Boat-in Camping at Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes National Seashore offers year-round boat-in camping on the west shore of Tomales Bay. There is a fee and permit system for overnight camping within Point Reyes National Seashore. Reservations may be made online at Recreation.gov up to three months in advance.
Point Reyes National Seashore offers year-round boat-in camping on the west shore of Tomales Bay. Because of its location near the Metropolitan San Francisco Bay Area, the campsites at Point Reyes are in great demand. You must reserve a permit through Recreation.gov in advance of arrival. Permits may be—and frequently are—reserved three months to the day in advance, so it's best to plan your trip well in advance. The Tomales Bay boat-in sites may only be accessed by kayak, canoe, small motorboat, small sailboat, or other small vessel; personal watercraft (e.g., jet skis) are prohibited on Tomales Bay. Be sure to visit the park's A Guide to Low Impact Boat Camping page for more detailed information about overnight kayaking and boating on Tomales Bay. Camping rules and regulations must be observed. Please visit our Leave No Trace page to learn how you can help leave the backcountry in a better condition than you found it. Where to Launch There are three locations at which watercraft may be launched onto Tomales Bay and overnight parking is permitted: Tomales Bay Resort 415-669-1389 Geographic Coordinates: 38.1071, -122.8629 Tomales Bay Resort is a private resort on Tomales Bay 1.5 km (0.9 miles) north of Inverness. It is the only location along the west shore of Tomales Bay that provides overnight parking for boat-in campers. There is an overnight parking fee. Miller Boat Launch 415-499-6387 Geographic Coordinates: 38.2, -122.9215 Marin County Parks' Miller Boat Launch is located on the east side of Tomales Bay along Highway 1 just north of Nick's Cove, which is ~6.5 km (~4 mi) north of the town of Marshall. This Marin County park has a public boat launch with a cement ramp into the water, in addition to a pier and restrooms. Overnight parking is permitted in the upper lot, to the right/north as you pull in; a printout of your confirmation notice from Recreation.gov must be displayed on the dashboard of every vehicle associated with your group. No overnight camping or beach fires. Lawson's Landing 707-878-2443 Geographic Coordinates: 38.2322, -122.9683 Lawson's Landing campground and boat launch are located in Dillon Beach with direct access to the north end of Tomales Bay. The boat ramp is a sand-bottomed ramp and Lawson's Landing uses a fork lift to move boats onto the water. Or if you have 4 wheel drive, they allow you to use it to put your boat into the water. There is a dump station and boat rentals. Restrooms and water available. There is a day-use fee and overnight parking requires purchasing a Lawson's Landing campsite. Where to Camp Overnight boat-in camping is permitted on a number of the beaches on the west side of Tomales Bay within Point Reyes National Seashore. (Download the Tomales Bay Boat-in Camping Map. [2,632 KB PDF]) Open up the "Location" collapsible panel below for more details. Backcountry Office Contact Information For non-emergency, park-specific camping questions, please send an email to our Camping Desk. To make, change, or cancel your camping reservations, log in to Recreation.gov, or call the Recreation.gov call center at 1-877-444-6777. Call center staff are available every day of the year from 7 am to 9 pm PT, except on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
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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 15- 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 an individual site; discounts are not available for group site fees.
Yes
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
Day, Night, Dawn, Dusk
Boat-in camping along Tomales Bay is not considered to be accessible. One would need to arrive at the beaches by boat, but there are no dock or ramps at the beaches for people in wheelchairs. The beaches are composed of loose sand and not suitable for most wheelchairs. The vault toilets are not accessible.
No — As of May 30, 2023, pets are not allowed on any of Point Reyes National Seashore's beaches along Tomales Bay.
Yes — Reserving a Permit There is a fee and permit system for overnight camping within Point Reyes National Seashore, including camping on the beaches on the westside of Tomales Bay north of Tomales Bay State Park's northern boundary. Overnight beach camping is not permitted anywhere else on Tomales Bay or elsewhere within Point Reyes National Seashore. Advance Reservations 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). Until further notice, Point Reyes National Seashore no longer has any permits that will be sold on a first-come, first-served, same-day basis. All camping permits must be reserved online through Recreation.gov in advance of arrival. All available campsites will be shown as reservable on Recreation.gov. Do not arrive or camp at Point Reyes National Seashore without a reservation. Party Size If your party size is one to six people, you will need to reserve a "BOAT A, 1-6 people" permit. If your party size is 7 to 14 people, you will need to reserve a "BOAT B, 7-14 people." If your party size is 15 to 25 people, you will need to reserve a "Marshall Beach Group 1," "Marshall Beach Group 2," or "Tomales Beach Group" permit. Be aware that if you reserve the "Marshall Beach Group 1" or "Marshall Beach Group 2" permit, you will be required to camp at Marshall Beach. Similarly, if you reserve the "Tomales Beach Group" permit, you will be required to camp as Tomales Beach. We do not allow groups of more than six people to purchase multiple "BOAT A, 1-6 people" permit. Nor may parties of six or fewer people reserve "BOAT B, 7-14 people," "Marshall Beach Group 1," "Marshall Beach Group 2," or "Tomales Beach Group" permits.
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.
Various beaches on the west side of Tomales Bay within Point Reyes National Seashore.