Samuel P. Taylor State Park Campground

This summer why not go to one of California's best kept secrets where there are no crowds! Tucked in the forested hills just north of San Francisco, Samuel P. Taylor state park is already a surprisingly quiet spot. Don’t let the lack of traffic fool you though — there's enough gorgeous landscape to satisfy even the most experienced campers. You can camp among redwoods, bike along the creek, explore easy-to-moderate hiking trails, watch salmon spawn, relax in the shady picnic area, and learn the story of its namesake pioneer. When you’ve finished all that, more adventures await just next door at Point Reyes National Seashore. To get there, follow winding mountain roads through red wood forests, and eventually come across Barnabe Peak, which offers one of the best viewpoints of Marin County. While some of the camp sites close to the entrance can in fact get a little busy, further in the park is the secluded Devil’s Gulch. Set underneath rolling hills of golden grass and at the banks of a red wooded creek, this spot will not disappoint.

Located in a lush redwood-filled gorge between Marin County’s suburbs and Point Reyes, Samuel P. Taylor State Park offers a day use (picnic) area and drive-in camping. The wide and level Cross Marin Trail makes for easy cycling under second-growth redwoods, while more challenging trails climb the grassy hilltops above the valley to nice views of the Marin countryside.

Samuel P. Taylor State Park is a state park located in Marin County, California. It contains approximately 2,700 acres of redwood and grassland. The park contains about 600 acres of old-growth forest, some of which can be seen along the Pioneer Tree Trail.

The campground has five cabins across Sir Francis Drake Blvd from the main campground. The cabins are very basic, really just a wooden shed with four wooden sleeping platforms (two bunk beds); there isn’t even anywhere to sit other than the sleeping platforms. You have to bring your own bedding. However, the cabins are new and clean, and best of all, they have electric heaters (made to look like wood-burning stoves). They don’t have bathrooms but there’s a really nice bathroom building (much nicer than the bathrooms in the main campground) right next to the cabin. The bathroom building is shared with the Madrone group camp.

Drive-in campgrounds
** Camp Taylor ($35/night, open all year)
Camp Taylor is a drive-in tent campground at the bottom of a deep, shady gorge filled with lush second-growth redwoods, alongside Lagunitas Creek and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. Besides the campsites, the camp also has five cabins.

The Camp Taylor is in a prime location on the Marin coast. Some really nice hikes and bike rides can be started right from the campground, ranging from the flat, paved Cross Marin Trail to the scenic highlands of Barnabe Peak and Bolinas Ridge; there’s even a short old-growth redwood hike. The towns of Lagunitas and Point Reyes Station are nearby and have a nice assortment of restaurants; and there’s an exceptionally scenic stretch of Highway One just outside the park.

Camp Taylor is also the closest park-operated campground to Point Reyes, which is 6 miles away.

Directions: If you’re driving north on Highway 101, take the San Anselmo exit and drive west on Sir Francis Drake Boulevard through San Anselmo and Fairfax. The road passes through the San Geronimo Valley and, just past the tiny town of Lagunitas, enters the redwoods. A wooden sign on your left that says “Camp Taylor” marks the park entrance. There’s a $6 fee to park here. If you continue down the road another mile, you’ll find a pullout on the left side of the road (opposite the Devil’s Gulch trailhead) where you can park for free.

Special Event Permits
To organize weddings, athletic events, large gatherings, or other special events, please contact:  dkopler@parks.ca.gov.