Cabin Camping Recommended Near Point Reyes

The park's namesake, Samuel Penfield Taylor, was a gold rush-era entrepreneur who established the first paper mill on the Pacific Coast on this land in 1856. By the 1870s, the area had transformed into "Camp Taylor," a popular resort for San Franciscans featuring a hotel, tent camping, and a dance pavilion. Today, the park spans approximately 2,882 acres of redwood forest and grassland in Marin County. It protects about 600 acres of old-growth forest, with some of these ancient coast redwoods visible along the Pioneer Tree Trail. The five "Madrone Cabins" offer a year-round camping alternative with electricity and woodstove-style heaters, priced at $100 per night. While pets are not permitted in the cabin area, the park provides access to restrooms with hot, coin-operated showers nearby. For families traveling from Fremont, the drive to Samuel P. Taylor State Park is approximately 1.5 hours. Once there, the paved and mostly level Cross Marin Trail is ideal for strollers and bicycles, following the path of the old North Pacific Coast Railroad. Wildlife sightings can include black-tailed deer, raccoons, and gray foxes. During the winter, coho salmon and steelhead trout migrate up Lagunitas Creek to spawn, though access to the creek is restricted during this season to protect the threatened species. For more strenuous activity, the hike to 1,466-foot Barnabe Peak provides panoramic views of the surrounding Marin County landscape, including Tomales Bay and Point Reyes on a clear day.