Pantoll Campground site 5, with site 4 in the background
There isn’t any water at Bootjack Campground; the restrooms have been closed and only porta-potties are available.
Pantoll and Bootjack campgrounds are conveniently located near Mount Tamalpais’ most popular trailhead. Pantoll is the most popular because it’s right next to the trailhead and ranger station, but Bootjack is just a half-mile away.
Even though they’re surrounded by great scenery, the campgrounds themselves aren’t really that attractive; the woods are kind of dry and dusty looking, especially in Pantoll, where the groundcover has been completely worn away by foot traffic. There aren’t any scenic views, the sites are packed really close together without any privacy, and there’s a lot of traffic noise from Panoramic Highway, which is very busy during the day.
But the big benefit is that some really nice hikes to Muir Woods, Stinson Beach, Steep Ravine, and the summit of Mount Tamalpais can be started from either campground.
The camps are very popular and on summer weekends can fill up by noon on Friday.
The best campsites are the ones furthest from the road, especially sites 9 and 10 in Pantoll, which are separated from the Panoramic Highway and most of the other campsites by a low hill. They still get traffic noise, but a little less. The downside is that they’re really far from the parking lot.
Pantoll Campground site 4
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Pantoll Campground site 6
Pantoll Campground site 12
Bootjack Campground site 5
View the campground’s location in Google Maps
Pantoll and Bootjack are walk-in campgrounds, meaning that campers have to carry their stuff about 50–200 yards uphill from the parking lot to a campsite. Bootjack has an especially steep climb to the campsites.
The campgrounds are first-come, first-serve and don’t take reservations. Pay at the ranger station; cash or check only.
Each campsite has a barbeque grill, a fire ring or a stone Diablo stove, a picnic table, and a wooden food locker. There are restrooms with flush toilets, but they’re shared with the heavy local foot traffic from the parking lots. There’s drinking water but no showers.
Parking can be a problem because the small lots are always full between 10 am and 4 pm on weekends. There’s no separate parking for checking in.
Pantoll site 3 is reserved for hike and bike camping, which costs $7.00 per person. Site 2 is an ADA site.
It used to be OK to camp in an RV in the parking lot (enroute camping), but it hasn’t been allowed since 2018.
Bootjack Campground site 2
© 2019, 2024 David Baselt
