Best Glamping near Richmond, CA

This is a great getaway spot--quiet, not too crowded, and with the Robert Ferguson Observatory just up the road (time it right and you can get in on some of their events, which are very cool).  The campsites on the spur back up into shade, a welcome relief in the summertime.  "Glamping" sites available with reservations.  No cell service but high-speed internet is available for a fee at the Visitor Center.  A great place to camp if you're looking for a laid-back outdoor experience in the wine country.  (And dogs are allowed, always a plus for those of us with K9s.)

My husband and I stayed here for Christmas, and loved our little yurt. It was very clean, and the bed was actually pretty comfy. It came with a cot as well. The bathrooms were super clean and also really nice. I was impressed. There were hardly any other people staying there at the same time, so we pretty much had the campground to ourselves.

It was pretty chilly at night in December, and the yurts don't really stay warm, but maybe slightly warmer than if staying in a tent.

My only complaint is noise from the road. It runs right by the campground, and pretty audible even inside the yurt. I recommend ear plugs.

Lived in this area almost my whole life and never knew about this campground. Did a little recon prior to booking our trip and decided on site #39, as we were only staying for 3 nights and did not need any sun for solar for that short of a stay. Tons of shade with the sites along the south side of the campgrounds, tons of sun along the north side. So depending on the time of year and your solar charging needs, this may make a difference. There were ample water faucets along the campground road and bathrooms were only a short walk in just about any direction. The showers are located along the north east portion of the loop, and they are fantastic. Large, hot, coin operated showers at the rate of $0.25/min. There is free WiFi with limited bandwidth at and around the visitor’s center, as well as an option to pay for premium internet at a reasonable daily or weekly rate. There is firewood and bagged ice available at both the visitor’s center and with the camp hosts. They can take card, cash, or you can pay using their QR code. They also have some basic supplies and snacks at the visitor’s center. The campsites are your standard fare with a parking area, a picnic table, and a fire pit. Some of the sites are less level than others, but there are plenty of good places to set up tents. Additionally, some of the parking areas for each site are better than others. At our site, we were able to fit our teardrop, our tow vehicle, and our parent’s jeep in our assigned parking area at site 39. The campsites are relatively close together, so that might be an issue if you visit when it’s booked up, but we went just after Labor Day and we had at least two to three empty sites to either side of us. The camp host was friendly and helpful, as were the rest of the staff. Lastly, depending on the time of year, you may encounter yellow jackets, so prepare accordingly. If you don’t have your own mosquito net tent, you can rent one at the site for about $15/day, plus a $25 mandatory setup fee. It appears that they also have a couple “glamping” sites which are furnished with a fancy teepee tent, chairs, and I believe they even have their own private portapotty. Speaking of portapotty, you can rent your own at your site for about $10-15/day, too. Very convenient if you are reliant on that amenity and your chosen site is far from the other restrooms. Lots of hiking around, there’s an observatory nearby, and it looks like a popular spot for cyclists, as well.

We rarely make reservations to camp in California Beach Parks, as they are usually filled up weeks or even months in advance. While meeting up with some friends in Half Moon Bay we happened along the campsite and simply enquired if they had an open site for the night. They did, and we ended up staying for 2 nights due to a cancellation.  It never hurts to ask!  

The campsite is a nice quiet stretch of grass, live oak trees, and beach shrubs about 30 vertical feet above the Pacific beach shoreline.  While you get away from the blowing sand, you get to hear the pounding ocean at night. I can’t imagine a more gentle lullaby, frankly. The sites themselves are a little close quarters, but all provide just about enough space for a long camper and a tow/towed vehicle as well.  For a small camper like us, there’s even enough room to have a friend visit. 

The sites offer electrical and water hookups, additionally there is a dump station just as you exit the camping area. Showers and flush toilets are available, but also used by all the beach goers in the area, so you know what they look like....never clean.

The town of Half Moon Bay offers pretty much everything you need in terms of restaurants or grocery stores. Riding your bike, or walking along the path toward town for a well-earned brunch should definitely reach the top of your to-do list while you’re there.  We had brunch at Mavericks Creparie and dinner at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.  Both are absolutely fantastic!

Beachcombing, sunbathing, swimming, horseback riding, and skim boarding during the warmer months also are great ways to fill up the day. The beach path goes for miles in either direction so you can get some exercise off of the main roads.

We just stayed here for 2 nights, great location very close to Calistoga and not to far from Saint Helena! Next time i would love to try out a cabin or yurt. Cons are lots of poison oak and lots and lots of wasps! Bring a trap and be prepared to constantly tell the kids to stay away from the bushes. Great creek near by (we spent most of our time stacking rocks) and great hiking trails i believe it’s a 5 mile loop up ritchy creek. Very cool to see hundreds of frogs everywhere at night. Overall had a great time. Pool was awesome, staff was friendly, facilities were clean! Wood was overpriced but hey that’s the Napa Valley for you!

Located on the west side of the San Rafael/Richmond Bridge, on San Francisco Bay, this park is extremely popular with mountain bikers.  There are definitely better mountain biking trails in Marin (Tamarancho Boy Scout Camp, for example) but keep in mind that the bar is very high for mountain biking in Marin. So China Camp won't disappoint even if it's not the most epic biking in the area.  The trail running and hiking is great too.  The campground is off the main road that parallels the bay.  It's located just past a meadow, and in the (increasingly rare) wet months, there's a creek that runs through the park.  The website will say the sites are "hike in", but this is not how I'd describe it.  Yes, you need to park in the main lot and then carry your gear to the campsite, but it's not really a hike. More like a short walk, a quarter of a mile at best.  This means you will be able to bring your fully iced Yeti loaded with tasty local microbrews to your campground.  Heck, maybe you can figure out how to hitch it to your mountain bike so you can tow it in.

The park itself is classic country California - oak, madrone, and even the occasional redwood.  It's often foggy in the morning, and sunny in the afternoon.  You can camp here year round, and I've been here in the winter, spring and summer. I really enjoy it here when the creek is running, but even in the summer when its dry, the proximity to the bay means it probably won't get too hot.  Bring your mountain bike and shoes suitable for hiking and trail running.  I've never done it, but I'm pretty sure you could kayak in the bay here as well.

This park is 4 stars because one would never plan a trip to visit China Camp on its own, but it definitely would be included as part of a larger trip to Marin county.  A great Marin trip would be: set up camp at China Camp, day trip to Muir Woods, day trip out to Point Reyes, half day of mountain biking in China Camp, full day of mountain biking on Mount Tamalpais, full day of mountain biking at Tamarancho. Drink plenty of local microbrews in between.  For locals, this is an awesome spot located right in the Bay Area.  I come here often, and I've never had a bad time.