Haypress Campground

$75.00/night

Show on map(415)-331-1540
Haypress Campground, Marin Headlands, Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Sausalito, CA 94965

Overview

Haypress Campground is nestled within the coastal scrub of Tennessee Valley, near Mill Valley. The hike to this campground is 1 mile from the Tennessee Valley Trail head parking lot, which means car or RV camping is not allowed. Typical Haypress campers enjoy hiking to Tennessee Cove, where they can admire the dramatic geology and colorful sand of this unique beach. 

Recreation

Tennessee Valley and the Marin Headlands are noted for great hiking, and trails are often populated with hikers regardless of the time of the year. Consider hiking to Tennessee Beach (2 miles), Muir Beach (3.5 miles), historic Battery Townsley (3.5 miles), or Rodeo Beach (4 miles). Contact the Marin Headlands Rangers at (415)-331-1540 to inquire about a ranger-led program or guided hike during your stay.

Facilities

This primitive hike-in campground has five overnight sites that accommodate up to four guests, and one group overnight site that accommodates up to 25 guests. Water must be packed in, and trash must be packed out. There is no water available at this campground. Each campsite has a tent pad and a food locker, and the group site has two picnic tables. The campground has two vault toilets in total. There is generally no cellphone service at the campground or at the Tennessee Valley Trailhead parking lot. Please be prepared for a 1 mile walk from the parking area to Haypress Campground. The trail is flat and partially paved/partially packed dirt. 

Natural Features

Haypress Campground spans over a large grassy swath that is lined by eucalyptus trees. California quails frequent the area, and raptors are often soaring overhead. Deer, coyotes, foxes, and bobcats share this open space. The geology that underlies Tennessee Valley is unique and world-renowned; for example, outcrops of radiolarian ribbon chert that line the trails are frequently admired by visitors from near and far. 

Temperatures are mild year-round. Expect lows from 50-55 degrees and highs from 60-65. Fog is prevalent in the summer months from May-Sept. It is best to bring clothing that can be layered. Lightweight summer clothes are rarely comfortable to wear at Haypress Campground.

Nearby Attractions

The San Francisco Bay Area has no shortage of fun and interesting things to do and see. The 150-year-old Point Bonita Lighthouse (a secret jewel of the Bay Area) and the historic Cold War era Nike Missile Site are just a 20-minute drive away from the Tennessee Valley trailhead parking lot. Awe-inspiring Muir Woods National Monument, with its old-growth coastal redwood forest and numerous hiking trails, is a 25-minute drive. Mount Tamalpais State Park, with hiking and sweeping views of the Bay Area, is another 10 minutes past Muir Woods. 

Within the Marin Headlands, consider visiting the historic Battery Townsley, the Point Bonita Lighthouse, or Nike Missile Site SF-88.

Charges & Cancellations

Group Site Cancellations and Modifications

The Haypress Campground Group Site must be cancelled or modified more than 14 days before your check-in date otherwise it will be considered a late cancellation.   

Refer to Recreation.gov's Rules & Reservation Policies. To initiate a refund request more than 7 days after your reservation, call the recreation.gov call center at 877-444-6777.

Camp site features

Across 6 camp sites:

  • Group sites: 1 of 6 sites
  • Largest party: 25 people

Services within 25 miles · OpenStreetMap

Nearest propane: 19.3 mi · A&A Gas & Food Mart

Nearest dump station: 5.7 mi

Nearest water fill: 5.0 mi

Directions

From San Francisco (traveling north): Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and continue on the US-101 N. Take exit 445B toward Mill Valley/Stinson Beach. Continue straight until you can turn left onto Tennessee Valley Road. This road will dead-end at the Tennessee Valley trailhead parking lot. From here, hike on Tennessee Valley Trail to Haypress Camp Trail. From Marin (traveling south): From US-101 South, take exit 445B toward Stinson Beach. Turn right on CA-1 and continue straight until you can turn left onto Tennessee Valley Road. This road will dead-end at the Tennessee Valley trailhead parking lot. From here, hike on Tennessee Valley Trail to Haypress Camp Trail.

Stay Limit

Check in from 1 PM, check out by 12 PM.

Reviews

84 reviews
5 stars
53
4 stars
18
3 stars
7
2 stars
5
1 stars
1
Ronnie N
Loop:Haypress Campground
Site:
Reviewed 8 days ago
What a great place to go camping at the spur of the moment when there is availability. Our campsite was clean and not too much a hike from the parking lot. A great hike to the beach was quite the adventure for the next day.
Julius Q
Loop:Haypress Campground
Site:
Reviewed 24 days ago
The hike-in campgrounds are quite accessible from the Tennessee Valley Trailhead parking area, although on weekends and at busy times you might have to park further out (traffic seems to lessen in the afternoon, and parking spaces become available again). The trail from the trailhead to the campsites is paved or hardpack dirt and flat or mildly hilly. The campsites are pretty spacious as far as campsites go, with a decent amount of space to spread out, but for the most part there aren't physical barriers separating the sites. Although the recreation area can be windy, the campsites are enclosed by hills and (at least during our stay) weren't windy at all. Being so close to the bay/ocean, know that your tents and any gear left outside will likely be dew-covered in the morning. One of the bathrooms at the campsite was closed for repair, but the other one was functional, and above-average in terms of cleanliness (we've been to other state and national campsites with far more challenging restrooms). I would also include that the bathrooms at the trailhead were pretty clean, cleaner than those at other parks, given how much traffic they probably see. Kudos to park staff for maintaining the facilities. The hiking around the campsites was great. Some challenging hills to the north and south, and a nice hike down to the beach to the west. I think most people visit the Tennessee Valley Trail for the beach hike, and it doesn't disappoint. The main drawback/challenge is the lack of running water nearby. There supposedly is non-potable water available at the equestrian center, but we didn't see it (to be fair, we didn't go out looking for it, so this is just to say we couldn't confirm whether one actually exists). Plan to bring extra potable water for cooking and/or cleaning.
Thomas H
Loop:Haypress Campground
Site:
Reviewed a month ago
Nice location!
khaldoun a
Loop:Haypress Campground
Site:
Reviewed 2 months ago
Great
Dolores A
Loop:Haypress Campground
Site:
Reviewed 3 months ago
The site was remote but very memorable It had raised long hills and only took20 minutes to hike to It was realistic but amazing star gazing
Ilana Z
Loop:Haypress Campground
Site:
Reviewed 3 months ago
Short walk, practically no mosquitos or bees!
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Mar 6, 2026 – Nov 30, 2026

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Mar 5, 2027 – Nov 30, 2027

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Mar 3, 2028 – Nov 30, 2028

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