quite have the sunset / sunrise views"
from $30 / night
Check Availability10. Benicia State Recreation Area
"The area is beautiful and lots of people come here to walk and exercise, and once I took my dog on a walk I saw why nobody brings their dog - TICKS! So many! "
"It's peaceful and there is a sense of stillness despite there being a few dozen people walking throughout at any given time."
from $12 / night
Check Availability
Drive Time
- 16 min from San Francisco, CA
- 21 min from Vallejo, CA
- 35 min from Napa, CA
- 46 min from Santa Rosa, CA
Recent Camping Photos near Kensington, CA
182 Photos of 155 Kensington Campgrounds • uploaded by The Dyrt campers
Sunrise Campground — Angel Island State Park
Kirby Cove Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Hawk Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Bicentennial Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation AreaC
Haypress Campground — Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Anthony Chabot Regional Park
Alice Eastwood Group Camp — Mount Tamalpais State Park
Bootjack Campground — Mount Tamalpais State Park
Pantoll Campground — Mount Tamalpais State ParkS
Steep Ravine Campground — Mount Tamalpais State ParkJ
Live Oak Campground — Mount Diablo State Park Campground
Skyline Wilderness Park
Recent Reviews near Kensington, CA
840 Reviews of 155 Kensington Campgrounds
KrystleScoutMineral Springs Trailhead
Overnight stays not allowed
I was woken up by law enforcement and asked to leave on my second night staying here. They will issue a citation (luckily they took mine away and gave me a warning) this needs to be removed as a dispersed site.
Dawn S.
GuideSan Francisco RV Resort
Great for visiting the City
There are many spot. It's a parking lot and the spots are very snug. The edge by the ocean lost a few.
Staff is kind, helpful and responsive. Area is clean and very peaceful. It's a bit pricey. Our standard spot was $150.
- TTwindaddyGuide
Del Valle Campground — East Bay Regional Park District
East Bay Parks - IYKYK
Like most/all east bay parks, this is well appointed for the masses. It’s also surrounded by rolling hills and close to suburbia. For many, these are positives. As an east bay resident they are for me as well. Del Valle is a bit more removed than many east bay parks. From my location in Fremont, it’s a one hour drive. A pleasant drive for the most part. I camp to get away for a bit and almost always to mountain bike. As such, I seek parks that have trails. Del Valle has a map of many trails. They also appear on many of the mapping services used by mountain bikers. Review those and digest them if this is also your intention - these are east bay parka style trails. In other words, mostly steep and loose fire roads, with many “social trails” sprinkled between. If you are compelled to stay legit/legal trails, bring an ebike. Now on to the camping. I picked a spot as far removed from any booked spot on the map. I triple checked this up until the day before I arrived. I want solitude! When I arrived Thursday afternoon, I was surprised to see the sites just 3 spaces away, on both sides, occupied. This is a fairly compact area. And while I’m sure they’re lovely folks, this isn’t what I expected on a Thursday. Saturday? Sure. Anyway… be aware that these reservation services aren’t completely reliable in that regard. The bathrooms and showers are amazing! Clean, smell good, cared for. Noteworthy is the hot showers in the camp grounds are free and your one push of the button provides water for two minutes I'd guess. Very nice! The space, 135 for me, is okay. A couple trees for shade, a nice table and fire pit. It’s now dark and the noise is minimal - mostly from the group campsite just down the hill. I’ll update this with more details in the coming days since it’s a 4 day visit.
Update 1: it’s my first morning here. Using starlink as there is no cell signal to be found. What I noticed last night was that this park is directly below the flight path to the local airports. Every couple minutes last night, a plane would fly overhead. According to flight aware, they’re at about 10,000 feet. If this will ruin your getaway, you’ve been warned.
Update 2: On Friday night, the majority of the spots were filled. Many large groups of people with varying degrees of consideration, but to their credit almost all (except the barking German Shepard) were quiet by 10PM. It was a bit more crowded come Saturday morning. Some friends came to visit for a mountain bike ride, and we set off at about noon. I had been complimentary of the facilities and bragged that I'd be taking a nice shower after our ride. Unfortunately, upon our return, there was no hot water and no lighting in the showers. And, sadly, someone decided to remove the tags and hangers from their TJ Maxx haul and leave them all over the floor of two of the showers.
Verdict: I'd only come back here in the springtime when it's likely to be green and have some water in the arroyo and only during the week. The density and composition of the people here was akin to being at Costco on a Saturday, and I only did that once.
C. K.
TravelerSan Mateo Memorial Park
Under the Redwoods
Nothing like camping under the redwoods with sounds of streams nearby. Restrooms and facilities are clean and well maintained. Park Rangers are extremely nice and helpful.
- Dawn S.Guide
Marin RV Park
Great to see the City
We came in around 9pm. There's a board with names and site numbers on the office building. These are snug spots but we have enough room to put the slide out. It is a level gravel parking lot. There's not alot of places in San Fran to even day park. This is just fine. They do fill up fast. Called the next day to extend through Sat, they are booked solid.
Dog walk is through the gate at the back of the lot where abandoned railroad tracks are. There's a pond with some ducks and a walking path.
- DDon E.Traveler
Sherman Island Regional Park
Sherman island is about the wind and the beach and the launch
This is a fun place for you and the fam either to camp or for the day.
The tide comes in and out here as it’s a low level island and the approach to access sometimes will be under water from the tide. It is just like that, not poorly maintained, just one short section that can get 6inches deep and is not an issue for anybody.
I stayed in a tent camper fold-out. I hugged the hedge next to a teardrop. Everyone was nice and it was a relaxing stay. Can launch boat/kayak or do all the wind surfing type sports they talk about.
Stuart K.
LegendLas Trampas Regional Wilderness
Come for the Solitude & Stay for Those Ridgeline Views
Las Trampas is one of those wonderfully odd camping experiences that almost feels like you’ve discovered something you weren’t supposed to know about. Despite sitting on the doorstep of Danville and San Ramon, this 6,050-acre preserve quickly trades suburbia for steep ridges, oak woodland, grasslands and some terrific views across the East Bay. And camping here is decidedly primitive: the Corral Area is a single reservable group campsite for 17–50 people, rather than a conventional campground with individual sites. That means lots of privacy, lots of space and very little resembling a traditional developed campground.
While my earlier review goes into considerably more detail, I thought I’d revisit this campground with a quick topline of HIGHLIGHTS and LOWLIGHTS - along with a fresh batch of photos.
HIGHLIGHTS: (1) Remarkable feeling of seclusion considering you’re only minutes from the suburban East Bay, with Oakland lying just beyond; (2) Having essentially one primitive group camping area makes this feel more like your own private campground than a conventional campsite; (3) Picnic tables, BBQs, food-storage box and a drinking-water spigot provide just enough infrastructure without spoiling the primitive experience; (4) Direct access to a huge trail network with Rocky Ridge reaching 2,024 feet and panoramic views toward Mt. Diablo and the surrounding valleys; and (5) Abundant wildlife, seasonal wildflowers, grazing cattle and those beautiful rolling East Bay hills make the setting the real amenity here.
LOWLIGHTS: (1) This is group camping only, with a 17-person minimum, so it simply doesn’t work for a couple or small family looking for an ordinary campsite; (2) No hookups, showers or flush toilets - here, primitive means primitive; (3) Water at the campsite should be considered unreliable, so bring your own rather than betting the weekend on the spigot; and (4) Many of the best trails are steep, exposed and short on shade, which can make hot-weather hiking considerably more strenuous than the beautiful scenery initially suggests.
Insider’s Tip: Bring more water than you think you’ll need and make time for a ridge hike. Las Trampas is one of those places where climbing a few hundred feet completely changes your perspective especially when the suburban Bay Area seemingly disappears beneath you, which is precisely what makes camping here so unexpectedly special.
Happy Camping!
Sidney C.TravelerOlema Campground
Loved it!
Had a late check in after scheduling in the same day, but the staff were so welcoming and helpful over the phone! The campsite is so clean you could walk around barefoot. the scenery is so beautiful with sheep, cattle, mountains and a stream surrounding/on the property. Would definitely recommend
Guide to Kensington
The San Francisco Bay Area offers diverse camping opportunities within a short drive from Kensington, California. Located in the East Bay hills at approximately 500 feet elevation, Kensington sits between the coastal fog belt and inland heat, creating variable camping conditions throughout the year. At camping sites near Kensington, California, temperatures can fluctuate 20-30 degrees between inland and coastal locations, with mid-summer temperatures ranging from 55°F at night to 95°F during peak daytime hours.
What to do
Hike to panoramic vistas: At Anthony Chabot Regional Park, trails offer varying difficulties with rewarding views. "There are trails running throughout the park and around the lake that are a mix of wider open trails and narrower, through the woods, but groomed trails with plenty of up and down to make for a good hike," notes one visitor who appreciated the diverse terrain options.
Explore historical military sites: Near Kirby Cove Campground, visitors can explore Battery Kirby. A camper shares, "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."
Wildlife watching opportunities: Many sites offer early morning wildlife viewing. Turkeys are commonly spotted at Anthony Chabot Regional Park, where a visitor reported, "We love Anthony Chabot! The eucalyptus groves make the air smell wonderful, and there is so much wildlife to see (deer, turkeys, owls, etc.)."
What campers like
Solitude after ferry departures: Angel Island State Park provides a unique overnight experience. "We were patient with how far out you make your reservation...once the last ferry leaves, you have the island practically to yourself. It is pretty awesome," shares one camper who enjoyed the relative privacy.
Location convenience: Some camping areas near Kensington provide quick access to urban amenities. A visitor at Marin RV Park noted, "This RV Park gets 5 stars purely for it's location. Drive in, park and then walk to all the sights you want to see in San Francisco. A short 10 minute walk from the RV park is the ferry that will drop you off downtown San Francisco."
Free overnight options: For budget-conscious travelers, some areas permit free overnight stays. At the H. Dana Bower Rest Area, a camper shared, "Great location overlooking the city, has facilities like toilets and drinking fountains. Very busy when I was here on a Saturday night with locals, tourists and Mexican street vendors. Can't complain because it's free and close to the city."
What you should know
Weather variability: Prepare for significant temperature swings even in summer. At Steep Ravine Campground, campers need to "bring layers of functional clothes since the weather on the coast of the SF bay can be anything from roasting to foggy frigid cold during the day and night year round. Don't just look at weather online and go."
Reservation challenges: Many camping sites near Kensington require booking months in advance. One Steep Ravine visitor advises, "You need to be ready to click 'reserve' on the website at no less than 5 minutes before the window opens for your dates of interest, which was 6 months ahead of time when I reserved."
Wildlife encounters: Secure food properly at all locations. A Pantoll Campground visitor warns, "Lots of raccoons at night, so lock everything away," while a Mount Diablo camper cautions, "Raccoon was not shy about jumping on inactive stove top."
Tips for camping with families
Consider noise levels: Some campgrounds have road noise that might disturb light sleepers. At Samuel P. Taylor State Park, a camper notes, "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)."
Beach proximity: Some locations offer ocean access for kids. At Samuel P. Taylor State Park, a visitor mentioned, "The win on this campground is how close it is to Point Reyes National Seashore, San Rafael, Olema, Novato and Marshall," making it easy to mix camping with beach trips.
Group site selection: For family gatherings, certain sites work better. At Samuel P. Taylor, one camper recommends specific sites: "Because of the holiday and the proximity to Oakland/San Fran, the campground was in FULL EFFECT with a gang of variant families camp site hopping...Had I chosen the site to my left, or a few more down the road, I would have barely noticed them at all - sites 47-44 had no one across the way, more private, set back."
Tips from RVers
Ferry access for sightseeing: RVers can leave vehicles parked and use public transit. At Marin RV Park, a camper advises, "We spent a week here and only drove when we wanted the experience driving down Lombard St and driving across the Golden Gate Bridge. Otherwise we took the ferry and then public transportation to all other points of interest."
Site spacing awareness: Many RV parks have close quarters. "The spots are narrow. The ground is made up of small rocks, but is perfectly level. There are no picnic tables and/or fire pits available," reports a visitor at Marin RV Park.
Electrical hookups: For power needs, know which sites offer connections. At Mount Diablo State Park, campers at Juniper Campground should note that "the best sites at Juniper if you're sleeping in your vehicle are the flat ones down by the parking lot and vista (18, 20, 22). Note that most of the sites on the west side are not flat for a vehicle."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Kensington, CA?
What camping is available near Kensington, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Kensington, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 155 campgrounds and RV parks near Kensington, CA and 3 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Kensington, CA?
Which is the most popular campground near Kensington, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Kensington, CA is Anthony Chabot Regional Park with a 4.6-star rating from 29 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Kensington, CA?
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Kensington, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 3 free dispersed camping spots near Kensington, CA.
What parks are near Kensington, CA?
What parks are near Kensington, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 18 parks near Kensington, CA that allow camping, notably Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore.
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