Kirby Cove is located just north of the Golden Gate Bridge at historic Battery Kirby. Visitors are awarded breathtaking views of San Francisco, its famous Golden Gate Bridge, and the rugged Pacific Coast of northern California. Please note: The parking area for the campground is a short walk from the campsites, so RV or car camping is not allowed at Kirby Cove Campground.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Kirby Cove is located just north of the Golden Gate Bridge at historic Battery Kirby. Visitors are awarded breathtaking views of San Francisco, its famous Golden Gate Bridge, and the rugged Pacific Coast of northern California. Please note: The parking area for the campground is a short walk from the campsites, so RV or car camping is not allowed at Kirby Cove Campground.
Kirby Cove offers five overnight camp sites and one day-use picnic site, all reached via driving on a steep access road. Vehicle parking is separate from the individual campsites - please be prepared for up to a 200 yard walk from the parking area to your campsite. There is no water available at this campground - campers must bring any water necessary for drinking, cooking, etc. The day-use site is available as an accessible picnic site for persons with a disability or otherwise limited physical mobility. Sites 2 and 5 are available as accessible campsites for persons with a disability or otherwise limited physical mobility. Contact the Marin Headlands Rangers at (415)-331-1540 to inquire about accessibility.
Kirby Cove gate codes can be made available to any park visitor with a physical disability, but only during the months that the campground is open. See the Need to Know section for instructions.
There is no water available at this campground. Campers must provide their own water for drinking, cleaning, etc. Bring enough water to last your entire stay. Water is also available at the public restrooms on Field Rd.
Reservations at Kirby Cove Campground can be made up to 6 months before your arrival and may extend up to 2 days beyond the 6-month booking window.
Access to the second Kirby Cove Gate:
Your confirmation is your permit which includes gate codes.
The Parking area is separate from the actual campsites. This is a walk-in, Tent Only facility. No RVs or car camping is allowed.
Campground Quiet Hours are between 10 PM and 6 AM. Please be respectful to others.
Wheelbarrows are not available at Kirby Cove to transport items.
Leave No Trace
Check before you burn. Visit the Recreational Fire Regulations page to find out if there are restrictions on camp fires during your stay.
Pets are prohibited, only trained service animals are allowed.
Hammocks tied on trees or structures are not permitted. Only free standing hammocks are allowed.
Foghorns on the Golden Gate Bridge can be heard loud and clear; best to bring earplugs if staying overnight.
In case of emergency call 911 or Park Dispatch at (415) 561-5656.
For more information, call (415) 331-1540 or email us at goga_marinheadlands_info@nps.gov.
Looking for something to do during your camping adventure?!
1) Beginner Birding with a Park Ranger - Join a NPS Park Ranger for a guided hike/program around Rodeo Lagoon and learn all about our local feathered friends. Taking place Saturdays at 11am during the months of March and April 2025. For more information and to sign-up: Click Here
2) Layers of History - A Ranger Guided Hike/Program - Hike along with a ranger on a 2-mile loop starting/ending at Fort Cronkhite and learn all about the multi-layered history of the Marin Headlands. For more information and to sign-up: Click Here
3) Nike Missile Site SF-88 - Check out this relic and fully restored piece of Cold War history and take a FREE Ranger/Docent led tour of the site. Open all year every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with three tour options per day at 12:15PM, 1:15PM, and 2:15PM (No reservation required). For more information: Click Here
Kirby Cove offers a coarse-sand beach with spectacular views - when it's not foggy - of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and northern San Francisco, including the historic Presidio. The cove is nestled at the foot of the craggy Marin Headlands and has beach access.
A steep, mile-long trail to the cove begins at the parking area above Battery Spencer on Conzelman Road. The path descends through a stately grove of Monterey, cypress, pine and Blue Gum eucalyptus. Coastal sage and colorful Lupine dot the hillsides.
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 Kirby Cove.
The San Francisco Bay Area has no shortage of fun and interesting things to do and see. Awe-inspiring Muir Woods National Monument, with its old-growth coastal redwood forest and numerous hiking trails, is just a 20-minute drive from Kirby Cove. Mount Tamalpais State Park, with hiking and sweeping views of the Bay Area, is another 10 minutes past Muir Woods.
Downtown San Francisco offers a myriad of restaurants, shops, museums and tourist attractions. Fisherman's Wharf, Alcatraz Island and Chinatown are popular destinations. Visitors love riding San Francisco's world famous cable cars up and down the city's hilly streets.
Hiking, picnicking and taking in the beautiful views from Kirby Cove are among the park's most popular activities.
Visitors also enjoy exploring Battery Kirby, a historic army battery in use from 1898-1934. The Point Bonita Lighthouse and Nike Missile Site SF-88 are also close to the campsite.
The Kirby Cove Day Use Site must be cancelled or modified more than 14 days before your check-in date otherwise it will be considered a late cancellation.
You may also 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.
The access gate is located on Conzelman Road next to the Battery Spencer overlook parking area, within the Marin Headlands. Sausalito CA 94965
For campground inquiries, please call: 415-331-1540 FOR RESERVATIONS PLEASE CALL 1-877-444-6777 OR ONLINE AT RECREATION.GOV
Learn more about gear rental options for your trip
From San Francisco (travelling north):
Cross the Golden Gate Bridge and take exit 442 onto Alexander Avenue. This will be the exit after the Vista Point. Continue straight for a few hundred feet, and then turn left onto Bunker Road. Travel through the Baker-Barry Tunnel and continue straight until you can turn left onto McCullough Road, after the speed bumps. Continue uphill until you hit the traffic circle, and take the 2nd exit onto Conzelman Road. Travel downhill on the one-way road until you reach Battery Spencer, and it will be sharp right turn toward the Kirby Cove service gates. After entering the gate codes provided upon reservation, it is then a mile drive down the dirt trail to the Kirby Cove Parking lot.
From Marin (travelling south):
From US-101 South, take the last exit before the Golden Gate Bridge onto Alexander Avenue. Turn right at the stop sign and continue straight for about a quarter mile, until you can turn left onto Bunker Road. Travel through the Baker-Barry Tunnel and continue straight until you can turn left onto McCullough Road, after the speed bumps. Continue uphill until you hit the traffic circle, and take the 2nd exit onto Conzelman Road. Travel downhill until you reach Battery Spencer, and it will be sharp right turn toward the Kirby Cove service gate. It is then a mile drive down the dirt trail to the Kirby Cove Parking lot.
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