Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Walnut Creek, CA has a lot to offer. Walnut Creek is filled with the activities, sights, and experiences to make everyone in your crew a happy camper. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Walnut Creek camping trip.
$30 / night
"We didn’t have a reservation, but got 1 upon arrival around 2pm. Our site had nearby bathrooms, showers & trash. It included picnic table, fire pit, food storage boxes, & is very spacious."
$75 - $120 / night
"Tilden Park is perfect for anyone whose interested in wildlife and hiking in perfect climates. Tilden offers a lake in the middle to swim in and fish. The campsites have lots of fire pits."
"Tilden is great for anyone looking for a close park right outside of the Berkeley/San Fran area. It is a rather large park area that overlooks Berkeley."
$75 - $200 / night
"A few low spots. Cleared 12' barely with minor scrapes. Good parking and turn around. Lots of opportunities for horse riders in area. Pets on leash."
"The Sibley backpack camp is a small, primitive hike-in site for a maximum of 15 campers (although this would be super cramped in my opinion, unless it a bunch of small kids), a moderate 0.2 mile walk from"
$75 / night
"Magical :) I feel at Peace at Such a Beautiful Location. Its a Must see."
$30 / night
"Angel Island is a unique backpacking experience, one I'd gladly do again."
"Angel Island is a California State Park, but it's surprising how many visitors do not know of the 10 campsites scattered around the island!"
$100 / night
"Dogs are allowed they have picknic area's and a kite area.thete are several different entrances."
$25 - $100 / night
"There is a separate bedroom, you could sleep 2 couples on beds easily with extra floor space and a small individual bunk for larger families."
"And charcoal grills outside each cabin. A couple general use picnic tables scattered about. So those are the basics you can read anywhere."
Scoutgreat campsite! be careful driving up the windy road and watch for the many cyclists. going up/down with you.
driving in was very easy; parking is right next to the site. the campsite itself was beautiful - panoramic views of the east bay area. i could recognize walnut creek, lafayette, danville and san ramon through the binoculars. site was clean, but the ground itself was very rocky. irritating that there wasn't really any level spots to set up the tent, so sleeping on a slant was a real treat (sarcasm). weather was very mild during the day; not too hot, nor too cold. nights were bearable in the high 50s, and by late night (cuz i kept waking up because of slanted sleeping), but felt like low 40s and slightly windy. make sure you bring thermals and a warm sleeping bag. sleeping pad is a definite must on the sharp rocks; be careful when stepping around in the tent with just socks on.
drought meant that flushing toilets were all locked.. as were the showers.. but from what i heard the "chemical toilets" (aka porta-potties) were an adequate substitute. water access had been shut off as well, so make sure you bring plenty of your own for washing and drinking.
critters - we didn't encounter any during our stay. no racoons, bears, mice, rats.. nada. just a ton of pincher bugs everywhere. not even many flies! we had those spinning fly deterrent things, though. maybe those really DO work?
ALSO because of the drought - NO WOOD FIRES ALLOWED. total/complete bummer to camp without a campfire. gas stoves and lanterns were permitted, though.
LegendPantoll is a pretty campground located adjacent to the entrance to Mount Tamalpais. You can hike to, bike to, take the bus to, or even drive to this campground. If you choose to drive, just know that it can be impossible to find a place to park on busy weekends (you'll need to drop your stuff off, find a place to park along the road, then come back to park in the evening when the parking lot clears). We hiked in. On a weekend night in March, only four of the 16 sites were taken so we had no problem nabbing a spot. The campground is situated across a steep-ish hillside. Water spigots are spread out among the sites, but all the bathrooms are located down the hill near the parking lot. Each site has a fire pit, picnic table, and a flat spot to pitch a tent. Sites are fairly close together in bunches (for example, 2, 3, and 5 were close, 6 and 7 were close, but there was a bit of space between the groups). Firewood is sold at the ranger kiosk but they have limited hours. Some spots are larger than others, and very few can accommodate a house-size tent (you know what I mean - and no judging, I have a house-size tent for car camping). We had our 3 person backpacking tent with us and it would have fit in all the sites. Sites up the hill require a bit of a hike-in but are farther from the road noise and busy parking lot. There is one dishwashing station near the bottom.
Pros:
- Location. You can hike anywhere from this campground. Down to Muir Woods in less than 3 miles. Up to Rock Springs, Bolinas Ridge, and Mount Tam. Down to Stinson Beach. I could spend a week here exploring all the trails.
- Amenties. Dishwashing sink, many water spigots, food storage lockers, fire pits, toilets that flush. And Wifi from the ranger kiosk (squee!!!) which we appreciated to check the weather and bus schedule (very poor Verizon signal).
Cons:
- Noise from Panoramic Highway.
- Busy parking lot with lots of people potentially moving around the campground (especially the lower sites).
- No reservations: FCFS only.
Overall I'm really happy I finally got to chance to camp here and would recommend.
LegendTheses are limited (5) 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.
Meadow sites against a row of trees. There is very little privacy between sites but the couple times I have been here it was not full. It can get windy - there is some shelter under the tress.
Here you can strike out hiking through Tennessee Valley to the beach and beyond!
Great for a close get-a-way and seclusion.
GuideWe hiked up to Juniper campground from the Clayton side. The sites in the teens have less overhead shade but more privacy than those of higher numbers. The sites closest to the driving road/entrance/overlook will have the potential to be downwind of the bathroom, unfortunately.
The campground is a dry campground - as in no alcohol.
That said, we loved our site #15, and enjoyed the privacy it provided, plus the views (if you stand on the table or are tall). We didn't encounter critters. We had some trouble staking down on the rocky dirt.
This is a good campground to explore the rest of the summit areas, plus Rock City.
TravelerI liked the trees, picnic tables, and fire rings at the sites. The sites were spaced nicely to allow for privacy. Frog Flat seemed a bit more secluded than the main camp. There was no water running at the site when I stayed there, but vault toilets were available. There is a nearby shooting range and you can hear the gunshots during the daylight hours.
GuideWe (party of 4) were there primarily because we rented a boat from their Marina. That went well! This is an RV campground & full-complement resort on Bethel Island, San Joaquin River Delta. Many RVers appear to be long-term or full-time residents.
The tent-area was a clearing, fully backed up to the levee, with some shade and a water spigot. Appears to be only 4 “sites,” which are defined by picnic tables, GENEROUSLY spaced, no fire rings AND the Delta is h.o.t.! It’s also on the far edge of the property, so car traffic was MINIMUM — and NO generators were heard, even though the RV section is huge!!!
The rest rooms were in the Marina building, a short walk. We would DEFINITELY return for boating and tenting!!!
TravelerA few low spots. Cleared 12' barely with minor scrapes. Good parking and turn around. Lots of opportunities for horse riders in area. Pets on leash.
TravelerA 5 mile hike from the Bear Valley Trailhead leading to a small campground with 12 sites. We stayed at #9. Potable water and vault toilets are available, with each site also having a picnic table, charcoal barbecues and bear boxes. Wood fires are not permitted. A stream runs beside the campground and there are hiking trails leading to the sea.
LegendA hike-in campground in Tennessee Valley, a short 20 minute drive from the Golden Gate Bridge and the hustle and bustle of the City. My family of three stayed here for one night in mid March. It was a Sunday night, and three out of the five sites were occupied.
The tent pads (a flat sandy area surrounded by wood beams) were fairly small - maybe 10' x 10'. Each site had a picnic table and a large metal food locker. The sites were well spaced and did not feel cramped. Two vault toilets, fairly clean. The campground was located at the end of a 0.5 mile dirt road, which was about a quarter of mile down an old paved road from the TV parking lot. A few folks walked into the campground that weren't staying there, but they weren't a bother, just going for a walk. The campers we saw varied from families, a solo bike-packer, and a couple just starting out camping. I was worried that being so close to the city and the parking lot, it would be party central with groups hauling in a bunch of alcohol, but it wasn't the case at all. Neither the parking lot nor the campground had running water, so come prepared unless you want to drive into town.
Pros:
- Very quiet and peaceful. The night had beautiful stars with no artificial light. No road noise.
- Small number of sites with great spacing.
- Decent toilet facilities.
Cons:
- No water. We backpacked in from the Golden Gate Bridge. There was no place nearby to fill up on water, and had to be extremely conservative in our use. No springs or creeks running nearby this time of year either.
- Would have been nice to have a fire.
Overall, we had a pleasant camping experience and would recommend.
Tent camping near Walnut Creek, California, offers a variety of scenic locations perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Walnut Creek, CA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Walnut Creek, CA is Juniper Campground — Mount Diablo State Park with a 4-star rating from 2 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 39 tent camping locations near Walnut Creek, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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