Sky Campground — Point Reyes National Seashore

I did the Point Reyes sky trail hike in to sky camp, stayed the night, and then hiked the loop around coastal trail and back to the visitor center. It was to test out my new backpacking gear before going on other trips like Echo Lake/Lake Aloha in the Desolation Wilderness. It was great for a shakedown trip, because the hiking was strenuous in spots but not terrible, and the campsite had water and toilets and other people but not as on top of each other as car camping spots. I did however get bad poison oak and I think since I was careful with ivy block before my actual hikes, I picked this up at the actual campsite. Which is annoying since it seemed mostly clear, so I didn’t look closely enough I guess. Lots of different terrain and views over the two days made up for it, and I’d go again and bring my kid next time.

Great hike in campsite, but watch out for poison oak

Point Reyes in California has to be my all time favorite camping site. There are miles and miles of beaches surrounded by dunes, hills, and cliffs. You might even notice the water glowing at night due to a special kind of algae. Those are just some reasons why I'd give Point Reyes a 100/100 on the camping scale.

Point Reyes

Riding through the country on this one was half the fun. Lots of rolling hills, herds of cattle, and a really fun windy drive. The seashore was awesome and we saw lots of elephant seals having a noisy morning.

Foggy and PERFECT

an easy/moderate short hike in (mile or so) from the parking lot. NOT car camping. beautiful trees and views. trails take you to the shore or around point reyes. would not reccemend the fire road trail. it was crazy overgrown with poison oak . Picnic table but no fires.

beautiful place to camp

With all the hiking available in the area this camp is a wonderful place to spend the night. It's also a great place for the campers with less hiking experience as the nearest parking lot is 1.7 miles away. That said it is 1 mile up a gravel road (not overly steep but def up) then it levels out for the remaining .7 miles. 

Site 3 is quite secluded and can easily fit 3-4 tents nicely depending on size. For larger parties  site 5 and 6 and 12 are nice and also very shaded.

I would avoid site 1 as the winds tend to Cary the smell from the restrooms.

Site 9 fully exposed to sun.

An Explorers Camp

Nice, quiet, and secluded camground. They have 2 bathrooms and drinking water. The hike to the campgrounds from the Bear Valley Visitors Center is about 2-3.5 miles depending on the route. 

Best Sites - 10, 11

Campsite In The Sky

Hike in (and around!) this gorgeous area. We chose to stay two nights and had a great time exploring the surrounding hiking trails - a personal favourite was Alamere Falls. Campsites are often booked solid (especially in high season), so réserve well ahead of time.

Hike in camping

There is short backpack trip to Sky Camp which is litereally on the ridge.  You are in the Point Reyes National Seashore up on a ridge.  Beautiful views when there is no fog - but expect fog.

  

I like the sites under the trees rather than those in the open.  The sites have space between them so you do feel alone. Typical sites wiht tables and food lockers as well as fire ring.  You will need to walk in your wood as there is no wood gathering allowed.  

  

My only issue with the campground is that unless you using it as a stop over to another site - like Coast Camp there is not much to do.  Other than hang out there is not much to do here - you can continue to hike down the mountain but then you have to hike back up.  I use it to get away for a day or two to un wind and read.

  

When there is no fog there are great sunsets. Also if you like huckleberries - the trail is lined with them.

A Quick Trip to The Ridge

For someone who almost never has a chance to hike and stupidly overpacked for a one night stay, the ~2 mile trail to get to Sky Camp was pretty nice! The trailhead is impossible to miss from the camp’s parking lot that’s immediately off Limantour Road, which was almost empty on the Thursday I arrived on. The trail begins with a steady incline before mostly leveling out after half a mile or so, then ends right at the campground. Vault toilets and trash disposal are on the left, and a map of the campground is on the right so you can easily locate the site at which you’re staying. I personally wouldn’t reserve sites 1 or 2 due to odors that drift over from the toilets. I stayed at site #12 and felt that it and #11 were the best ones there because they are surrounded by lush vegetation and have trees that provide shade and protection against the wind. It also had a good view of the gorgeous coastline! Everyone there was quiet, friendly, and respectful, which made for the most peaceful campground experience I’ve ever had. The only sounds I heard as I fell asleep were distant, crashing waves and calm winds rushing through the trees. I really want to revisit Sky Camp, but only if I can reserve a site under the trees since everywhere else was open with just some shrubs around the perimeter. 