Christine L.
Scout
ScoutAustin Creek State Rec Area
Summer 2026 - Closed
Currently the Bull Frog Campground is closed Until Further Notice and there is no Back Country Camping available either. Day Use only.
Camping near Marshall, CA
117 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
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SUMMARY PRESENTED BY
Marshall, California anchors a coastline camping region along Tomales Bay that includes established campgrounds and boat-in sites. Samuel P. Taylor State Park Campground, located inland near Lagunitas, provides tent, RV, and cabin accommodations with amenities such as drinking water, fire rings, and showers. Lawson's Landing at Dillon Beach offers waterfront camping with electric hookups and fishing access. For those seeking a more remote experience, Point Reyes National Seashore maintains several campgrounds including Coast Camp, Sky Camp, and Wildcat Camp, which primarily cater to tent campers and require hiking or boating to access.
The coastal camping environment experiences significant fog and wind patterns throughout the year, particularly in summer afternoons. Many campgrounds require advance reservations through recreation.gov or state park systems, with Point Reyes sites often booking months ahead. Kayak-accessible sites along Tomales Bay require special permits from the National Park Service. Cell service varies widely, with better coverage near towns and limited connectivity in more remote areas. "The wind fights you to the campsite in the afternoon. Seriously. Noon hits and you are in a wave battle for the 5 miles it takes to get there," one camper noted about the boat-in sites along Tomales Bay.
Campers consistently highlight the unique water-based experiences in the area, particularly the bioluminescent waters of Tomales Bay at night. Boat-in camping on the bay's eastern shore provides rare solitude within the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Several campgrounds offer beach access, though reaching the water often requires crossing dunes or hiking trails. While some sites like Olema Campground provide cabin options with modern amenities, others are deliberately primitive to preserve the natural character of the region. "There are resident spotted owls to seek out," mentioned one visitor to Tomales Bay. Fishing and crabbing opportunities draw many to Lawson's Landing, though several reviewers note the proximity of sites to each other can impact the experience during busy periods.
Best Campgrounds near Marshall (117)
1. Samuel P. Taylor State Park Campground
"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. "
"Beautiful trees and wonderful California charm. The campsites were decently located. Above the Mendocino coast the mornings are wet and Cold. Loved this place"
from $35 - $225 / night
Check Availability2. Lawson's Landing
"Such an amazing location! We stayed in the Meadow View sites cause most of them were available but after walking through the campground that's where I would go back."
"Walking distance to the beach. Quiet place on non holiday weekends. Fun place to fish and the Beach is also pretty clean."
3. Bodega Dunes Campground — Sonoma Coast State Park
"This campsite is centrally located on the peninsula. Access to several roadside dog friendly beaches within minutes. The bay and the beach are within walking distance to campground."
"The California coast is hard to beat. This campground is in the sand dunes, with a short walk to the beach. This is absolutely one of the best places to see the sunset."
from $45 / night
Check Availability4. Olema Campground
"It's a popular campground in the northern california that's relatively easy to book. We book 1-2 weeks before and still got a spot."
"Nice place to eat within walking distance but make reservations on a weekend. WiFi. Showers. Spots are close together but the drive here is amazing. Openings on a Saturday night."
5. San Francisco North-Petaluma KOA
"showers were always clean. there was some construction going on, since it was the off season. it looked like they were renovating some of the bathrooms and aisle end sites to add grass and decks. the location"
"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!"
6. Doran Regional Park
"We stayed here for a night at the tail end of a December California adventure before flying out of SFO the next day."
"General: Located between Bodega Bay and Bodega Harbor, this county park has over 140 sites in four campgrounds: Shell, Gull, Cove, and Jetty."
7. Sky Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore
"Point Reyes in California has to be my all time favorite camping site. There are miles and miles of beaches surrounded by dunes, hills, and cliffs."
"Hike in (and around!) this gorgeous area. We chose to stay two nights and had a great time exploring the surrounding hiking trails - a personal favourite was Alamere Falls."
8. Coast Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore
"I recommend, launching your boat from the Miler Boat Launch in Marshall (eastern side of the bay). Overnight parking is $5. First campsites are a 30 minute paddle across the bay."
"West Marin offers an incredibly picturesque location to explore, and Coast Camp is about as good as it gets."
from $30 - $90 / night
Check Availability9. Wildcat Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore
"Really great site right next to the water and beach. The hike in is pretty easy and beautiful. We had fun making a fire on the beach at night. It's pretty windy, so be prepared."
"I used to live in the area and wish I had spent more time camping in and around the Point Reyes National Seashore."
10. Porto Bodega Marina & RV Park
"If you wanna rv and craving crab,chowder, and oysters this is the spot for you, full hook up,fire pit , and picnic table walking distance to a restaurant and shops great views very relaxing...the down"
"There is a coffee/breakfast place, and a wine/beer/restaurant at the edge of the property. Very good and convenient! Lots of nice walking opportunities!"
Drive Time
- 36 min from Santa Rosa, CA
- 55 min from Vallejo, CA
- 1 hr 4 min from Napa, CA
- 1 hr 6 min from San Francisco, CA
Recent Camping Photos near Marshall, CA
228 Photos of 117 Marshall Campgrounds
Elynn K.
Tomales Bay Boat-In Camping — Point Reyes National Seashore
kaela L.
Lawson's Landing
Jeremy S.
Sky Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore
Char A.
Coast Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore
Martin L.
Olema Campground
Joseph G.
Samuel P. Taylor State Park Campground
Lori A.
Glen Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore
Kayko S.
Doran Regional Park
Andrea O.
San Francisco North-Petaluma KOA
Greg P.
Westside Regional Park
Madelyn G.
Wildcat Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore
Micah C.
Bodega Bay RV Park
Recent Reviews near Marshall, CA
847 Reviews of 117 Marshall Campgrounds
Patrick W.ScoutGlen Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore
In the middle of nowhere
It’s kinda more like a last choice in the area. I’m happy I had the opportunity to stay there (to compare the other campsites) and it is nicely set up with running water, picnic table, and pit toilets. Campsite 10 though is the worst of ‘em. Set directly in the middle with no privacy and no shade.
Whenever someone opened the pit toilet doors, the smell wafted gracefully like a hammer out of nowhere to abuse my olfactory senses! Just trying to be real and give the scoops.
The NPS does a great job with maintaining the campsite BUT I would definitely pick any of the other locations first. Eg Sky, Coast, or Wildcat. That being said, if there was nothing else available, I’d stay there again. Get in late and leave early.
Madeleine B.ScoutKoa Cloverdale Camping Resort
Glad I Ignored the Bad Reviews
Abundant bad reviews were available for this campground but we had no major issues. Bathrooms and pool were in good condition.
- HHeather D.
TravelerThousand Trails Russian River
They're trying
So the staff here are really nice and helpful and trying to keep the place up. There is definitely not enough staff for the size of of the grounds here. The river is super low right now but it's mid July inland in California so that's expected. Getting down to the river access is either by being dropped off by a car and then picked back up when you are done OR walking down the windy steep road and then back UP when you are tired and hungry and hot etc. If you have a mobility issue be prepared to get help. My husband has prosthetics and we couldn't be down at the same time without a lot of back and forth with the vehicle. The bathroom/bathhouse in A section of the park is trashed. I don't have a nicer way to put that. We lost water the second night we were there and that lasted most of the next day and then power went out at 11pm three nights later and was off for almost 24 hours. We more than likely won't be staying there again anytime soon. It looks like it used to be a really nice spot but it has just been neglected and abused.
Alma L.
RangerSunrise Campground — Angel Island State Park
Windy. Very windy
This was interesting and fun, glad we did it but certainly would rather enjoy the island as a day visitor. Some info.
- The ferry from Tiburon is super easy/cheap and overnight parking was only $16 at the public parking across the street next to the pond.
- The walk from Ayala Cove is 45 of brisk walking. The last bit is uphill on a fire road for about .3 miles.
- There is no water in the Summer at Sunrise, the nearest spigot is back down the hill near the fork in the fire road leading to the other camp. 5-10 minute walk.
- The pit toilet is well stocked and clean.
- Views are of East Bay.
- It’s very windy but the wind dies down at night.
- LLiedewei V.
GuideH. Dana Bower Rest Area Northbound
Great to visit San Fran!
Left our van for the day, took an $30 uber into San Fran to visit and came back right before sunset. Busy throughout the day so therefore we felt quite safe. Stayed for the night after, with a couple of vans/car campers around us, all was quiet. No noise apart from the wind. It is a parking lot like others note but perfect for a free night so close to downtown.
- CCarley C.Traveler
smittle creek
Definitely not a spot
Tons of signs that say no camping no parking no trespassing. There was a fence and it was locked. Definitely don’t come here
- TTwindaddyGuide
Calso - Boggs Mountain Demo Forest - TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Open to camping again!
Finally open again after a couple years of clearing storm damage.
https://www.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/natural-resource-management/demonstration-state-forests/boggs-demonstration-state-forest
I was there the week prior to July 4 and expected a crowd. Instead I was one of only two campers until I left on the 3rd.
As in years past, the "no-see-ems" and bees get a bit thick. The bees absolutely LOVE water, so have a van with a shower on the rear door complicates things. Nonetheless, the stay was nice. The mountain biking, though tough, was super fun. I got lucky with the weather too - only hit about 82 at the warmest.
Vault toilets are reasonably well maintained. Don't be afraid to use them if you need to.
There continues to be a lot of forest recovery after the fire over a decade (wow!) ago.
The trees that were planted are now reaching an impressive height and providing shade on many of the trails. See the pic with the bike against the tree for a sense of scale.
Nice to have the option available again - I'll be back in the fall.
Oh... the pizza parlor in Cobb is also excellent. They have great pizza a great sleection of good beers on tap!
Chia-Chia W.GuideOlema Campground
Easy to book, plenty of sites, harmless animal
It's a popular campground in the northern california that's relatively easy to book. We book 1-2 weeks before and still got a spot.
Guide to Marshall
Camping near Marshall, California centers around the eastern shore of Tomales Bay, where coastal conditions produce frequent temperature changes between day and night. Summer daytime temperatures average 65-75°F, while evenings regularly drop to 45-55°F year-round. The area features a mixture of accessible shoreline sites and more remote mountain camping, all within 30 miles of the small coastal community.
What to do
Beach exploration at Dillon Beach: Located at Lawson's Landing, this sandy area offers day activities beyond camping. "Hidden from the winds on the beach just over a hill, this place had super flat spots and a great spot with space for our huge Mercedes Sprinter," notes one camper.
Hiking the Point Reyes trails: The trail system connecting Sky Campground offers varying difficulty levels. "We chose to stay two nights and had a great time exploring the surrounding hiking trails - a personal favourite was Alamere Falls," one visitor reports.
Wildlife viewing at Samuel P. Taylor: The inland forest setting provides different wildlife encounters than coastal areas. "There are resident spotted owls to seek out," one visitor noted. Another camper wrote, "Raccoons, Chipmunks and Blue Jays were NOT SHY but also not a harrowing issue."
Tide pool exploration: The rangers at Doran Regional Park coordinate educational activities. "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."
What campers like
Secluded beach access: Wildcat Campground provides private beach access after day visitors leave. "Just yards away from the beach. Nice to have a water spigot on-site. Vault toilets with paper towel, no soap. Trash and recycling containers were handy."
Kayaking to remote campsites: Coast Campground serves as a staging area for water-based camping. "The pristine shores of the Western beaches of Tomales Bay await you. Primitive sites are unmarked, first come first serve, and accessible only by boating in."
Fresh seafood: The coastal location means immediate access to local catch. "If you wanna rv and craving crab, chowder, and oysters this is the spot for you," notes a Porto Bodega Marina visitor.
Night sky viewing: Several campgrounds offer minimal light pollution for stargazing. One camper at Porto Bodega reports: "You can see the Milky Way at night while listening to the soft foghorn and every now and then a soft bark of a seal."
What you should know
Microclimate considerations: Coastal fog and temperature variations affect comfort. "In June of 2025 the bathrooms in the site #22-55 loop was undergoing a pretty major renovation and portable toilets were in use," notes a recent Bodega Dunes Campground visitor.
Campsite proximity issues: Many campgrounds feature close quarters. "The sites are a bit small and close to one another, but otherwise we had no complaints," writes one Samuel P. Taylor camper.
Reservation requirements: Most sites require advance planning. "They just started allowing reservations recently. If you want a sunny site, go for the center of the loop in the 60s/70s," advises a Bodega Dunes visitor.
Wildlife awareness: Multiple small animals frequent the camping areas. "We did see a few foxes, or the same fox a few times, so make sure to keep camp sites clean," reports a Bodega Dunes camper.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping options are available in Marshall?
What camping options are available in Marshall?
Marshall offers unique boat-in camping experiences along Tomales Bay. Coast Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore provides primitive sites accessible by boat, where campers can experience pristine western shores and potentially witness bioluminescence during new moon periods. Marshall Beach is a popular destination for kayakers camping overnight. For nearby options, Lawson's Landing offers spacious sites with meadow views just a short drive away. The area also provides access to numerous campgrounds throughout Point Reyes National Seashore and along the Sonoma Coast, perfect for those seeking both coastal and forest camping experiences.
Where is Marshall, California located?
Where is Marshall, California located?
Marshall is a small unincorporated community located on the eastern shore of Tomales Bay in Marin County, California. It sits along Highway 1 about 50 miles north of San Francisco. The area is known for its pristine shoreline and proximity to Point Reyes National Seashore. Marshall is nestled between the towns of Point Reyes Station and Tomales, making it a perfect base for exploring the natural beauty of the region, including Tomales Bay Boat-In Camping — Point Reyes National Seashore and the greater Marin County coastal area.
What camping is available near Marshall, CA?
What camping is available near Marshall, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Marshall, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 117 campgrounds and RV parks near Marshall, CA and 1 free dispersed camping spot.
Which is the most popular campground near Marshall, CA?
Which is the most popular campground near Marshall, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Marshall, CA is Samuel P. Taylor State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 57 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Marshall, CA?
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Marshall, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Marshall, CA.
What parks are near Marshall, CA?
What parks are near Marshall, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 13 parks near Marshall, CA that allow camping, notably Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
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