On which beaches can I have a campfire?

April 20, 2005 2:33 PM

This weekend (Friday, actually, hopefully before the rain), we will be taking 6 kids out for a campfire on the beach. The problem is that we don't know where we can do this. We live in Marin County, north of SF, and would prefer a place up here. Any place here or in SF will do, though. Any recommendations? Any thoughts on where I should look to find out if we can have a beach campfire?
posted by xorowo to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (10 answers total)

Best answer: This looks like Muir Beach in Marin and Ocean Beach in SF are options. I've been to campfires on Ocean Beach.
posted by vacapinta at 2:46 PM on April 20, 2005

Response by poster: How did I miss that one? Muir Beach is perfect -- about 15 minutes from our house. There should be some kind of medal for answering that fast.
posted by xorowo at 2:56 PM on April 20, 2005

Point Reyes, definitely.
posted by nj_subgenius at 3:02 PM on April 20, 2005

Muir Beach is not at all bad but at least you can get fire permits (free) at Point Reyes. Just to keep Smokey the Bear and park rangers off your back.
posted by nj_subgenius at 3:04 PM on April 20, 2005

Fires at Ocean Beach may be allowed (that's news to me!) but I would anticipate possible hassle from the cops, regardless, and steer clear. Decades of the SFPD jackbooting honest but chilly citizens in the ass over a little campfire is not a habit that I would suggest blindly assuming is broken.
posted by majick at 3:17 PM on April 20, 2005

My understanding is that Ocean Beach fires are Ok as long as you don't create giant pallet bonfires. I've counted something like 20 fires on really nice nights out there. The cops are mostly looking for open alcohol bottles -- doesn't sound like you'll have a problem with that.

Point Reyes also allows fires (with a free permit, as noted previously) as long as there is not high fire danger. You can call them to find out. I imagine that's only an issue in late summer/fall.
posted by sfluke20 at 3:33 PM on April 20, 2005

Ah, yes, the "This looks like" link above has all the info on Ocean Beach fires.
posted by sfluke20 at 3:36 PM on April 20, 2005

My understanding is that Ocean Beach fires are Ok as long as you don't create giant pallet bonfires. I've counted something like 20 fires on really nice nights out there. The cops are mostly looking for open alcohol bottles -- doesn't sound like you'll have a problem with that.

Been astoundingly drunk at many an ocean beach bonfire, and the only bother was the cold.

Then again we may have just got lucky.

If you DO decide to go to ocean beach, DON'T PARK IN THE OCEAN BEACH LOTS -- there's some mysterious rules surrounding parking there, and you'll get towed or ticketed FO SHEEZY>
posted by fishfucker at 3:53 PM on April 20, 2005

Dillon Beach has fire pits and a big stone barbecue at the north end. It's not that much farther than Muir Beach, just keep going north on Highway 1 and turn left at Tomales on Dillon Beach Road.
posted by Lynsey at 4:13 PM on April 20, 2005

I am sure this is not an issue if you're having a party for six kids. But for posterity: what they are usually out looking for are glass beer bottles. IANAPR (park ranger) but, if you bring your beer in cans you should be fine.

Had my birthday at Kirby Cove on friday. That place is amazing, right under the bridge on the Marin side, four nice campsites with fire rings, which if you're sneaky you can reserve with friends to have the whole place to yourself. It's a mile down a road behind a locked gate (combination from the Park service) Very, very, nice. There's one campsite with an amazing "deck" looking out on the gg bridge: unzip tent - hello bridge!
posted by prettyboyfloyd at 4:38 PM on April 20, 2005