Coast Campground

Point Reyes Crater was amazing! We made it on our first try. I tracked the tidal charts for weeks before planning this trip. This was our first time making it to this side of Point Reyes National Seashore and it did not disappoint. To make the trip to the Crater convenient, we camped out at the Coast Campsite which is literally just a little over a mile from the Crater. To make it without getting wet as much as possible you need to go at the lowest tide. For us on this day it was 6:30 am at -.02. Once you're there you get 20-30 minutes to explore before the tide starts coming back in. Water shoes will make a big difference. On the way in you'll pass a refreshing waterfall and Sculptured Beach which is stunning. Again, the only way to get into Sculptured Beach is at low tide or swim. There are lots of sea caves to explore and sea delicacies you can harvest from the rocks; muscles, scallops, etc. If you like crab I recommend bringing a few traps while you explore the area. There are crabs everywhere. Make sure to pay attention to the California Fish and Game website for harvesting restrictions. Especially for shell fish. There was lots of wildlife in the area. Mostly deer and quail. No whales on this trip but we were able to see them on our first two trips out here. There was a skunk that kept trying to bully us in camp at night but it just walked around like it owned the place then went on its way. The Coast Campground and trail are definitely for backpackers. DO NOT bring a bunch of gear! I made that mistake by bringing a couple of carts worth of stuff and added a layer of complexity to our trip. Fully loaded wagons/carts will not make it down these rocky trails. There are lots of steep elevation changes. We parked at the Laguna Trail Head. The trail is .8 miles then connects to the Fireline trail which is another 1.2 mile hike to the Coast Campground. Because of our wagons we were told to go the other way around because the Laguna Trail would've eaten up our carts. And they were right. We had to take the other way around which starts right in front of the Point Reyes Hostel. Then from there it's a 4.5 mile hike to the Coast Campground. #Adventure

Good first backpacking experience. If taking the Laguna/Fire trail route, 1.8 miles, beware that it is currently covered in tall grass so take precautions for ticks. Or go the longer route on Coast Trail. Site 6 was not close to the bathroom or potable water. About a 5mn walk. Did not end up staying overnight due to the 19mph wind, but it was a really fun day hike with gorgeous views!

Perfect beginner's backpacking trip for families. Three flat miles in via Coast Trail and two miles out via Fire Lane/Laguna trails. Beautiful beach, potable water from two faucets, relatively clean pit toilets. I would recommend groups and campers with kids stay in sites 8-14. While they are less private, they are flat, close the water/bathrooms, and mostly on grass instead of dirt (which gets everywhere with kids).

This is a very cool place to camp. It's a short walk down to the ocean from the campground. It only takes about an hour to hike here directly from the parking lot. Fire restrictions are serious here. I needed a permit to have a fire and they were restricted to the beach (but of course there is almost no wood). There is a bear box/locker at each site. I was warned about the rodent problem and the lockers needing to be "plugged". I didn't have any issues with my food. Bathrooms were pretty gross but what do you expect for a "remote" campsite?

A great camp site- clean, peaceful with your own privacy. It is windy at night,so need to keep tent tight on the ground. You can enjoy the Ocean and mountain and forest. We got there in sunny ☀️ day and next day becomes rainy. I worried our tent will be blown away but finally it is ok. It is like a adventure. Cool camping weekend.