Best Glamping near Sonoma, CA

This campground is beautiful, set in the redwoods, with a creek and nature trails. It has all the amenities: flush toilets, showers, fire pits, running water, and grills. The only drawback is the sites are small and close together, affording very little privacy. The campground can be pretty loud at night too. If you're looking for peace, quiet, and seclusion, this might not be the campground for you. We really enjoyed it though because we have a three year old, and with all the other noise in the campground, I didn't have to feel bad when she was being loud. Also, watch out for the raccoons! They stole my bread that I stupidly left out, and then tried to get into our ice chest. There are lockers provided at each campsite. Use them!

Campground Description

The Rob Hill campground claims the title of the only overnight campsite in the city! Stumbled across this campground by accident a few weeks ago as we were hiking around The Presidio. It was quite the hidden gem set amidst a stunning cypress and eucalyptus grove. Looked like there was easily room for at least a dozen small tents at each of the sites and nice restrooms accessible via combination punch pad. (You can see how much space there is in the photos and video)

I found out that 2 of the 4 sites, that can accommodate 30 people each, are open to the public, reservations are handled through the emailing the PDF reservation form to camp@presidiotrust.gov. The staff person indicated yesterday that weekends are booked solid through the end of the year; however, weekday sites are available.

This is a great place for a group camping event. With the campsites centered around a large communal campfire circle. Really seemed like the whole campground is very well organized and clean, with each of the 4 sites also having individual fire rings, looked like nice clean bathrooms, and plenty of space for people to run around. There's a great view of the ocean nearby as this is basically directly above Baker Beach. Since it's in the Presidio, come prepared for fog and cold weather. With a nice big fire and plenty of warm clothes, it seems like it could provide a very cool experience to watch the fog blow in through the trees. Note we haven’t camped here because of the crazy high campground cost being $125 per site, thus I’d say that Rob Hill is definitely intended for groups, not for individuals.

The campsite’s main distinction is the site for the Camping at the Presidio (CAP) program, which provides youth with meaningful outdoor experiences.

When the U.S. Army left the Presidio, Rob Hill was a dusty, rustic site. It was expanded and improved in 2010 with support from the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. "Rob Hill Campground is a place where children and families have the opportunity to pitch a tent in their national park, enjoy s’mores cooked over a campfire, and wake up in the woods to the sounds of nature,” said Walter J. Haas, Chair of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund and son of its founders.

2018 Rob Hill Campground Application and Payment Form PDF >>

To request a site, please right click on the above link and Save Link, complete it, and email it to camp@presidiotrust.gov. (Mac Users: print the form, fill it out, scan it, and send it to camp@presidiotrust.gov.) Some browsers are unable to open this form properly, so please make sure it is saved to your computer.

Reservations are filled on a first-come, first-served basis and are confirmed via email. For questions, please call the Presidio Visitor Center at (415) 561-4323. Reservations cannot be made over the phone.

Please Note/Restrictions

• RV, pop-up and camper-truck camping is not allowed in the Presidio. No hook-ups available.
• Reservations begin at 12 pm and end at 11 am the following day.
• Service dogs are the only pets allowed.
• Alcohol, smoking, firearms, explosives, and generators are not permitted.
• Campsite permits come with four parking passes. Please park in the designated parking area; illegally parked vehicles are subject to ticketing and towing by the U.S. Park Police. Additional paid parking is close by for additional vehicles.
• All sites are walk-in. ADA access to the sites is available. Vehicles are not permitted in the campground proper.
• Each campsite is equipped with a fire pit (you must bring your own firewood) and a fixed charcoal barbecue grill. Please do not burn wood or charcoal when there is a Spare the Air alert in effect. Visit http://www.sparetheair.org to learn more.
• Quiet time is 10 pm to 6 am.
• No amplified music is allowed.
• The campground cannot be considered a temporary residence.
• Heavy rains and high wind advisory cancels. Please call the weather hotline (415) 561-2115 for updated information.
• The Great Room and Fire Circle are reserved for education programs only. Please do not disturb the groups using these spaces.

CAP Program

Two of Rob Hill's four group sites are reserved for the Camping at the Presidio (CAP) program, which provides youth with meaningful camping experiences. Through this 'train the trainer' program, the leaders of schools and community organizations are given the skills to bring groups of kids to explore the Presidio's outdoors. These adventures offer hands-on learning and exploration. CAP leaders love "getting to know the kids in a different setting" and seeing their kids' enthusiasm about simple natural wonders like a banana slug or the night sky. "The whole experience was truly magical!" said one CAP participant. CAP is a partnership of the Presidio Trust and Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.

Overall, I gave the campground 4/5 stars because it was very well maintained and in a great location. But the cost is pretty exorbitant and there are only 2 sites open to the public.

In the Bay Area there aren’t too many place that you be in a city and feel like you are away. Spring Lake has been that for us. We have been here for 2 weekends in the last few months. It is kid friendly, fun easy hike around the lake (no swimming but you can rent or bring your own kayaks or stand-up paddle boards), great location to way more technical hikes into and around Trione-Annabel State Park. We did a very tough hike in almost 100 degree weather up to Lake Ilsanjo and the cold plunge into that lake was exactly what was needed. On another trip we brought a new family with us, rented one of the bigger spots and helped them get their bearings on camping.

It is very forgiving here and close to everything in case you didn’t pack enough food or propane or fire starter. The camp host is amazing. The bathrooms are clean with free cold showers or quarters for hot showers. They have fire pits at every location, firewood to buy on site, it is very kid friendly with a fun loop for the kids to bike or scooter around plus easy access to the lake. Highly recommend this and I can’t wait to try a few other sites in the Sonoma Regional area.

Not a place if you want dispersed camping or a lot of privacy.

Neighbors were all polite and good about quiet times.

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.

The campground at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park offers a range of decent sites. There are certainly some that are better situated than others regarding size, shade, and other amenities--but the entire campground is nice. Well maintained, and located in a State Park that is run by a non-profit "Team Sugarloaf". Sonoma Creek runs along the campground and there is a waterfall a short hike away. There are showers for a quarter per minute, if you want to freshen up after a big hike like to the peak of Bald Mt. Visitor's Center has educational displays, maps, and a variety of items for sale. Ice and fire wood available. Each site has a table and fire pit. Great little get away spot that feels farther in the wilderness than it is at all. Close to Sonoma and Santa Rosa. Year-round camping--beautiful in all seasons.

There is also an observatory in the park, one Saturday night per month the hold "Star Parties" and for just $2 you can spend the evening looking through great telescopes and learning about space from experts. Kids are free! It is walking distance from the campground. If you have flashlights that have a red night-vision setting, those are recommended to use there--otherwise they'll give you red cellophane to cover your light so that it doesn't interfere with star viewing.