Searching for the best camping near Olema, CA? Olema is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Olema and user-submitted reviews.
$35 - $225 / night
"HUGE redwoods and lovely campsites (not a huge place) there are a few RV sites and a couple of group sites and several day use sites. these is an 8 mile bike trail to Olema. this park also has a tiny outdoor"
"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. "
"Olema is our go to spot. Every year with and without grandkids. Clean and friendly staff. The store has the necessities. The kids love the playground and try their hand at shuffleboard."
"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."
"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."
"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."
"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!"
$30 / night
"California, Washington and Oregon have lovely coast but this location is truly unique!"
"Tomales Bay is a boat in only campground on Indian Beach a unique experience if you have access to a boat.
There are plenty of drive or walk in sites if you don't have a boat."
$30 - $90 / night
"West Marin offers an incredibly picturesque location to explore, and Coast Camp is about as good as it gets."
"The beach offers tidepools close by as well as a great place for beach fire (permit needed). There are two routes to hike in."
"Walking distance to the beach. Quiet place on non holiday weekends. Fun place to fish and the Beach is also pretty clean."
"There are a variety of campsites, and they are many - we camp as close to the ocean as possible in the meadow area."
$25 - $100 / night
"1 to get to the entrance, and then another steep, curvy ride down to the campground."
"The entire Mount Tamalpais watershed is within 30 minutes drive from this location."
$7 - $25 / night
"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. "
"Don't let the fact that it's behind a ranger station fool you-- they clock out by 10pm, and if you have an issue after that, good luck."
ScoutRussian River is right out front of the campground. They offer kayaks canoes, and whatever else you want to rent however, if you have a dog, they don’t allow the dog on the beach or in the boat with you and they’re not allowed to stay behind in the tent, so you’re kind of stuck if you have a dog
ScoutI planned to stay here just one night and stayed like 4. Great spot, I loved downtown Petaluma and enjoyed the safe feeling and convenience of this location. Great amenities for children too.
TravelerGreat campsite, awesome staff. Tucked away off highway 12 in wine country it feels much more remote than it actually is. It's a great fast getaway from the northbay, but it can be hard to reserve a site ahead of time but they do have first-come first serve sites too. Excellent hiking with both fairly flat trails, to challenging trails with lots of elevation change. It's often very hot in the summer, and there can be lots of rattle snakes sunning themselves on the rocks. This is one of my favorite camping spots.
GuideOn visiting San Francisco we were looking for a site that wasn’t a car park. This really met the mark! Beautiful place with great sites. Nice picnic tables & fire pits! Was very quiet
ScoutIf you are here for fishing or boating it’s perfect
TravelerThis sweet little spot is a paddle boarding and fishing dream. Primitive site where Smittle Creek flows into Lake Berryessa.
GuideI just needed/wanted a short getaway without driving hours from home. Since I'm used to this place for mountain biking, I figured I'd try camping here for a couple nights.
I did a recon ride previously on my mountain bike, so knew which spots I'd prefer and booked site 35 for a Thursday and Friday night.
Arrived at about 5PM and found my spot. The ranger booth was closed, but I didn't feel the need to chat with them anyway. The place was largely unoccupied at this point. Maybe a dozen or so spots appeared taken.
The weather, though hot in the Bay Area at this point, was quite nice. The breeze and shade of the park made for a very comfortable setting. I believe it was 88 in Castro Valley, but felt about 78 at the campground. I don't have AC for the van, but didn't feel I needed any.
I got setup and then headed out for a short ride, followed by a warm shower, cold beer and dinner. It was quiet that evening and I slept well.
I worked through the morning Friday, though the Starlink suffered some interruptions due to the tree cover. Early afternoon more people started to show up, as I expected. I went for a long ride and when I returned the place was much more occupied and people were setting up tents, starting their bbq's, etc. Though a bit close to the neighbors, none of them were obnoxious.
My advice would be to know the spot you're selecting and know that in the summer months the grass isn't green :)
I'd score the individual aspects as follows (1-5):
Bathrooms: 4
Location: 5
Activities: 5
Privacy: 3
Cleanliness: 4
GuideWe had a big site, it was quiet. The bathrooms are clean, showers are $1.00, they have something for every type of camper here, from tents, covered wagons to rv sites. This is a large campground located on the Russian River. They have a well stocked store, laundry facilities.
Edit: Tuesday and Wednesday were as described above. Thursday a very loud rambunctious crowd showed up. Casini Campground has a ton of rules, one of which is you shouldn’t play your music loud enough for your neighbors to hear, we were able to hear the music and the people who were trying to talk over their music. If you going to have rules, please enforce them. Edited to change from 5 stars to 4.
TravelerI stayed in the Gerstle cove campground midweek in August. id say it was about 3/4 full, but the sites are so widely spaced it feels very private. Compared to other CA campgrounds in summer, it was desolate (in a good way)
The ocean is a ways off, but you can hear it. Short drive down to the beach for stunning bluff trails. Very few people around.
My site wasn’t perfectly level, but good enough. Just keep a hand on that pot of boiling water.
I was tempted to move to the overflow lot for its panoramic views of the ocean but opted for my forest-side spot. There were only two campers in the lot when I was there.
The whole site felt strangely apart from other more crowded coastal sites - felt like northern Mendocino. Although apparently it can fill up so maybe I just got lucky.
Either way, seems like a bit of a hidden gem.
Camping near Olema, California, offers a mix of beautiful landscapes and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, this area has something to offer.
Camping near Olema, California, is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, but being prepared can make all the difference.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Olema, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, Olema, CA offers a wide range of camping options, with 114 campgrounds and RV parks near Olema, CA and 1 free dispersed camping spot.
Which is the most popular campground near Olema, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Olema, CA is Samuel P. Taylor State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 52 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Olema, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Olema, CA.
What parks are near Olema, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 13 parks near Olema, CA that allow camping, notably Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
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