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Tomales Bay Boat-in Camping
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SELECTED RECORD
Tomales Bay Boat-in Camping
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.
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.
Official reservation information ↗Published campsites
- total Sites
- 20
- group
- 3
- horse
- 0
- tent Only
- 20
- electrical Hookups
- 0
- rv Only
- 0
- walk Boat To
- 20
- other
- 0
Published camping fees
- Regular Tomales Bay Boat-in Camping Permit
- $30 · Regular permits accommodate 1 to 6 people. We do not allow groups of more than 6 people to reserve multiple permits. Groups of more than six are restricted to 7- to 25-person group permits. Everyone associated with your party at a given beach must be under the same permit.
- Small Group Tomales Bay Boat-in Camping Permit (aka Boat B "site")
- $60 · Small group permits are for parties of 7 to 14 people. Parties of six or fewer people are not permitted to reserve group permit. If you reserve a Boat B permit, you are required to camp at Marshall or Tomales Beaches where vault toilets are provided, unless you have and use a portable toilet.
- Large Group Tomales Bay Boat-in Camping Permit (aka Marshall Beach Group or Tomales Beach Group "site")
- $90 · Large group permits are for parties of 15 to 25 people. Parties of six or fewer people are not permitted to reserve group permit. If you reserve the group permits for Marshall Beach or Tomales Beach, you are required to camp at the specified beach.
Amenities
- trash Recycling Collection
- No
- toilets
- Vault Toilets - year round; No Toilets
- internet Connectivity
- No
- showers
- None
- cell Phone Reception
- Yes - year round
- laundry
- No
- amphitheater
- No
- dump Station
- No
- camp Store
- No
- staff Or Volunteer Host Onsite
- No
- potable Water
- No water
- ice Available For Sale
- No
- firewood For Sale
- No
- food Storage Lockers
- No
Accessibility and facilities
- wheelchair Access
- No wheelchair access.
- cell Phone Info
- 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.
- fire Stove Policy
- 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.
- rv Info
- RVs and Trailers are prohibited.
- additional Info
- 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.
- ada Info
- There are no ADA campsites/beaches.
- access Roads
- No Roads
- classifications
- Primitive Camping Areas
Official NPS information and current conditions ↗
| Place / record | Campground records | Context | Explore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomales Bay Boat-in Camping | 1 | 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. | Profile → |