Marshall Beach with kayakers and a tent on July 11, 2020.
Photo: NPS Photo
About
Tomales Bay boat-in camping is allowed on west-side National Park beaches north of Tomales Bay State Park's northern border (i.e., north of Indian Beach and Duck Cove). These beaches are tidally influenced and generally are small sandy coves backed against steep cliffs. Campers on Tomales Bay beaches must arrive by boat and may not hike, bike, or ride horses to the beaches. Twenty permits are available each day—9 for parties of 1 to 6 people, 8 for parties of 7 to 14, and 3 for parties of 15 to 25.
Campsites
Location
1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Fees
Hours
The Tomales Bay beaches on which Boat-in Camping is permitted are open year-round, 24 hours a day for those with a current boat-in camping permit. Camping is by permit only. Camping permits must be obtained before starting your trip. Visitors may make online reservations for a permit at this backcountry (i.e., hike-in) campground at Recreation.gov. Print your Recreation.gov confirmation email and be prepared to show it to park rangers while boating or on the beach.
Reservations
Camping is by permit only. Camping permits must be obtained before starting your trip. Visitors may make online reservations for a Tomales Bay boat-in camping permit at Recreation.gov. Boat-in camping permits/sites are available three months to the day in advance. Print your Recreation.gov confirmation email and be prepared to show it to park rangers while on the water or on the beach.
Make a Reservation →Directions
There are no designated campsites along Tomales Bay. Instead, there are a number of beaches on which one may camp, if one has a boat-in camping permit. Campers on Tomales Bay beaches must arrive by boat, kayak, canoe, or other small watercraft (except for PWCs). Overnight parking for boat-in campers is allowed at Miller Boat Launch, Tomales Bay Resort, and Lawson's Landing, but prohibited within Point Reyes National Seashore and Tomales Bay State Park. Visit our Boat-in Camping page for more details.
Weather
Weather can change rapidly and with little warning at Point Reyes. Point Reyes is renowned for its strong winds, fog, rough seas, and temperatures that are cooler than elsewhere in the San Francisco Bay Area. Always observe and evaluate wind and wave conditions before entering the water. Extreme weather conditions may be encountered at any time. Visit our Your Safety While Boating at https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/safety_boating.htm for more information.
Accessibility
No wheelchair access.
Reliable AT&T and Verizon cell service is largely limited to the communities of and along the roads connecting Inverness, Inverness Park, Point Reyes Station, and Olema. Cell service elsewhere in the park and by other carriers tends to be extremely limited with weak signals, or nonexistent.
Gas camp stoves are the preferred means for cooking. Visitors planning to cook food over a beach fire or barbecue briquettes should come prepared with an alternative means of cooking (i.e., self-contained gas stove) in the event of a Spare the Air Alert or high, very high, or extreme fire danger conditions. If you wish to build a fire, obtain a free fire permit at the Bear Valley Visitor Center or from our Beach Fires web page at https://nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/beachfires.htm. The collection of wood (whether driftwood or downed wood) for fires (or otherwise) is prohibited on Tomales Bay. You must bring firewood from outside of the park—but wait until you are in West Marin before purchasing firewood. Don't Move Firewood: Buy it where you burn it. Build the fire below the high tide line & not near any large driftwood logs or vegetation nor under overhanging tree limbs. Charcoal fires are only allowed in camper-provided self-contained barbecue grills. Visit the park's Beach Fires web page for more details.
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RVs and Trailers are prohibited.
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Sanitation: Disposing of human waste in the bay or onto park beaches is prohibited. On Tomales Bay, there are vault toilets at Marshall Beach and Tomales Beach. If camping on other beaches, you are required to pack out all human waste using a portable toilet or similar commercially designed waste disposal containers that can be emptied into an RV dump station or pit toilet, or a GO anywhere toilet kit® (formerly sold as WAG® Bags). While there are restrooms at Hearts Desire Beach, Lawsons Landing, and Miller Boat Launch, a pit toilet at Indian Beach, and portable toilets at Chicken Ranch Beach, camping is prohibited at all of these locations. Food and Food Storage: Animals will tear into tents and kayaks to get at food. All food, all trash, all toiletries, and all other scented items should be stored in portable animal-resistant food storage containers unless in immediate use. Visit the park's A Guide to Low Impact Boat Camping page at https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/kayak_libc.htm for more details.
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There are no ADA campsites/beaches.
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No Roads
Primitive Camping Areas