Best Tent Camping near Point Reyes Station, CA

The Upper Campground is a gem of a place to camp, nestled among the redwoods on the eastern facing side of a ridge (complete with hiking trails) and a creek.  The Madrone group campground is across Sir Francis Drake Blvd (I personally think it's less scenic but more open).  The only reason I took off a star is the campground's proximity to the road, which is not extremely busy but can be noisy if you are camping in a tent.  Were it not for the noise, we'd go back again and again and again.

In the coastal town of Bodega Bay California is a state/regional beach called Doran Beach. It is a beautiful place to go for a day trip or for overnight camping trips. Doran's campground is right on the beach with the bay on both sides of the road. There are several areas for RV's and also for tent camping. (This review is for the tent camping.)

As with many sites in California there is a parking lot to park cars in and you walk in to the sites. There are restrooms, water and drinking fountains. 

The sites themselves have tables, campfire pits and a lockable wooden storage box.  There is a bird sanctuary nearby which is great for birdwatching. 

The sunrise and sunsets are the most beautiful times of day and the beaches have emptied out. There is nothing like sleeping to the sound of rolling waves. 

The only downside to this as a tent camping spot is the incredible wind that blasts in from the ocean. 

I love this campground.

Often booked so you’ll want to get a reservation. $35/night for tent camping plus 7.99 reservation fee. No electric for tent camping but there is water. Safeway is just a mile away. Super cute town close by with fun shops and restaurants. The wind in the afternoon can be annoying but the views are worth it. I love staying here after working in Burlingame which is only 30 minutes away. Super easy to get to Mavericks, San Francisco etc.

Love this campground ... a great basecamp for easy access to everything that West Marin has to offer.  It has wonderful campsites nestled among mature trees with a stream that runs through it.  It's a bit too tight for large trailer or RV camping (unless you are an expert at maneuvering through tight spaces).  Also, 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).  But all in all a great locale!

Brought my trailer her for the first time as an adult after many times tent camping at nearby Gerstle Cove as a child. Had a FANTASTIC time. Woodside campground is BY FAR the more beautiful of the two Salt Point campgrounds. Plenty of flat parking pads for rv campers, yet sites are thickly wooded and appropriately spaced to have an awesome tent camping experience as well. Take note that many of the nearby beaches have dangerous rip currents and aren’t exactly great for swimming or water play.

Tent camp here every year. It's small but great for families! Has a creek and many hiking trails!

Not much privacy for tent camping. Fog horn goes continuously. Good hwy 1 access. Affordable. Walking distance to awesome beach.

This review is a bit more of a PSA than anything else. The reviews for Tomales Bay are not really reviews of campgrounds. Be sure you book a real campground since you get tickets and citations if you camp illegally in Marin. All the camp grounds are elsewhere, like Samuel Taylor Park, Skycap, Steep Ravine, Coast Camp, etc.

That being said, there is incredible sights to be seen. Miwok village is lovely for kids, shell beach, hearts desire, and the other small beaches INSIDE tamales bay off the coast offer smaller, simple, quiet beaches without the crowds or large surf. Ideal for young ones.

Point Reyes station has incredible window shopping, one of the FEW black and white landscape photographer studios to ever be given a Guggenheim Fellowship. Bovine bakery is the best around! Lots of good food!

Just up the road is Hog Island Oysters and many small bay side attractions for food and lodging.

Always windy. Great scenery, and many of the tent sites are tucked away in little nooks and crannies for privacy if you don’t want the more open outer ring sites.

Do this. “Hike in” means a paved lot with wheelbarrows to help you get your gear to your site which is less than a mile.

Yes these can be hard to get but the new “rolling reservation “ means dates are released 6months to the day not a whole month at a time. Be flexible and you can get a site. We have also stayed in the cabins which are a fantasy experience but the tent sites are cheaper and easier to get.

Tent sites have raccoons and are $25/night Cabins have mice and are $100/night

Site 2 is on the edge of the world. Several trees had been chopped down and there was little shelter but an unbelievable view! We camped for two nights in November and it was sunny and chilly.

Raccoons are abundant and brazen. They got into my lock top storage container but didn’t even try the flimsy food locker. Our bandit made off with a loaf of bread and the marshmallows.

Other tips: Site 1 is very exposed. Site 2 is ample for two tents if needed Site 3 ample for two tents with just a cedar fence between site 2 and 3 Site 4 is tucked down on the hillside with a great view south.

Beach access is via larger boulders. Have good shoes.

Firewood is available onsite for $7. Clean outhouse near tent sites. Clean bathrooms near parking lot- no soap or showers.

Only 3 tent sites available, You have to reserve ahead of time, No drive in access, unloading our staff was very big work, Very nice views and a lot of hiking trails are available

I tent camped here on a September weeknight. The campground is very spacious on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Very few other campers so I had plenty of options for sites. It was cool, sunny, and no wind-perfect weather! Stunning views all around, with a trailhead to Stillwater Cove. Very quiet and relaxing stay here!

Camped here for three nights over Fourth of July holiday (site 52).  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.   Unfortunately, the site across from mine was the epicenter of all things July 4th and the aforementioned multivariate families.  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.  Aside from the crew across the way playing the LOUDEST game of cornhole/bags I have ever heard (think gunshot every time a bag struck the board), the group(s) were mostly awkward lively teenagers and their parents (think Riverdale without the murders).  To the teenagers' credit, I didn't hear a curse word from the group, just pure spaz.  I think they really did create some rad summer memories.  Having said all that, if I returned I would snag site 44.  Just trust me on this.  Most of the sites are pretty decent, but 44 was the best. 

In terms of cell service, I had pretty good range, was able to listen to the Cubs win one of four games against the Pirates (the series started with a brutal take down of the Cubs 18 to 5 - don't worry - Cubs managed a 3 game sweep of them a week later).

Bathrooms are decent, not the cleanest, but well stocked and had hand soap.   Coin operated showers were also a treat (again, not the cleanest, but...).  Potable water close to sites.  Raccoons, Chipmunks and Blue Jays were NOT SHY but also not a harrowing issue.   

The win on this campground is how close it is to Point Reyes National Seashore, San Rafael, Olema, Novato and Marshall.  I would highly recommend Five Brooks Ranch in Olema for horseback riding, Hog Island in Marshall (snag a picnic table and shuck your own oysters - definitely a highlight) and Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station.  Oh, Point Reyes Yoga - yes to this!  - also in Point Reyes Station.  Novato had the most adorable 4th of July parade complete with a pancake breakfast.  And San Rafael - home of Terrapin Crossroads - music venue of the one and only Phil Lesh was also a highlight.  There is also Kayaking in Tomales Bay which is okay fun.

Overall, this is a campground that checks a LOT of boxes.

One thing to note, the night is COLD up this way, and mere miles will cover several different weather systems.  Bring layers.  

Happy camping!

Nice state park north of Napa, the few car tent sites are nicely situated near a creek. Good space between sites. Easy and fun camping.

Yurts and cabins available. Close to road so a little noisy. Great for a less expensive stay. Saves money for wine tastings...

Pros: Has numerous amenities including hot (free) showers (cleaned daily), flush toilets, full hookup RV spots, laundromat, US Post office, fenced playground, dog park, drive in tent sites, and firewood for sale. Cons: expensive, sites are close and poorly defined and the after hours check in procedure doesn’t prevent overlapping.

This KOA is pretty big with plenty of options for RV sites. Wide variety of full hook-ups or partial hook-ups. Like most (if not all) KOAs, you can also tent camp or tent cabins. Good size dog park for the pets to run and be free, as well as plenty of fun activities to entertain the kiddos. 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! Close to downtown Petaluma with plenty of premium shops and restaurants.

While driving through Sonoma Valley, I found this hidden campground that was one of the most amazing campgrounds that I have stayed at. I was tent camping and easily found the perfect spot. Until this trip, I had never seen a banana slug which was HUGE! I stayed for just one night while continuing on my way up to the Redwoods. The hills were covering in the yellowing grass of the summer and combined with the tranquility of the rolling hills, I experienced one of the most calming sunsets of my life. Not far from this campground is the Jack London Historical State Park, which i highly recommend going to see. Overall, this was a fun little hidden gem in California.

Tent camped here several times before I got my trailer. Fantastically close to many great wineries, and minutes from Calistoga. The park has a great swimming pool that my kids enjoyed, and I heard there was a fun hike to the mill located elsewhere in the park. Heads up for RV campers- the park is hilly, and some of the parking spots aren’t flat, so make sure you check sites like campsitephotos first to make sure you get a spot that works for you.