Best Tent Camping near Muir Woods, CA
Tent camping options abound in the coastal wilderness near Muir Woods, California, with campgrounds scattered throughout Mount Tamalpais State Park and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Pantoll Campground offers tent-only sites with quick access to redwood groves, while Bootjack Campground provides secluded walk-in tent sites along a creek. Both campgrounds serve as gateways to the extensive trail network that connects to Muir Woods National Monument, allowing tent campers to avoid shuttle services and parking reservations required for day visitors.
Most tent campgrounds in the Mount Tamalpais area require campers to park in designated lots and carry gear to their sites. Surfaces typically consist of level dirt pads with surrounding forest duff. Pantoll and Bootjack campgrounds provide picnic tables, fire rings, and food storage lockers at each tent site, though fire restrictions may apply seasonally. Flush toilets are available at both locations, but showers are not provided at any of the tent camping areas. A visitor commented, "The sites are very close to the parking lot and the main road, so it was easy to haul everything up and back from the car." Water spigots are distributed throughout these campgrounds, though backcountry tent sites at Haypress Campground require bringing your own water.
The tent camping experience in this region offers unique advantages for hikers seeking early access to popular trails. In morning hours, fog frequently blankets the coastal-facing tent sites, creating a mystical atmosphere among the surrounding trees. One camper noted, "You can hike anywhere from this campground—down to Muir Woods in less than 3 miles, up to Rock Springs, Bolinas Ridge, and Mount Tam, or down to Stinson Beach." Tent campers should prepare for potentially windy conditions, especially at exposed sites. For those seeking more solitude, the walk-in tent sites farther up the hillside at Pantoll offer greater distance from road noise and day visitors. First-come, first-served policies apply at several tent campgrounds, making weekday arrivals advisable during peak seasons when tent sites fill quickly.
