Camping suggestions near San Fran?

[Ronanmd1]

Hey guys. My wife and I are on a 2 wk road trip along the coast. We are looking for a camp spot close to San francisco. A friend of ours is running the marathon on Sunday. We would like to find a spot within an hour drive to be able to head to town for the day then back to our spot in the eve. Any suggestions on nice locations?

 

[alano]

Alas, a Saturday night in the middle of Summer is not the best time to find camping close to a large metropolitan area. Try the California State Parks website (www.parks.ca.gov) for State Beaches and the few nearby State Parks that offer camping. There are no National Forests within an hour of SF. County and regional parks are an option but my guess is they are full this time of year. I have no knowledge of private options.

You will probably have better luck on Sunday, but even that may be problematic.

Parking in SF can be a huge hassle even in a compact car let alone a full-sized pickup or larger. Consider parking at a BART station in the East Bay or on the Peninsula and taking BART into the city. Marathons attract a lot of people so prepare for a walk to get to the event. Your friend, if from the Bay Area, can provide much guidance here.

Sorry to be such a "Debbie Downer", but it's crowded here.

Alan

 

[Ronanmd1]

Alan. Thx for the info. Yeah, not ideal timing. Will look into those suggestions. Cheers from the upper Sac River area

 

[LookyLou]

Try these. We stayed at the first two when we had to be on the coast on short notice.

(1) Half Moon Bay RV Part & Campground
(2) Costanoa RV Park & Campground
(3) Lake De Valle Campground

You might find something in the Santa Cruz area or south at the state beach campgrounds but it would be really really tough. There's a KOA around Sunset Beach area.

Good luck.

 

[Basin Deranged]

Alan is right on point about the scarcity of campsites around here on summer weekends. A couple more private campgrounds you might try for last-minute cancellations are the KOA in Petaluma and the Olema Ranch Campground in Olema. Olema is, however, probably a little more than an hour from S.F.

I am sending you a private message as well.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

I think these places are "Tent Only" campgrounds, but they are super close to San Francisco, just on the Marin side of the Golden Gate bridge . . .


http://www.reserveamerica.com/camping/mount-tamalpais-sp/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=CA&parkId=120063


Steep Ravine is about 20 minutes further, but a quiet magical place overlooking Stinson Beach. Tent Camping & Cabins available, but no RV spots. High demand and hard to get a campsite there. Best to check the reservations on-line each day around 6:00am in hopes to snag a random reservation cancellation.

Kirby Cove is a really cool "Tent Only" campsite just below the Golden Gate Bridge. Great views. Just bring ear plugs for sleeping at night in case the fog horns are blowing.

Both magical spots that not many people know about (they hide behind locked gates to the public)



.

 

[Ronanmd1]

Guys. Thanks for the suggestions. We will check them out. Managed to find a camp spot in Napa state park for tonight and tomorrow. Kind of lucked out on that one.

Stan. Just an FYI that we were through the shop today. Had the Hawk retrofitted with the roof struts and new style door lock (plus a few other small mods). Great service by all there. Special kudos to Matt and Shaw for their help and patience.

 

[Stan@FourWheel]

Ah! That was you. I was busy today, short handed.

Loved your truck. Nice set up !!

 

[SB_Surf]

Chanslor Ranch near Bodega Bay (1h,15m) north of the Golden Gate offers camping...http://www.chanslorranch.com/

They allowed us to dry camp on a bluff with an ocean view. They even tractored a fire ring and picnic table over to our spot.

Give them a quick call.

Go Canucks!

 

[SunMan]

Samuel P Taylor SP might be worth checking out too.

 

[wuck]

Sugarloaf Ridge State Park (Santa Rosa)
Spring Lake County Park (Santa Rosa)
KOA Petaluma


Coastal Camping is pretty tough to get on weekends, but as mentioned
SP Taylor SP
Doran Beach County Park
Sonoma Coast State Park ($35-45/night)
Bodega Dunes
Wrights Beach

A bit more than an hour:
Armstrong Redwoods State Park

PM Sent

 

[Ronanmd1]

Guys. Thanks for all the help. In the end, we decided that it was too much of a pain to be anywhere near SF for the weekend. Bailed and found a camp spot on clear lake near lake port north of Napa. Ironically this lake is pretty nasty with algae so we headed up to blue lakes for some stand up paddleboard action. Really appreciate all the offers for help. Very proud to be part of the community. Cheers

 

[alano]

Clear Lake hasn't been for us either. You hit on a better name: Nasty Lake.

Sorry things didn't work out for the weekend but enjoy the rest of your trip.

Alan

 

[Shadyapex]

I know I'm a little late with my reply but Anthony Chabot Regional Park is a great place. Just above San Leandro and a short drive to BART. http://www.ebparks.org/parks/anthony_chabot