Best Tent Camping near San Francisco, CA
Tent campsites within an hour's drive of San Francisco offer a surprising variety of environments, from coastal bluffs to redwood forests. Mount Tamalpais State Park provides several tent-only options including Pantoll Campground and Bootjack Campground, both offering walk-in tent sites with picnic tables and toilets. Golden Gate National Recreation Area features primitive tent camping at Haypress Campground and Bicentennial Campground, where tent campers can experience the Marin Headlands with views of the bay.
Most tent campgrounds near San Francisco require moderate hiking to access, with distances ranging from 0.2 to 2.5 miles from parking areas. Tent sites typically include picnic tables, food storage lockers, and access to vault or flush toilets. Water availability varies significantly—Haypress Campground has no drinking water, while Pantoll offers potable water spigots. Fire regulations differ by location, with some sites permitting fires in designated rings and others prohibiting them entirely. Seasonal considerations affect availability, with Rob Hill Campground operating only from April through October, while many Mount Tamalpais sites remain open year-round.
The tent camping experience near San Francisco provides unique access to natural areas that feel remote despite their proximity to the city. Angel Island State Park offers tent sites with views stretching from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Bay Bridge. Point Reyes National Seashore provides several backcountry tent camping options, including Wildcat Campground where tent campers can access secluded beaches. Many tent-only sites require advance reservations, particularly during summer months. A camper noted that Haypress Campground offers "meadow sites against a row of trees with very little privacy between sites, but the couple times I have been here it was not full." Another review mentioned that at Pantoll Campground, "sites up the hill require a bit of a hike-in but are farther from the road noise and busy parking lot."