Towle Camp is Foothills Park's campground located at the end of Wildhorse Valley. It is open from May through October for tent camping. Campers with a reservation and permit may drive the half-mile road to the campground.
Reservations must be made by a Palo Alto resident aged 21 or older who is spending the night. All Palo Alto residency requirements apply. Reservations may be made up to a year in advance. Reservations made within a week of your requested date must be made through one of the community centers, such as Lucie Stern (650-463-4900). Same-day reservations are not accepted.
Directions: Enter the park and go straight. At the Y intersection, bear left. Continue to the Orchard Glen picnic area and turn left into the parking lot. Continue through lot to the gate and up the road to the campground. See map below, or for general location information go to this Google Maps link.
Each campsite has picnic table, water, fire bucket, charcoal barbecue, food storage locker, and pad for tents. Each tent pad holds two 4-person tents. The group sites have two pads for up to four 4-person tents.
Sites 1 and 5 are the group sites, which hold up to 16 people and no more than 4 cars may use the parking lot. Sites 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 hold up to 8 people and no more than 2 cars per site in the parking lot.
Tent camping only. Car camping and recreational vehicles of any type are not permitted to park in the campground.
There are two fire circles which are open to all campers. One is near site 1, the other is near site 5. Fires are by permit only and may be prohibited due to fire weather or drought conditions. You must bring your own firewood. Wood collecting is not permitted in the nature preserve.
All campers must be in the park one half hour before park closing time.
All visitors not spending the night must exit before park closing time.
More information is available on the Towle Camp Information sheet. Please call the rangers with any questions at 650-329-2423.
