Backcountry Camping at Point Reyes National Seashore

2-5 Days

Camping is limited to four nights per visit, with a maximum of thirty nights per year.

$30/night/site for 1- to 6-person permits $60/night/site for 7- to 14-person permits--> $90/night/site for 7- to 25-person permits Individuals who have an Interagency Senior Pass, an Interagency Access Pass, a Golden Age, or a Golden Access Pass are eligible for a 50% discount on the camping fee for the 1–6-person permits; discounts are not available for the 7–25-person permits.

Yes

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

Day, Night, Dawn, Dusk

Point Reyes National Seashore's hiking trails vary in quality, width, grade, and slope. Many are single-track with rough, uneven surfaces with lots of tree roots or other obstacles or tripping hazards. However, each campground is serviced by a multi-use maintenance road that is over eight-feet-wide and may be accessible to those in wheelchairs or those who wish to ride a bicycle to the campground. Accessibility for those routes are described below. Campground Facilities Each campground has two vault toilets and a water faucet from which potable water is usually available. While the vault toilet buildings are in and of themselves designed to be accessible, the unpaved ground and terrain around the toilets do not meet the standards to qualify as accessible. While the ground around the water faucets may be relatively flat, it is unpaved and does not meet the standards to qualify as accessible. Campsites A few campsites at each of the four campgrounds has relatively flat ground throughout the campsite and a relatively flat approach to the campsite, but none of the campsites meet accessibility standards. Each campsite has a picnic table and food storage locker. None of this equipment meets accessibility standards. Routes to the Campgrounds Coast Trailhead to Coast Campground Distance: 2.8 miles (4.5 km) one way, relatively flat The Coast Trail from the Coast Trailhead doubles as an eight-foot-wide (2.4-meter-wide) service/fire road that is composed of compacted dirt and gravel (and potholes and washboarding). The Coast Trail's northern 2.8 miles (4.5 km) is relative flat; the steepest section is at the Coast Trail's junction with the Laguna Road where the trail drops relatively steeply from the built-up road to the valley floor. The road-side parking at the Coast Trailhead is on the shoulder, which has surfaces that are uneven and sloped. Five Brooks Trailhead to Glen Campground Distance: 6.7 miles (9km) one way, very steep The Stewart Trail, Glen Trail, and Glen Camp Loop Trail to Glen Camp are old ranch roads that are currently maintained as multi-use trails for the public and as service roads for NPS vehicles to drive from the Five Brooks Trailhead to Glen Campground. The trails tend to be at least 8 feet (2.4 meters) wide throughout their duration. The trails' surfaces are comprised of compacted dirt and gravel. Since the Stewart Trail ascends from ~260 feet (79 meters) to 1,324 feet (404 meters) in elevation in a bit more than 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) and due to the steep grades along many sections of the route to Glen Campground, it will likely be very challenging for someone in a wheelchair without assistance. Sky Trailhead to Sky Campground Distance: 1.4 miles (2.3 km) one way, moderately steep The Sky Trail is an old ranch road and its northern 1.4 miles (2.2 km) is maintained as a service road for NPS vehicles to drive from the Sky Trailhead to Sky Campground. The trail tends to be at least 8 feet (2.4 meters) wide with a substrate of dirt and gravel. Since this section has a change in elevation of about 350 feet (106 meters), it may be challenging for someone in a wheelchair without assistance. Five Brooks Trailhead to Wildcat Campground Distance: 6.7 miles (9km) one way, very steep The Stewart Trail to Wildcat Camp is an old ranch road that is currently maintained as a multi-use trail for the public and as a service road for NPS vehicles to drive from the Five Brooks Trailhead to Wildcat Campground. The trail tends to be at least 8 feet (2.4 meters) wide throughout it's duration. The trail surface is comprised of compacted dirt and gravel. Since this trail ascends from close to sea level to 1,324 feet (404 meters) in elevation in a bit more than 3 miles (5 kilometers) and due to its steep grades along many sections of the route, it will likely be very challenging for someone in a wheelchair without assistance.

No — Pets are not allowed at the backcountry campgrounds, nor on most of the park's trails. Please visit our Pets page for information about where pets are welcome at Point Reyes National Seashore.

Yes — All camping permit reservations for Point Reyes National Seashore are handled by Recreation.gov. Effective spring of 2021, the six-month reservation window has been discontinued and the park is now offering three different reservation windows. Look for the "Site Availability" headers on our Campgrounds page to learn when specific sites become available. Some campsites may be reserved up to three months to the day in advance, other campsites may be reserved up to 14 days to the day in advance, and a few campsites are usually available for same-day, one-night reservations. As an example, on February 12:--> All camping permit reservations for Point Reyes National Seashore are handled by Recreation.gov. Effective spring of 2021, the six-month reservation window was discontinued and the park offered three different reservation windows (i.e., three-months, two-weeks, and same day). As of July 18, 2024, the park reduced the reservation windows to just three-months and two weeks. There are no longer any sites that are sold as same-day, one-night reservations. Look for the "Site Availability" headers on our Campgrounds page to learn when specific sites become available. Most campsites may be reserved up to three months to the day in advance; the remainder may be reserved up to 14 days to the day in advance. As an example, on February 12: For the sites that are available three months in advance, reservations may be made for any available dates through May 12, and reservations for May 13 will become available at 7 am PST on February 13. For the sites that are available 14 days in advance, reservations may be made for any available dates through February 26, and reservations for February 27 will become available at 7 am PST on February 13. For the sites that are only available for same-day reservations, those permits will usually become available to reserve online at 7 am on February 12. If you hope to stay in the same site for a second night, the permits for February 13 would be available to reserve online at 7 am on February 13. Be aware that mobile phone service at the campgrounds and from most locations along the trails near the campgrounds is unreliable to nonexistent. --> Weekends and holidays fill up quickly, especially group sites, so you will want to make your reservations as far in advance as possible. Reservations may be made online at Recreation.gov. Reservations may also be made by phone by calling toll free 877-444-6777 (TDD: 877-833-6777). Call Center Hours of Operation: 7 am to 9 pm PT, year-round Call Centers are closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

All ages. The minimum age of any camper is eighteen unless accompanied by an adult. Permits are not issued to children seventeen years of age or younger; an adult must reserve the permit and camp with the youth.

Point Reyes National Seashore, California