China Camp State Park

China Camp State Park is a protected area of roughly 1,514 acres (613 hectares) featuring oak woodlands, salt marshes, and coastal grasslands along the shore of San Pablo Bay. The terrain stretches from the water's edge to rolling hills and offers views across the bay and surrounding mountains.

In the 1880s a village formed here where roughly 500 people of Chinese origin lived and worked in shrimp harvesting. The settlement shrank during the 20th century as fishing shifted and new regulations made the work harder.

The name recalls a fishing village from the era of Chinese immigration, when families lived here and practiced their craft. Visitors today see wooden buildings with porches that show how nets were dried and the catch was processed.

Visitors find roughly 15 miles (24 kilometers) of trails throughout the grounds that are also open to cycling. At Back Ranch Meadows there is a campground for overnight stays in the outdoors.

The salt marshes host several animal species that are now rare elsewhere in the region. These wetlands belong to the few remaining natural tidal areas around San Francisco Bay.

Location: California

Inception: 1976

Operator: California Department of Parks and Recreation

Website: http://parks.ca.gov/?page_id=466

GPS coordinates: 37.99920,-122.48800

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:29