Sky Campground

Enjoy the new views opened up by 2020's Woodward Fire at Sky Campground.

NPS/A. Kopshever

 

Open

Basic Information

Sky Campground is located on the western side of Mount Wittenberg at an elevation of 1025 feet. In clear weather, it has a sweeping view of Point Reyes, Drakes Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. One may access Sky Campground by foot, bicycle, or horse; not by boat, auto, or RV. The easiest and shortest approach is a 1.4-mile moderate uphill hike or bicycle ride from the Sky Trailhead (elevation 680 feet) via Sky Trail. There are 11 regular sites and one group site.

TOTAL SITES: 12

Electric Hookups: 0

RV Only: 0

Tent Only: 12

Walk to/Boat to: 12

Group: 1

Horse: 12

Other: 0

Campground Features

Amenities

Cell Phone Reception

No

Internet Connectivity

No

Trash/Recycling Collection

Yes, Year-Round

Food Storage Lockers

Yes, Year-Round

Camp Store

No

Ice for Sale

No

Firewood for Sale

No

Staff On Site

No

Amphitheater

No

Laundry

No

Dump Station

No

Potable Water

Potable Water

Fire/Stove Policy

Gas camp stoves are permitted. Wood, charcoal, or other solid fuel fires are prohibited at Sky Campground. Charcoal fires: The charcoal grills at Sky Campground were permanently removed by January 15, 2022. Charcoal fires are now prohibited. Beach fires: Permits are required for beach fires in the park and can be acquired at the Bear Valley Visitor Center or from our Beach Fires page at https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/beachfires. The closest beach to Sky Campground is 4 miles away. Small fires made out of natural driftwood are only permitted on sandy ocean beaches. Put fires out with water, not sand. Visit https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/beachfires.htm for more details. Fire bans: Visitors planning to cook food over a beach fire should come prepared with an alternative means of cooking (e.g, self-contained gas stove) in the event of a Spare the Air Alert or high, very high or extreme fire danger.

Toilet Types

• Vault Toilets - year round

Shower Types

• None

Operating Hours & Seasons

• Every Day:Open 24 hours

The Sky Campground is open year-round, 24 hours a day. Camping is by permit only. Camping permits must be obtained before starting your trip. Visitors may make online reservations for a permit at this backcountry (i.e., hike-in) campground at Recreation.gov. Print your Recreation.gov confirmation email and be prepared to show it to park rangers on the trail and at your campsite. Place printouts of your confirmation email face up on the dashboard of each vehicle remaining overnight at park trailheads.

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Weather

The moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean creates a climate with no great extremes of heat or cold. Any season can bring interesting weather during your visit to Point Reyes National Seashore. Come prepared! You can check the National Weather Service forecast for the Sky Campground at http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-122.83&lat=38.04 .

Fees

Permit for a Regular site

Regular sites accommodate 1 to 6 people. We do not allow groups of more than six people to split up into multiple regular sites within the same campground. Groups of more than six are restricted to group sites in Coast, Sky, or Wildcat Campground only, and, similarly, may not purchase more than one site per campground. Everyone associated with your party at a given campground must stay in the same, single campsite.

$30.00

Group Permit for a Group Site

Group permits are for parties of 7 to 25 people. Parties of six or fewer people are not permitted to reserve group permits/sites.

$90.00

Contact Information & Directions

Email Address

Send this campground an email
Please browse through our website (the Plan Your Visit section, especially the Backcountry Camping page, is very useful) and check out the Frequently Asked Questions before submitting your message. We receive a lot of emails requesting information that is available through our website. We will respond to emails in the order they are received as soon as possible. Due to the high volume of email, response to your message may take more than a week. Please ensure that the email address you provide is correct.

Phone number (Voice)

415-464-5100
This number will initially be answered by an automated attendant, from which one can opt to access a name directory, listen to recorded information about the park (e.g., directions to the park; visitor center hours of operation; fire danger information; shuttle bus system status; wildlife updates; ranger-led programs; seasonal events; etc.), or speak with a ranger. Please note that if you are calling between 4:30 pm and 10 am, park staff may not be available to answer your call.

Mailing Address

1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Physical Address

1 Bear Valley Road
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Directions

There are multiple routes to hike to the Sky Campground (elevation 1025 feet). The shortest route would be hiking approximately 1.5 miles from the Sky Trailhead (elevation 680 feet) along Limantour Road. Or one could start from the Bear Valley Trailhead, hiking approximately 2.7 miles and climbing up and a little bit over the 1,300-foot high Inverness Ridge. Regardless, campers must hike, or ride a bike or horse to get to the campground.

Directions Details

Additional Information & Regulations

Additional Information

Each regular (aka individual) 1- to 6-person campsite has a picnic table and a food storage locker. The group site has two picnic tables and two food storage lockers. Store your food and other scented items properly in the food storage lockers provided at the campsite.

Do not leave any food or scented items unattended outside of the locker or stored in your tent. Raccoons, foxes, and skunks are plentiful and aggressive. Do not feed wildlife. Scented items may include, but are not limited to: soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, toiletries, feminine products, lip balm, deodorant, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, gum, candy, first-aid kits, pots, pans, plates, bowls, cups, forks, spoons, knives, clothes in which one has cooked or eaten, and wash basins (i.e., the kitchen sink). As a general rule, if you put it in your mouth or on your skin or if food comes in contact with it, it should be stored in an animal-resistant food storage container.

Cell Phone Additional Information

Reliable AT&T and Verizon cell service is largely limited to the communities of and along the roads connecting Inverness, Inverness Park, Point Reyes Station, and Olema. Cell service elsewhere in the park and by other carriers tends to be extremely limited with weak signals, or nonexistent.

Regulations

Visit our park's Backcountry Camping web page for more about the rules and regulations. Basic rules and regulations include:

* Permits are required.
* Camp in designated sites.
* Dogs and/or other pets are prohibited.
* Drones are prohibited.
* Glass containers are prohibited within 50 feet of the beach.
* Follow Leave No Trace principles.
* Store your food and other scented items properly in the food storage lockers provided at the campsite.
* Properly dispose of human waste.
* Do not wash dishes, bathe, or wash clothing at water faucets.
* Wood and charcoal fires are prohibited at the campsites.
* Fireworks are prohibited.
* Most types of weapons are prohibited.
* Hunting is prohibited.
* Quiet hours are from sundown to sunrise.
* Campers must vacate their campsite by noon on their day of departure. Campsites should be left clean. Do not leave anything behind.
* The maximum number of horses or pack animals in any campground is eight. Pack animals & horses must be tied to hitch rails. Llamas are prohibited.

More about regulations

Reservations

Camping is by permit only. Camping permits must be obtained before starting your trip. Visitors may make online reservations for a permit at this backcountry (i.e., hike-in) campground at Recreation.gov. Some permits/sites are available at 7 am three months to the day in advance and some are available at 7 am 14 days to the day in advance. Print your Recreation.gov confirmation email and be prepared to show it to park rangers on the trail and at your campsite. Print out additional copies of your confirmation email to place face up on the dashboard of each vehicle remaining overnight at park trailheads.

Image Gallery

A trail leads through grass and shrubs towards a few campsites with a view of the ocean on the left.

A campsite containing a picnic table and a food storage locker overlooking trees and the ocean.

A campsite containing two picnic tables and two food storage lockers overlooking the ocean.

A campsite containing a small orange tent, a picnic table, and a food storage locker.

A campsite containing a small gray and maroon tent, a picnic table, and a food storage locker.

A tree-shaded campsite containing a small gray tent, a picnic table, and a food storage locker.

A partially tree-shaded campsite containing a picnic table and a food storage locker.

A campsite containing a small orangish-red tent, a picnic table, and a food storage locker.

Looking west at Sky Campground from near Sky Campsite 5.
NPS Photo

Sky Campsite 1
NPS Photo

Sky Campsite 2
NPS Photo

Sky Campsite 3
NPS Photo

Sky Campsite 4
NPS Photo

Sky Campsite 5
NPS Photo

Sky Campsite 6
NPS Photo

Sky Campsite 7
NPS Photo

Accessibility Information

ADA Information - There are no ADA camp sites.

Wheelchair Access - No wheelchair access.

RV & Trailer Information - RVs and Trailers are prohibited.

RV Allowed - No

Trailer Allowed - No

Classification - This campground is a designated primitive campsite.

 

Looking west at Sky Campground from near Sky Campsite 5.

NPS Photo

Site Availability and Directions

Sites available for reservations through Recreation.gov three (3) months to the day in advance: Regular sites #3, #6, #8, #9, & #11 and Group site #2

Sites available for reservations through Recreation.gov 14 days in advance: Regular sites #1, #4, #5, #7, #10, & #12

 

Hiking Routes

There are many potential hiking routes to get to Sky Campground. The two most popular routes are from the Sky Trailhead and the Bear Valley Trailhead.

From the Sky Trailhead

The easiest and shortest approach to Sky Campground is via a 2.2 km (1.4 miles) moderate uphill hike through the woods from the Sky Trailhead (geographic coordinates: 38.0549, -122.8381; elevation 250 meters [840 feet]), which is located along Limantour Road.

From the Bear Valley Trailhead

For a more challenging hike, park at the Bear Valley Trailhead (geographic coordinates: 38.0398, -122.7994) to engage in a steeper uphill hike.

Overnight parking is available in the gravel parking lot near the trailhead; do not park in the paved lot near the visitor center. Download the Bear Valley Area Map (427 KB PDF), which shows the location of the trailhead parking lot relative to the Bear Valley Visitor Center.

There are many potential routes. The shortest two are via the Mt. Wittenberg or Meadow trails (both 4.3 km [2.7 mile]). For longer hikes, one can head up the Horse Trail or Old Pine Trail, or follow a number of other possible routes.

Bicycle Route

There is only one route to Sky Campground open to bicycles and other non-motorized wheeled devices, like wagons. Start at the Sky Trailhead (geographic coordinates: 38.0549, -122.8381; elevation 250 meters [840 feet]), which is located along Limantour Road. Follow the Sky Trail south 2.2 km (1.4 miles) uphill through the woods to Sky Campground.

 

Campground Map

Download the aerial photo/map of Sky Campground. (233 KB PDF)