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Wildcat Campground
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Wildcat Campground
Wildcat Campground is located in an open meadow on a bluff overlooking the ocean with a short walk to the beach. One may access Wildcat Campground by foot, bicycle, or horse; not by boat, auto, or RV. It is a 6.3-mile hike from Bear Valley Trailhead or a 5.5-mile hike from the Palomarin Trailhead. The only bicycling route is via a strenuous 6.7-mile ride along the Stewart Trail from the Five Brooks Trailhead. There are five regular (1- to 6-person) sites and three group (7- to 25-person) sites.
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. Some permits/sites are available at 7 am three months to the day in advance and some are available at 7 am 14 days to the day in advance. Print your Recreation.gov confirmation email and be prepared to show it to park rangers on the trail and at your campsite. Print out additional copies of your confirmation email to place face up on the dashboard of each vehicle remaining overnight at park trailheads.
Official reservation information ↗Published campsites
- total Sites
- 8
- group
- 3
- horse
- 8
- tent Only
- 8
- electrical Hookups
- 0
- rv Only
- 0
- walk Boat To
- 8
- other
- 0
Published camping fees
- Permit for a Regular site
- $30 · Regular sites accommodate 1 to 6 people. We do not allow groups of more than six people to split up into multiple regular sites within the same campground. Groups of more than six are restricted to group sites in Coast, Sky, or Wildcat Campground only, and, similarly, may not purchase more than one site per campground. Everyone associated with your party at a given campground must stay in the same, single campsite.
- Group Permit for a Group Site
- $90 · Group permits are for parties of 7 to 25 people. Parties of six or fewer people are not permitted to reserve group permits/sites.
Amenities
- trash Recycling Collection
- Yes - year round
- toilets
- Vault Toilets - year round
- internet Connectivity
- No
- showers
- None
- cell Phone Reception
- No
- laundry
- No
- amphitheater
- No
- dump Station
- No
- camp Store
- No
- staff Or Volunteer Host Onsite
- No
- potable Water
- Yes - year round
- ice Available For Sale
- No
- firewood For Sale
- No
- food Storage Lockers
- Yes - year round
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 permitted. Charcoal fires: The charcoal grills at Wildcat Campground were permanently removed on May 12, 2022. Charcoal fires are now prohibited. Beach fires: Permits are required for beach fires in the park and can be acquired at the Bear Valley Visitor Center or from our Beach Fires page at https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/beachfires.htm. Small fires made out of natural driftwood are only permitted on sandy beaches (below the high tide line, if possible). Downed wood above the beach's vegetation line may not be gathered and burned. Put fires out with water, not sand. Visit https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/beachfires.htm for more details. Fire bans: Visitors planning to cook food over a beach fire should come prepared with an alternative means of cooking (e.g., self-contained gas stove) in the event of a Spare the Air Alert or high, very high or extreme fire danger.
- rv Info
- RVs and Trailers are prohibited.
- additional Info
- Each regular (aka individual) 1- to 6-person campsite has a picnic table and a food storage locker. The group sites have two picnic tables and two food storage lockers. Store your food and other scented items properly in the food storage lockers provided at the campsite. Do not leave any food or scented items unattended outside of the locker or stored in your tent. Raccoons, foxes, and skunks are plentiful and aggressive. Do not feed wildlife. Scented items may include, but are not limited to: soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, toiletries, feminine products, lip balm, deodorant, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, gum, candy, first-aid kits, pots, pans, plates, bowls, cups, forks, spoons, knives, clothes in which one has cooked or eaten, and wash basins (i.e., the kitchen sink). As a general rule, if you put it in your mouth or on your skin or if food comes in contact with it, it should be stored in an animal-resistant food storage container.
- ada Info
- There are no ADA camp sites.
- access Roads
- No Roads
- classifications
- Designated Primitive Campsites
Official NPS information and current conditions ↗
| Place / record | Campground records | Context | Explore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcat Campground | 1 | Wildcat Campground is located in an open meadow on a bluff overlooking the ocean with a short walk to the beach. One may access Wildcat Campground by foot, bicycle, or horse; not by boat, auto, or RV. It is a 6.3-mile hike from Bear Valley Trailhead or a 5.5-mile hike from the Palomarin Trailhead. The only bicycling route is via a strenuous 6.7-mile ride along the Stewart Trail from the Five Brooks Trailhead. There are five regular (1- to 6-person) sites and three group (7- to 25-person) sites. | Profile → |