Searching for a tent camping spot near Walnut Creek? The Dyrt is an easy way to find tent camping spots near Walnut Creek. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Walnut Creek campsites are perfect for tent campers.
In the middle of San Francisco Bay sits Angel Island State Park, offering spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline, the Marin Headlands and Mount Tamalpais. The island is also alive with history. Three thousand years ago the island was a fishing and hunting site for Coastal Miwok Indians. It was later a haven for Spanish explorer Juan de Ayala, a cattle ranch, and a U.S. Army post. From 1910 to 1940, the island processed thousands of immigrants. During World War II, Japanese and German POWs were held on the island, which was also used as a jumping-off point for American soldiers returning from the Pacific. In the '50s and '60s, the island was home to a Nike missile base. Today, there are two active Coast Guard stations - at Point Blunt and Point Stuart - on the island. Angel Island became a State Park in 1958.
$30 / night
S Rav Camp Area (sites E1-E7)
$25 - $100 / night
Enroute campsites are available to self-contained camping vehicles for 1 night only. Because these areas are used as parking you must enter after 6 p.m. and leave them by 9 a.m. the following morning.
Bicentennial Campground is in an ideal location in the Marin Headlands surrounded by a grove of cypress trees. The campground is a great location for those wanting to camp near the city. There is a moderate short hill to climb to/from the campground from the parking area, which means car or RV camping is not allowed. It is downhill to the site and uphill back to the parking area.
The Marin Headlands is noted for its great hiking, and many trails with scenic views are close by. Rodeo Beach is about 1.5 miles away. Point Bonita Lighthouse and the historic Nike Site are within walking distance.
The campground is secluded amongst a cypress tree grove and offers great views of the Golden Gate Bridge and city of San Francisco.
Bicentennial Campground is a short walk from the Point Bonita Lighthouse and the Nike Missile Site. Also close by are some of the many 20th century coastal defense gun batteries and the city of San Francisco.
For facility specific information, please call (415) 331-1540.
Refer to Recreation.gov policy on changes and cancellations.__To initiate a refund request more than 7 days after your reservation, call the recreation.gov call center at 877-444-6777.
$25 / night
This recreation area is part of Eastman Lake
Haypress Campground is nestled within the coastal scrub of Tennessee Valley, near Mill Valley. The hike to this campground is 0.7 miles from the Tennessee Valley Trail head parking lot, which means car or RV camping is not allowed. Typical Haypress campers enjoy hiking to Tennessee Cove, where they can admire the dramatic geology and colorful sand of this unique beach.
Tennessee Valley and the Marin Headlands are noted for great hiking, and trails are often populated with hikers regardless of the time of the year. Consider hiking to Tennessee Beach (2 miles), Muir Beach (3.5 miles), historic Battery Townsley (3.5 miles), or Rodeo Beach (4 miles). Contact the Marin Headlands Rangers at (415)-331-1540 to inquire about a ranger-led program or guided hike during your stay.
Haypress Campground spans over a large grassy swath that is lined by eucalyptus trees. California quails frequent the area, and raptors are often soaring overhead. Deer, coyotes, foxes, and bobcats share this open space. The geology that underlies Tennessee Valley is unique and world-renowned; for example, outcrops of radiolarian ribbon chert that line the trails are frequently admired by visitors from near and far. Temperatures are mild year-round. Expect lows from 50-55 degrees and highs from 60-65. Fog is prevalent in the summer months from May-Sept. It is best to bring clothing that can be layered. Lightweight summer clothes are rarely comfortable to wear at Haypress Campground.
The San Francisco Bay Area has no shortage of fun and interesting things to do and see. The 150-year-old Point Bonita Lighthouse (a secret jewel of the Bay Area) and the historic Cold War era Nike Missile Site are just a 20-minute drive away from the Tennessee Valley trailhead parking lot. Awe-inspiring Muir Woods National Monument, with its old-growth coastal redwood forest and numerous hiking trails, is a 25-minute drive. Mount Tamalpais State Park, with hiking and sweeping views of the Bay Area, is another 10 minutes past Muir Woods. Within the Marin Headlands, consider visiting the historic Battery Townsley, the Point Bonita Lighthouse, or Nike Missile Site SF-88.
Group Site Cancellations and Modifications The Haypress Campground Group Site must be cancelled or modified more than 14 days before your check-in date otherwise it will be considered a late cancellation. Refer to Recreation.gov's Rules & Reservation Policies. To initiate a refund request more than 7 days after your reservation, call the recreation.gov call center at 877-444-6777.
Scout
The staff was amazing. Tent site was spacious. Not too crowded. Clean bathroom and shower. Several trails to walk. Close to town in case we forgot something.
Traveler
This is an excellent and straightforward country park. It feels like a state park.
They have hookups and also dry camping. The better spots are near the water.
Contrary to other posts, they take walkups. It is just on the website it requires 2 weeks out.
Scout
Beautiful view we were in campsite 40. A beautiful view of vineyards and the sunset and people riding their horses. So calm and beautiful and so many activities here to do. Also there is showers, bathrooms, and hookups, we love this place. Only 8 mins from downtown Napa
Scout
We visited this park earlier this spring. Yes it was wet, but we didn't mind. Liked the spaces and layout so much...we are going back this fall. Plus we love that whole area.
However, DYRT got some info wrong. While there are plenty of full hookup spaces for RVs, there are no pull thru sites. Only back in for trailers and drive-in for coaches. Many tent camping spaces and RV spaces w/just water and power. The folks are friendly and helpful.
M.R.
Scout
I got there after they closed (closes at 5pm.) But there's a number to call that was posted for after hours. A camper in front of me had already called and someone arrived within minutes. They were very helpful and friendly. I got a beautiful spot secluded from everyone. I loved it! Just me and nature. I played some music dance by myself as if nobody was watching.
Guide
Feels very off grid. Camp experience was smooth and the sun was shining.
Guide
This is an awesome spot, the hike out was absolutely gorgeous. We accessed it from the Palomarin trailhead. Beware, the costal weather can be volatile and you could get flash rain. Also, I highly recommend planning your visit with the sunny weather because it’s easy to pick a day that has endless overcast here, and it’s just not quite as much fun.
Also be careful what campsite you reserve. Some are absolute gems off on the ocean bluff. Others are more inland and packed in
Guide
Nice bathrooms no tokens needed, hot water, clean sink for dishes. Lotsa shaded oak spaces. Good trails.
Scout
Cold. Foggy. No amenities. Don’t go there.
-Coastside Local
Scout
We love to camp here for barbecuing, mountain biking and hiking. We always do it during 7/4 holidays except for this year when the park canceled our reservation due to high heat. So we booked for the Labor Day weekend. Temperature was perfect and biking and hiking were enjoyable as usual. This year we had two new types of visitors to the the site. A couple of wild turkeys came to pick up the dropped food on the ground. We were able to take a closeup look at them and they were beautiful birds with big eyes spotting tiny bits of crumbs. They come and go from one site to the next quietly and gently. Very cute and we took pictures with their presence. Then came the aggressive yellow jackets. We never had yellow jackets in our previous 7/4 outings here. Oh boy, they fought for the meat relentlessly. At the end of the outing, both my finger and my wife’s were stung. We reported the experience to the attendant at the gate when leaving. She said the park is looking for a solution. In the meantime, she suggested contacting them early on so they might be able to provide another site. Hopefully, next year, we won’t encounter so many nasties.
TravelerOk, I was originally hoping for a cabin, which is included in my search, but this CG is either tent or RV only. Luckily, I also brought a tent.
I was there 2 weeks ago. It's a fairly large area and flat. Lots of space for kids to play including a play area.
Sheep roam freely in one area towards the back.
It's a great place for families. Showers are great. Includes a small shop for goodies.
I love it there. Only negative is there are only portapotties. Except for a couple that are constantly in use.
Scout
Doggy Gyh
Guide
Wow! This place is busy and expensive. We stopped at this KOA because it was a good halfway point for us heading to the Redwoods. This KOA offers a variety of activities that cater to children, such as petting zoos, jumping pillows, climbing walls, and pools, which are excellent for keeping the young ones engaged and entertained. To me it was overcrowded and the firepits were so close to the RV’s I was afraid it would set my neighbors RV on fire, or our neighbor was going to set ours on fire. For those without children (like us), the bustling environment might be overwhelming, but it also provides an opportunity to enjoy the lively atmosphere.
TravelerThe pool was great during the oven like temperatures, the staff was very kind and the amenities were good and clean. Movies night every night, and shop for groceries on site.
Guide
My husband and I stayed for two nights. It is difficult to get to when in an RV towing Two skis (still haven’t found out if the ferry can take vehicles that are towing) , but it was worth the drive. It is an older park, but the bathroom was clean (and free) , there is a fantastic beach, the managers were super friendly, and best of all….. our RV window looked out over our very own doc!
Ranger
I had a very different take on this place than the others. The RV spot was a fair distance from the neighboring spots, it was low-density, quite, all good qualities, but there was very little see or do near the loop. There were no hikes suitable for young kids as far as I could tell. There was a little store for ice cream and camping supplies and dump station on the loop. HOWEVER, WARNING: the road around the campground looks wide but there are boulders every 10 feet or so making it insanely hard to back into our spot - and we had only a 22ft trailer! I can't see myself coming back here. The maps do accurately depict the relatively narrow space you have for back in spots. Once we were in, it was fine. The pedestal and sewer set-up was just fine. No issues there. It's just not worth the hassle.
As for the park/water part of the park, well, it was covered in garbage from the day-trippers. It was packed and only accessible by driving to it. Truly not a place I wanted to BBQ or picnic at. Cars, people, dogs, loud music, and garbage. A gross diaper on the shore. We took a very nice hike starting at the dog run. That was beautiful, but not worth the trip.
I didn't bother to photograph our site. There were all adequate, just avoid back in site here. There are so many better places to visit. I checked this off the list, no reason to return. I don't believe there was reception either from the campsite.
Last thing, we peaked in on the cabins in our loop. They looks very nice and maintained.
Scout
We stayed 1 night and it was perfect. The staff was very nice and the place was clean and quiet. There are toilets and showers on the campground and it only cost 10$!
the campsite is perfect for traveling through and getting a night's sleep.
ScoutMembership park will accept outsiders — on the delta with marina for boaters and fishing
Scout
Had to walk all the way down to get to the camp site with all the gear, it was to windy to put up our tent
GuideJust left here with a group of 33 3rd graders. We stayed in the meadow area. It was wet as it had just rained, but overall it was a nice place. Small store, full hookups in places (will bring our trailer back), tables, fire rings. Not much privacy but at least this weekend it was quiet (except for our group 🤣)
TravelerOverall good experience. A little on the high end for dry camping. The charge for the campsite, every person over 2 campers, and a 25$ surcharge for reserving a specific site. The dump station and boat ramp are also additional but that’s pretty typical. I will say that the staff was very friendly the sites that we stayed in are huge. Double the size of most campgrounds.
Guide
My family and I spent two nights at campsite #5. We had a really great experience here!
We visited Kirby in March 2024 and the weather was not as bad as I thought it would be. The temperature was in the 50's for the most part. There was decent amount of wind but not enough to make a stink about. I was comfortable in pants and a sweatshirt the whole time, never had to break out my jacket. During the day, it was warm enough to wear a t-shirt. It rained a little bit overnight both nights we were there but we were equipped to deal with the conditions.
Each site has three square shaped wood-framed plots to pitch your tent on. Two of them are covered in a bed of rocks and one of them was raised about two feet off the ground. The third plot on our site did not have rocks. I would recommend bringing a tent footprint to prevent the rocks from damaging the bottom of your tent. Our site's fire ring was equipped with a thick steel BBQ grate that swivels laterally over the fire ring. Our fire ring's grate covered a good portion of the fire ring so it was useful for cooking. I'd like to note that not all campsites are equipped with the same style of fire ring as our site had. Campsite #5 also had three picnic tables (two of them were bolted to the ground, one of them was not) and a bearproof storage container.
The campgrounds itself is relatively small (only 5 overnight sites). You will receive a gate code emailed to you upon reservation which you will need to unlock a gate that leads you down a long dirt road to the bottom of a valley where the campgrounds are located. The parking lot is sort of small but finding a spot wasn't an issue. The parking lot is sitting on top of a hill, overlooking the entire campgrounds. The sites themselves aren't too far away from the parking lot, but hauling your gear back uphill to your vehicle after camping a couple nights can be tiresome. There are a few pit toilets scattered throughout the campgrounds that were relatively clean. There is no running water at Kirby, so make sure you bring enough water! The old military ruins (I believe from the late 1800's) were also cool to explore. The views of the Golden Gate and the city are breathtaking. We got to watch between 10-12 large shipping vessels float in and out of the bay, very cool!
All in all, we loved our stay at Kirby and will definitely be camping there again during the warmer months!
ScoutGreat lake and fishy, clean sites, bathrooms are great. All around awesome camping
Scout
Stayed at one of the hookup sites with my son for a night in our 21ft trailer. We had a great time. With much of the campground closed we had lots of places to hike right near our site. Sites were well spaced apart and even though our loop was full it did not feel crowded. Would go back.
GuideCommissary and PX within walking distance. Plenty of available sites, both h/u and dry.
Scout
Amazing
ScoutMe and my family went there and had a ball everything was perfect
Camping near Walnut Creek, California, offers a great mix of outdoor fun and beautiful scenery. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Walnut Creek, California, has something for everyone, whether you're a family looking for fun or an RVer seeking adventure.
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 Sunrise - Angel Island State Park with a 4.9-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Walnut Creek, CA?
TheDyrt.com has all 37 tent camping locations near Walnut Creek, CA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
