China Camp State Park

One of Marin's underrated treasures is China Camp State Park, located east of San Rafael. It's not as famous or flashy as other local outdoors spots like Mt. Tam, Muir Woods, or Point Reyes, but it has a charm all its own and offers plenty for families to do and see. Situated on the shores of San Pablo Bay, China Camp offers stunning views, plenty of hiking and biking trails, walk-in camp sites, picnic areas, beaches, and an historic 19th-century Chinese fishing village. Topography ranges from oak woodlands to wetland, with even some redwoods thrown in for good measure.

China Camp was the site of numerous Coast Miwok settlements, and later became part of a Mexican land grant and subsequently a dairy ranch. As it's name implies, it's perhaps most famous for being the site of a sizeable settlement of Chinese immigrants, mostly from Guangdong Province, who fished for grass shrimp in the waters of San Pablo Bay. In the 1880s, the village that is now China Camp was home to almost 500 people, and boasted three general stores and a barbershop. Shrimp was spread out on the hillsides behind the village to dry, and then sold to Chinese communities throughout Northern California or exported to China. China Camp was also where parts of the 1955 John Wayne movie Blood Alley, were filmed (the cast and crew apparently caroused at the old Litchfield's resort in San Rafael, long before it devolved into a sleazy motel, but that's another story).

Most of the points of interest in China Camp are located off the road that runs through it, Point San Pedro Road. On a busy weekend day, there are usually numerous cars parked on the side of the road. There's plenty of parking, so I'm guessing that most of these folks are trying to avoid the measly $3 day use fee charged by the park. During this time of unprecedented budget crisis here in California, the state parks need all the help they can get, so I don't think coughing up three bucks is too much to ask. There are several key points in the park. The first, as you head into the park from the north, is the entrance to the Back Ranch campground. There's day-use parking here, which offers great access to many of China Camp's hiking trails, including the Shoreline Trail and the hikers-only Turtleback Nature Trail.

As you head south on Point San Pedro Road, you'll see several picnic areas on the bay side of the street. These all feature lawns, picnic tables, barbeque grills, and restrooms. And, I might add, all of them were really clean and well kept up. Most of them offered great views of San Pablo Bay and the East Bay. You'll find these picnic areas at Buckeye Point, Weber Point, Bullhead Flat, and China Camp Point. The Buckeye and Weber Point picnic areas can be reserved for groups (up to 50 people) by calling (415) 456-0766.

At the south end of the park is the entrance to China Camp Village. At the entrance is the China Camp Point picnic area and a parking lot. If you head right down the hill, you'll find yourself back in time at what remains of the old Chinese fishing village. Today the village consists of a handful of little houses, a funky little snack bar with a 1930s vibe, and a some 1890s-era shrimp processing buildings grouped around a pier. In here, there's a little museum that describes life in China Camp. Out on the pier, you'll come across the Grace Quan, a recreation of a 19th-century Chinese shrimping junk. The junk, of which hundreds onced plied San Pablo Bay, is named after China Camp resident Frank Quan's mother. Quan still runs a shrimping operation out of the village, although today most of the shrimp he catches are sold as bait. The museum and snack bar are open on weekends. At the village, there's a pleasant beach that's perfect for wading, swimming, and boat launching. There's a large picnic area with plenty of shade along the beach. Public restrooms are nearby, as well as dressing rooms.

Getting There

China Camp State Park is easy to get to from pretty much any point in Marin. The park is located on Point San Pedro Road east of San Rafael. From the north, take 101 south to the Point San Pedro Road/Marin Civic Center exit. Follow Point San Pedro Road east through Santa Venetia (aka Lower Skabo) until you reach the park. From the south, take 101 north to the central San Rafael exit. Turn right on 2nd Street and follow it until it runs into 3rd Street, which eventually becomes Point San Pedro Road. Follow Point San Pedro Road through the Loch Lomond and Peacock Gap neighborhood until you reach the park. There's a ranger station off the service road north of China Camp Village, where you can buy maps and brochures for the park and make reservations for the picnic area. Phone number for the ranger station is (415) 456-0766.

For more information, visit the California State Parks' China Camp website. There, you can see more photos of the park, and download a PDF of the park brochure and trail map. China Camp State Park is open seven days a week, from 8 am to sunset. The campground is open 8 am until the gate closes at 9 pm.