Point Reyes National Seashore Campground

This place has quickly become my 7 year-old son's favorite spot to take his friends on their first backpacking trips. It's a short hike in (1.5mi) and then he likes to day-hike down the mountain and act like a little guide on the Earthquake Trail. We've consistently gotten great views from the site and almost always see the grey foxes at the site.

*If you are trying to reserve a same day site and it doesn't pop up at 9:30am call the visitors center (they often forget to release the sites)*

- bear boxes are clean and rodent proof, tables are very clean, bathrooms well maintained
- prepare for wind i.e. make sure your stove can handle cooking in the wind and bring a windbreaker. Sites 1-7 are well protected and private. Sites 8-12 essentially are in a giant L shaped field together. Site 10 is the most separated. Sites 8 and 9 have the most people walking through in order to access the bathroom. If you are pitching more then 2 tents I would choose a site 8-12 as many sites 1-7 don't have flat space for 3 tents.
- people are nice and responsible, busy mid week. Still a few campsites no showed even though it all said reserved online.
- some parts of the laguna/firelane trail are very muddy so bring waterproof shoes and extra socks or take coast trail. Parts of the lower campgrounds are swampy but after a while you figure out the best ways to hop, skip jump to dry land

Great time!

Wildcat is just a next level backpacking experience. The potable water fountain and bathrooms are, of course, nice amenities, but the views, the wildlife and the sunset over the ocean are top tier. The only problem with this campground is trying to actually get a spot. They don't make it easy, plus it's wildly desirable, making it 5x more difficult to get a spot, let alone on a day or spread of days you'd want. But if you do get a booking, it doesn't disappoint.

Beautiful, very wet due to storms. Come prepared

Wildcat was amazing. The views on the hike from the Palomarin trailhead were spectacular. Positives - the amazing naturaI scenery, vault toilet was clean and stocked with TP. Negatives were that a person with an off-leash dog (I saw them hiking out) apparently stayed at my campsite the night prior, despite pets not being allowed, and did not pick up after the dog (and the urine smell was pervasive). The bear box was also gross and filled with water, but one must expect that after so much rain. I also wish there was more signage warning visitors of the hazards of the beach between Wildcat and Alamere falls. Heading to the beach I saw just one tiny, worn sign warning that the surf can reach the cliffs at high tide, but it could have easily been missed, and on my way out I encountered hikers coming in who were planning to hike to the waterfall and completely unaware of the tides (I gave them my printed tide forecast - and they were timed to arrive right at HIGH tide). Overall it was an absolutely beautiful place to camp for the night and I will return again and again.

Amazing campsites. With potable water, bear boxes, picnic tables, and clean and well-stocked pit toilets, this is the glamping version of backpacking.

Beautiful park. Well marked trails. There were a few trees blocking trails, but we went right after a big storm. Visiting the park headquarters (Bear Valley) on our way in turned out to be a good call. A helpful ranger showed us tide charts and recommended a few beach spots not marked on any maps. Both campgrounds we stayed at were in great shape - picnic tables, food lockers, and potable water. Bathrooms were nothing fancy (vault toilets), but they were well stocked and maintained.

Point Reyes always delivers, no matter what season! We saw a herd of eight Tule elk by Wild Cat Campground, so you don’t necessarily have to go to the elk preserve at the northern end to see these guys. Solid wildlife food bins at each campsite help protect all your food and scented items from getting chewed by wildlife. We enjoy posting up at one campsite and doing day hikes from there - with the myriad of trails and loop options you could stay at one campsite and see a huge array of habitats and landscapes doing a variety of day hikes. Thank you park staff for keeping the campsites and trails/signage so well maintained even during the storms and fires!

Wildcat campground is amazing, very close to the sea. First part of Coast trail from Wildcat into direction of Coast campground is amazing.