About Kirby Cove Campground
Number of accommodations: 5
Seasonal information
2026 Season availability
Campground Amenities
Water Access
- Beach Access
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Rates, Sites & Availability
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Reviews (183)
What Guests Are Saying
Kirby Cove Campground offers a unique camping experience with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and spacious, private sites. While visitors should prepare for a short hike from the parking lot and bring their own water, the clean facilities, helpful rangers, and beautiful beach atmosphere create a memorable stay. Some campers faced challenges with gate access and wind, but overall, the campground's charm and location near San Francisco make it highly recommended.
What Guests Are Saying
Kirby Cove Campground offers a unique camping experience with stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and spacious, private sites. While visitors should prepare for a short hike from the parking lot and bring their own water, the clean facilities, helpful rangers, and beautiful beach atmosphere create a memorable stay. Some campers faced challenges with gate access and wind, but overall, the campground's charm and location near San Francisco make it highly recommended.
Review Summary
Amandeep T
March 24, 2021
I tried to find how far this site is from the parking spot before booking but I could not find any information. So, since it was marked "accessible", I assumed a person with limited mobility will be able to get there from the car. But it was not the case. There is a steep slope walkway of about 0.8 mile from parking to get to the spot. So we had to abandon our plans and return home.
Victoria T
VerifiedMarch 24, 2021 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: KIRBY COVE CAMPGROUND AREA
Very windy this night so it was imperative to use the rope holds which are conveniently located at the corners of the tent pad and skip the rain fly aka the veritable sail. Definitely bring some rope if the forecast includes wind!
As usual, Kirby Cove is beautiful. Saw a deer next to the tent, heard coyotes clearly at 1am, and from the northwesterly wind got to hear for the first time the sounds of the Golden Gate Bridge vibrating at A440 and its other frequencies - with the occasional boat horn, it sounded like a very mellow symphony meets Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
John P
VerifiedMarch 23, 2021 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: KIRBY COVE CAMPGROUND AREA
The most beautiful campsite in the Bay Area, absolutely stunning!
Ashmi W
VerifiedMarch 23, 2021 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: KIRBY COVE CAMPGROUND AREA
We had a great stay.
Amaani H
March 22, 2021
Beautiful location, great way to spend the day or weekend. If you book a spot, make sure you get the parking pass for the Kirby Cove campground and park near the campsites. The road that leads there is a narrow dirt road with lots of pedestrians so you may not think to drive down it but if you have a campground/picnic site you can unlock the gate and drive down it to the parking lot at the bottom.
Paul M
VerifiedOctober 22, 2020 • Stayed at: 003, Loop: KIRBY COVE CAMPGROUND AREA
Bring lots of water. It would be nice if they provided a water tank for their campers.
Zhirui F
VerifiedOctober 19, 2020 • Stayed at: 003, Loop: KIRBY COVE CAMPGROUND AREA
Very good place with a beautiful view and full of calmness.
Travis B
VerifiedOctober 5, 2020 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: KIRBY COVE CAMPGROUND AREA
Wonderful place to camp! The fog can roll in, as with anywhere on the Northern California coast, but the views are incredible. You're right below the bridge and right near the waves. Fishing is great, exploring the nearby batteries is very enjoyable, and the amenities are plentiful. There's room for about 10 cars in the parking lot at the bottom of the dirt road, and there are trash and recycle bins there. The campground also has 2 pit toilets and a food storage box (for racoons, not bears) at every campsite. Each campsite also has a great fire pit, at least one picnic table, and a raised tent platform. All in all, I'd definitely recommend.
Maria M
VerifiedSeptember 25, 2020 • Stayed at: 002, Loop: KIRBY COVE CAMPGROUND AREA
Gorgeous!
Ashleigh H
VerifiedSeptember 23, 2020 • Stayed at: 005, Loop: KIRBY COVE CAMPGROUND AREA
In short, Kirby Cove Campground is amazing, and you feel special just being there. Now i'm going to write the review that I was looking for, listing the pros and cons of each site. The truth is there isn't a bad site, and it's rare that you get to pick your site, you take what you can get. Site 1 has unobstructed views of the bridge. The site is shaped like a J with the bridge view at the top, then it bends behind a little hill and trees and you're pretty much blocked from the wind. I would not book site 1 if you have small kids because there's a cliff edge. Site 2,3 and 5 are fairly close to one another. Not car camping close, but about 40-50 yards from each other. Site 2 & 3 also have good bridge views through the trees. Site 4 is the furthest from everyone and the furthest from the beach. Its tucked in with eucalyptus trees which is beautiful. We stayed in site 5 which was the closest in walking distance to the beach, and has a beautiful ocean view. We stayed Sunday through Tuesday and on Sunday you get a lot of foot traffic by your site from people who have walked down from the road, but it didn't bother us. Monday and Tuesday there was hardly anyone and at one point for about an hour we were the only people on Kirby Cove. The bathrooms were clean, and we made sure to bring enough water. We didn't have any issues with raccoons, in fact we didn't even see one but we made sure to lock up our food once it started to get dark. We think one took my husbands shoe in the night but we later found it up the hill. The fog horn is loud. I had ear plugs, and a white noise machine going for the kids and I still heard it over, and over again. It's the one con, but everything else is so amazing its worth it. We got lucky night 2 and there wasnt any fog which meant no horn. During our 2 days we saw a whale, seal, 2 bucks, deer, hawks, quail, lots of pelicans and a cute little fox that came into our site one evening while we were sitting out. My 3 & 5 year old had a blast.
Location Kirby Cove Campground
Address:
The Access Gate Is Located On Conzelman Road Next To The Battery Spencer Overlook Parking Area, Within The Marin Headlands.
Sausalito, CA, 94965
United States
From San Francisco (travelling north):
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and take exit 442 onto Alexander Avenue. This will be the exit after the Vista Point. Continue straight for a few hundred feet, and then turn left onto Bunker Road. Travel through the Baker-Barry Tunnel and continue straight until you can turn left onto McCullough Road, after the speed bumps. Continue uphill until you hit the traffic circle, and take the 2nd exit onto Conzelman Road. Travel downhill on the one-way road until you reach Battery Spencer, and it will be sharp right turn toward the Kirby Cove service gates. After entering the gate codes provided upon reservation, it is then a mile drive down the dirt trail to the Kirby Cove Parking lot.
From Marin (travelling south):
From US-101 South, take the last exit before the Golden Gate Bridge onto Alexander Avenue. Turn right at the stop sign and continue straight for about a quarter mile, until you can turn left onto Bunker Road. Travel through the Baker-Barry Tunnel and continue straight until you can turn left onto McCullough Road, after the speed bumps. Continue uphill until you hit the traffic circle, and take the 2nd exit onto Conzelman Road. Travel downhill until you reach Battery Spencer, and it will be sharp right turn toward the Kirby Cove service gate. It is then a mile drive down the dirt trail to the Kirby Cove Parking lot.
Kirby Cove Campground is accessible via US-101, which is approximately 2 miles away. Visitors can take the exit onto Alexander Avenue and follow the directions provided.
Latitude & Longitude: 37.8404 / -122.489
Elevation: 207 feet
Nearby National Park
Hetch Hetchy Entrance
Approximate driving time: 1 hr 20 min
Policies & Rules
General
- There is no water available at this campground. Campers must provide their own water for drinking, cleaning, etc. Bring enough water to last your entire stay.
- Reservations at Kirby Cove Campground can be made up to 6 months before your arrival and may extend up to 2 days beyond the 6-month booking window. Only 3 nights per season per camper! This is in order to ensure everyone gets to enjoy Kirby Cove. A maximum of 10 people can stay at the overnight sites and a maximum of 35 people can stay at the day use site.
- Access to the second Kirby Cove Gate: Access to the first Kirby Cove gate is available to all campers. Be prepared for a ~300 yard walk to your campsite. Access to the second gate is only for persons with a disability or otherwise limited physical mobility. Contact the Marin Headlands Rangers at least 48 hours in advance at (415) 331-1540 to inquire, or email your name, phone number, date of visit and photo of your ADA vehicle placard to goga_marinheadlands_info@nps.gov to receive the second gate codes. Kirby Cove gate codes can be made available to any park visitor with a physical disability, but only during the time that the campground is open. To inquire, please follow the instructions in the previous bullet point.
- Your confirmation is your permit which includes gate codes. Please print your confirmation email after reserving a site. Place a copy of your confirmation on the dashboard of each vehicle, and keep one on you as well. A maximum of 3 vehicles for Sites 1-5 and 4 vehicles for Day Use Site are permitted.
- The Parking area is separate from the actual campsites. This is a walk-in, Tent Only facility. No RVs or car camping is allowed.
- Campground Quiet Hours are between 10 PM and 6 AM. Please be respectful to others.
- Leave No Trace Do not leave trash at campsite or in food lockers. Use the designated dumpsters in the parking lot. Firewood must be nail and chemical free and purchased locally; gathering firewood is not allowed. Please help us keep wild animals wild! Do not feed or approach wildlife. Keep area clean of scented items and keep all food items locked in the provided food locker or in the trunk of your vehicle. Food left unattended will likely be eaten by wildlife.
- Check before you burn. Visit the Recreational Fire Regulations page to find out if there are restrictions on camp fires during your stay.
- Pets are prohibited, only trained service animals are allowed.
- Hammocks tied on trees or structures are not permitted. Only free standing hammocks are allowed.
- Foghorns on the Golden Gate Bridge can be loud; best to bring earplugs if staying overnight.
- In case of emergency call 911 or Park Dispatch at (415) 561-5656.
- For more information, call (415) 331-1540 or email us at goga_marinheadlands_info@nps.gov.
- Looking for something to do during your camping adventure?! 1) Beginner Birding with a Park Ranger - Join a NPS Park Ranger for a guided hike/program around Rodeo Lagoon and learn all about our local feathered friends. For program dates and to sign up: Click Here 2) Layers of History - A Ranger Guided Hike - Hike along with a ranger on a 2-mile loop starting/ending at Fort Cronkhite and learn all about the multi-layered history of the Marin Headlands. For more information and to sign-up: Click Here 3) Nike Missile Site SF-88 - Check out this fully restored piece of Cold War history and take a FREE Ranger/Docent led tour of the site. Open every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with 3 tour options per day at 12:15PM, 1:15PM, and 2:15PM (No reservation required). For more information: Click Here 4) Point Bonita Lighthouse - Visit one of the oldest lighthouses on California's coast and catch a FREE Ranger/Docent led "Light Chat" about the site's history and ecology (12:15 PM). Open from Thursday through Monday from 12:30 - 3:30 PM. For more information: Click Here
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Last updated: June 4, 2026
