3
Campsite #3 at Kirby Cove Campground, CA
$40
Tent Site #3
| Walk-In | 10 people |
| 15 ft | Back-In |
| 3 | good |
3/6
Campsite #3 Features: Walk-In access, Back-In parking, Fire ring, Food Storage Locker, Picnic Table, Tent Site
Campsite Reviews (23)
3.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 74% |
| 4 star | | 22% |
| 3 star | | 4% |
| 2 star | | 0% |
| 1 star | | 0% |
@GinaMariD412C7 · Camped on Jul 28, 2025 at Campsite #3
Stayed overnight at site 003. Difficult to find site and instructions were not clear. Entrance is not clearly marked, as it is off a heavily populated street with tourists and people clambering to take photos of the Golden Gate Bridge. Eventually we were able to unlock the gates with the code emailed in our reservation, and make our way down to the site. It is a very private and small campsite, with one-of-a-kind views of the bay and the bridge. We luckily did not get a lot of fog, and did not experience the horns blaring. Our family did have to deal with a lot of wind and breezes blowing through our site, so it was tricky setting up our tent and it was very chilly at night. The bathrooms are pit toilets only, with no running water so please prepare for that. We brought our own wagon to tote our items- if we hadnt had a wagon it would have been a deal breaker. Wildlife was all around us; we had deer approach us and a raccoon came and rifled through our belongings, we observed many bird species and butterflies. Cute quails! Overall a memorable experience for our family, but the chill and pit toilets, as well as lack of water would not encourage us to return. Grateful to have been able to secure a one night stay, but not eager to return.
Good
@howardl2689C03 · Camped on Oct 28, 2024 at Campsite #3
Lower bathroom had both locks damaged. Smoother trails from parking area to camp sites would make transporting gear easier.
Excellent
@NicoleC4478336 · Camped on Apr 20, 2024 at Campsite #3
Loved the location. We had some anxiety because we weren't quite expecting the entrance to be off of a busy touristy road like Hawk Hill. A car was blocking the entrance and we had to find the owners to move it. Also, you need to carry your camping gear several hundred yards to the site.
Excellent
@MartyC31178D52 · Camped on Oct 29, 2023 at Campsite #3
It is VERY difficult to get a reservation at this campground. But persistence has paid off and I have camped there a couple of times now. It is truly one of the greatest San Francisco adventures there is! Although you can park a car down there, it would be super easy to backpack across the bridge and then down to Kirby Cove. You are rewarded by a spectable of The Bridge, The City, Big Ships, Wildlife (we saw a full on Pelican fish eating extravaganza frenzy off shore such that even a seasoned local spear fisher guy had never seen), we saw Hawks and Deer and heard the wild yelps of Coyotes apparently getting a kill. Really incredible to watch the City through the bridge from a Marin beach view point. There are NO services; There are super large campsites that can host family and friends, and trash cans to accomodate your garbage, and out houses to take care of other things. But no water. Worth every penny many times over.
Excellent
@KristinF940803 · Camped on Oct 11, 2023 at Campsite #3
Excellent campground with an amazing view of the Golden Gate! We had the best evening sitting on the beach cove at sunset. The raccoons are definitely an issue, and we were advised that they will get into the bear boxes. We also saw a huge coyote in the morning, so the wildlife is something to be aware of
Some Coverage
@TimR4117159 · Camped on Jun 22, 2023 at Campsite #3
This is very much the cool spot you think it is. I stayed in campsite 3 which has the advantage having some view when standing, but just over the edge to shield from the wind.
The high grasses etc right now do a great job of making your campsite feel isolated without ruining the views. Just stand up and you can see things and your (distant) neighbors
Water is an issue. None at the campsite which seems a little silly for a $40 a night campsite. Plain water tap somewhere would do. It is unclear to me where one can even get water nearby. The heavily trafficked vista area at the top of the hill by the entrance gate (0.8 miles away) is where I thought there would be some. Unfortunately there is not. Just a grimy pit toilet in the building. If you're coming by bike, as far as I can tell, the nearest water is at the bridge visitor center on the north east side of the bridge. If you come when you must ride the east side, this is easy. If you're on the west side (like I was), you'd have to either take the detour around and through the very narrow tunnel or schlep your rig down some VERY steep stairs go under the bridge and back up the other side. NOT recommended for a loaded bike. To be clear, this isn't really a complaint (a little bit) but more just to make sure you take it seriously.
The high grasses etc right now do a great job of making your campsite feel isolated without ruining the views. Just stand up and you can see things and your (distant) neighbors
Water is an issue. None at the campsite which seems a little silly for a $40 a night campsite. Plain water tap somewhere would do. It is unclear to me where one can even get water nearby. The heavily trafficked vista area at the top of the hill by the entrance gate (0.8 miles away) is where I thought there would be some. Unfortunately there is not. Just a grimy pit toilet in the building. If you're coming by bike, as far as I can tell, the nearest water is at the bridge visitor center on the north east side of the bridge. If you come when you must ride the east side, this is easy. If you're on the west side (like I was), you'd have to either take the detour around and through the very narrow tunnel or schlep your rig down some VERY steep stairs go under the bridge and back up the other side. NOT recommended for a loaded bike. To be clear, this isn't really a complaint (a little bit) but more just to make sure you take it seriously.
Good
@RustinJB1F1622 · Camped on May 17, 2023 at Campsite #3
All sites are walk in only. That wasn’t obvious to us when making the reservation. Beautiful beach with views of the city and bridge. During our stay (mid-May ‘23) lots of ticks throughout the area.
Good
@RustinJB1F1622 · Camped on May 17, 2023 at Campsite #3
All sites are walk in only. That wasnt obvious to us when making the reservation. Beautiful beach with views of the city and bridge. During our stay (mid-May 23) lots of ticks throughout the area.
Good
@KileyR7EE3BA8A · Camped on Jun 5, 2022 at Campsite #3
Kirby Cove is totally worth it, no matter which campsite you pick. I happened to stay at Campsite 003. All of the campsites have their little quirks. But, if I were to rank them:001- Overlooks the water. Best views. Furthest from the parking lot. Has the most privacy. Could be windy if it blowing in from the water. But worth it. Probably the noisiest if the fog horns are going. But that is relative.003- There are 3 cement slabs for tents. The highest one is the best because because you can position your tent to face out towards the bridge and get a good view. The other 2 are close to long grass and actually when we pulled up, there was a snake sitting in the middle of one of the tent spots. You are closest to the parking lot, but not in a bad way. I think this spot is great because it offers a good combination of protection from wind, views, privacy, and proximity to car. This spot is also furthest from the bathroom, but that again is relative and a minor inconvenience. 002- It takes only minutes to get to the beach. Good views. Decent protection from wind. 004- Tucked away in the back. While this spot doesn't have the views of the other spots and its "farthest away" from the beach (everything is relatively close), it probably has the most privacy from the other campsites except for 001. And its probably the most protected if its windy. Although there is a trail that is nearby it so other hikers will walk past it on the way to the trail.005- Close to the beach but not a lot of privacy, you are exposed out in the open without many trees around you. Other notes:If you have a lot of stuff, its nice to have one of those carts to bring stuff to and from your car. I did not see any wheelbarrows to use.Every campsite has an outhouse nearby.If it's foggy, you will hear the fog horns all night (or day). Afterall, that's what fog horns are for and SF is a foggy place. It just depends. If that bothers you, bring some sleeping plugs just in case.
Good
@GailD825987023 · Camped on Nov 24, 2021 at Campsite #3
The view of the Golden Gate bridge, the City, sunrises and sunsets along the cove are incredible. The sites are set up with multiple tent squares for easy tent installation. The site also contains multiple tables if you are a larger group. Even though we were a group of 4 with 2 tents, we managed to use all 4 tables, which was a luxury. There are garbage and recycling bins at the parking lot which I didn't realize were going to be there. Bring more water than you think you need, we did do an extra run for water. Also there were 2 wheel barrows; one not usable, and one that worked. We were not expecting that and it helped get our things to the campsite. (However a picnicker did use it also and left it at the top of the hill the day we left. There are not hiking trails along the coast from the cove. The bunker is partially open to explore and fun for young ones. The beach has soft course sand and one table was there (as opposed to located on higher ground with views). We went in late November and the water was warm enough for a plunge and mini-swim. The gate to go down to the camping area is hard to find for the first-timer. When you arrive at the look at parking lot, it is at the very beginning and you have to make a hair pin turn--- and it looks more like a path than a vehicle access road. Also that parking lot gets a lot of visitors and your way may be blocked by a car for a bit. Also it is a bummer that the 2 nights we were there, there were empty spots. Thursday night we were the only ones there despite each night the website showed 100% unavailable. We never saw a ranger the whole time we were there - I'm old school and I like chatting with rangers with local information/expertise.
Excellent
@GailD255 · Camped on Nov 24, 2021 at Campsite #3
The view of the Golden Gate bridge, the City, sunrises and sunsets along the cove are incredible. The sites are set up with multiple tent squares for easy tent installation. The site also contains multiple tables if you are a larger group. Even though we were a group of 4 with 2 tents, we managed to use all 4 tables, which was a luxury. There are garbage and recycling bins at the parking lot which I didn't realize were going to be there. Bring more water than you think you need, we did do an extra run for water. Also there were 2 wheel barrows; one not usable, and one that worked. We were not expecting that and it helped get our things to the campsite. (However a picnicker did use it also and left it at the top of the hill the day we left. There are not hiking trails along the coast from the cove. The bunker is partially open to explore and fun for young ones. The beach has soft course sand and one table was there (as opposed to located on higher ground with views). We went in late November and the water was warm enough for a plunge and mini-swim.
The gate to go down to the camping area is hard to find for the first-timer. When you arrive at the look at parking lot, it is at the very beginning and you have to make a hair pin turn--- and it looks more like a path than a vehicle access road. Also that parking lot gets a lot of visitors and your way may be blocked by a car for a bit.
Also it is a bummer that the 2 nights we were there, there were empty spots. Thursday night we were the only ones there despite each night the website showed 100% unavailable. We never saw a ranger the whole time we were there - I'm old school and I like chatting with rangers with local information/expertise.
The gate to go down to the camping area is hard to find for the first-timer. When you arrive at the look at parking lot, it is at the very beginning and you have to make a hair pin turn--- and it looks more like a path than a vehicle access road. Also that parking lot gets a lot of visitors and your way may be blocked by a car for a bit.
Also it is a bummer that the 2 nights we were there, there were empty spots. Thursday night we were the only ones there despite each night the website showed 100% unavailable. We never saw a ranger the whole time we were there - I'm old school and I like chatting with rangers with local information/expertise.
Excellent
@MichaelP597 · Camped on Nov 17, 2021 at Campsite #3
Each site has a bear container to keep those pesky critters outta your stuff. Outhouses are convenient. The view.... is absolutely worth waking up at sunrise for. Campsite 3 is landlocked by gorgeous, massive, aromatic eucalyptus trees. A quick walk to the beach, and nearby bunker, provided an awesome exploration moment before being whisked away into the trappings of the city. The view of the majestic Golden Gate Bridge is easy to find at the beach. Some of the more 'coastal' sites may have a better view. It's amazing how this quiet and secluded campsite is so close to the city.
Excellent
@JimK686 · Camped on Oct 5, 2021 at Campsite #3
my second visit and it continues to be amazing - part of a bicycle down the entire pacific coast - a real highlight
@JamesL531 · Camped on Aug 3, 2021 at Campsite #3
My kids really enjoyed Kirby cove. Site #3 had 4 flat boxed in areas for tents. All sites have a lot of space in between for peace and quiet. A short walk to the beach with a great view of the bridge. Only downside is the fog, tent was wet every morning.
@ChristopherM18 · Camped on Mar 28, 2021 at Campsite #3
Amazing! Well maintained campground and perfect scenery. Loved our stay!
Good
@PaulM4542921 · Camped on Oct 14, 2020 at Campsite #3
Bring lots of water. It would be nice if they provided a water tank for their campers.
Excellent
@ZhiruiF34C87C8 · Camped on Oct 11, 2020 at Campsite #3
Very good place with a beautiful view and full of calmness.
Excellent
@MicheleO5CAE12 · Camped on Aug 29, 2019 at Campsite #3
Kirby Cove is amazing - especially since we scored on beautiful weather. Views are unparalleled, for sure. And bonus - when there isn't any fog, the foghorn is silent. Sweet silence!! It is so true that when that foghorn blows, it is LOUD. Bring those ear plugs and maybe use some sleepy time music in your earphones (so make sure phone battery is charged). We felt very lucky to be at such a beautiful place so close the the city. Absolute best of both worlds!Few things to note:The turn-off to get down to Kirby is VERY easy to miss in the dark and fog if you've never been there before and the road is one-way, so if you miss it, ya got to go ALL the way around again. BEWARE.It's quite a haul from the parking lot to the campsites (especially the ones closest to the beach). We arrived in the dark and never having been there before, it was interesting to figure out what was what. Luckily there are wheelbarrow-like things to use to haul your stuff down.We didn't know bikes weren't allowed but the kids had a blast until we realized and put the kabash on the fun. One thing that I'd like to avoid next time: being locked in. The gate was LOCKED as we tried to leave. I mean locked as in the code got changed while we were on the INSIDE. Luckily we got a hold of a ranger by phone who told us the new code.
Some Coverage
@SimonvCFDE756E · Camped on Aug 7, 2019 at Campsite #3
Perfect campground to visit San Francisco and surroundings. Fantastic view of Golden Gate bridge, quiet beach, lots of space. Surrounding is perfect for geologists (and other people) to examine the oceanic rocks.
map icon in the lower right corner.
*Earn our 
Show your commitment in keeping our forests healthy and protecting our public lands by earning the Leave No Trace badge.