Haypress Campground — Hotel in Marin City

Booked it through Recreation.gov. It wasn’t available the week before, but luckily I got it the same week — probably due to a cancellation.

We parked at the Tennessee Valley parking lot. The map there is a bit misleading — it’s upside down and we were confused whether to take the road or the Tennessee Valley trail to reach the campground. Point to be noted: follow the trail and then take a right for a while — that’s how you reach the campground. This hike was honestly the toughest part.

Tent setup was smooth. This was only my second time camping, and I realized I really should have gotten an airbed or some cushioning. I only had a fleece blanket and it wasn’t very comfortable. I slept okay though.

Couple of things I noticed others doing (and wish I had too):

Headlamps: Super useful and hands-free.

Carts/wagons: People were using them to haul their stuff from the parking lot — smart move.

Also:

Your footwear will get wet in the morning mist. Better to keep them in airtight covers before you sleep.

The wooden picnic table was covered in mist too — something to cover that would’ve helped.

The camp spots are all in a single line, so you can clearly hear other campers — not very private compared to other sites I’ve seen.

That said, it's a small valley, and we could see some stars — really satisfying after living in city all week.

Would I camp here again? Probably not — mainly because of...

Haypress is relatively close to the Tennessee Valley trailhead parking lot. There are several sites arranged in a linear fashion and a large group area. If it's a sunny day then you'll get lots of light/heat as the trees are to the west of the campsite. As backpacking sites they are some of the larger I've seen. Overall the campsite is roomy. Expect lots of bird activity in the morning.There is no water at the campsites, nor is there water at the trail head. No fires allowed. There are bear boxes to hold your food. The pit toilets are some of the nicest and cleanest I've seen. You can get a parking permit when you make your reservation. **There is no play structure at this campground. The auto-selected images Google provides depict a structure on...

Great small campground, very close (0.7mi) to trail parking. About 5 spots starting with #1 nearest to camp entrance/bathrooms stretching to #5 toward the rear of the camp.

Very quiet @ night with active owls, squeaking trees and rustling leaves. Highway by Marin can be perceptible depending on temperature and winds.

No Fire Campground - Will get very dark @ night....