Details
1 Bear Valley Road, Point Reyes Station, CA, 94956
National Park ServiceLast Updated: November 26, 2025
Table Of Contents
Campground Overview
Introduction
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.
Campsite Details
Operating 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.
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.
Amenities
Cell Phone Reception
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.
Rates & Fees
Regular Tomales Bay Boat-in Camping Permit
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")
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")
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.
Rules & Regulations
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.Regulations Overview
Visit our park's A Guide to Low Impact Boat Camping web page to learn about the rules and regulations. Basic rules and regulations include: * Permits are required. * Camp only on beaches indicated on our Tomales Ba Boat-in Camping map. * Dogs and/or other pets are prohibited. * Drones are prohibited. * Glass containers are prohibited within 50 feet of the beach, or on the water, or in a vessel; i.e., leave glass containers at home or in your vehicles. * Follow Leave No Trace principles. * Store your food and other scented items properly in bear cannisters. * Properly dispose of human waste. * Beach Fire Permits are required for wood fires. * Fireworks are prohibited. * Most types of weapons are prohibited. * Hunting is prohibited. * Quiet hours are from sundown to sunrise. * Check-out is at noon on your day of departure.Accessibility
Wheelchair Access
No wheelchair access.
Cell Phone Information
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.
RV Allowed
No
RV Information
RVs and Trailers are prohibited.
RV Maximum Length
0
Additional Information
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.
Trailer Maximum Length
0
ADA Information
There are no ADA campsites/beaches.
Trailer Allowed
No
Access Roads
No Roads
Classifications
Primitive Camping Areas
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