Best Tent Camping near Strawberry, CA
Tent camping in the Marin Headlands and Mount Tamalpais State Park regions provides access to secluded walk-in tent sites near Strawberry, California. Pantoll Campground in Mount Tamalpais State Park offers tent-only camping with picnic tables and toilet facilities, while Haypress Campground in Golden Gate National Recreation Area features walk-in tent sites approximately 0.75 miles from the Tennessee Valley trailhead.
Most walk-in tent locations require campers to hike a short distance from parking areas to reach their sites. Tent campgrounds in this region typically provide basic amenities such as picnic tables, food storage lockers, and vault toilets, but many lack running water. Campers should bring their own water supplies when visiting primitive tent sites. Fires are prohibited at several locations including Haypress Campground and Hawk Campground, while others like Bootjack Campground permit fires in designated fire rings. Reservations are essential for these limited tent-only sites, with some campgrounds only offering 3-5 sites total.
The walk-in tent camping experience near Strawberry offers remarkable access to natural areas while remaining close to urban centers. Sites are often well-spaced to provide privacy, with some offering views of the Golden Gate Bridge or Pacific Ocean in the distance. Tent campers can enjoy miles of hiking trails directly from their campsites, including routes to Tennessee Beach and throughout the Marin Headlands. The environment can be subject to fog and wind, particularly at night. As one camper noted about Haypress Campground, "These are limited hike-in tent sites. Not far in - less than a mile. You are on your own here. Bring your own water. No fires. You get a picnic table and a food storage locker, nothing else."
