China Camp Tides: Tide Chart and Times
Marin County, California · Pacific time · feet
The tide at China Camp today starts with a high of 4.7 ft at 6:37 AM, falls to a low of 3.2 ft at 10:57 AM, then climbs to a high of 5.9 ft at 4:46 PM.
The rising tide is now 5.9 ft
Next high
21m
4:46 PM
Next low
7h 38m
12:03 AM
China Camp is a state park on the San Pablo Bay shore of San Rafael, with a historic shrimp-fishing village and one of the bay's last old salt marshes. The tide sets beach access, boat launching and how much marsh is underwater.
Also covers McNears Beach, Point San Pedro, Santa Venetia.
Saturday, October 31
Saturday, October 31
- ▲ ▲ High tide6:37 AM4.7 ft 4.7 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide10:57 AM3.2 ft 3.2 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide4:46 PM5.9 ft 5.9 ft
Sunday, November 1
- ▼ ▼ Low tide12:03 AM−0.4 ft −0.4 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide6:42 AM4.8 ft 4.8 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide11:31 AM3.0 ft 3.0 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide5:01 PM5.5 ft 5.5 ft
Monday, November 2
- ▼ ▼ Low tide12:11 AM−0.1 ft −0.1 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide7:37 AM5.1 ft 5.1 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide12:58 PM2.5 ft 2.5 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide6:23 PM5.1 ft 5.1 ft
Tuesday, November 3
- ▼ ▼ Low tide1:13 AM0.1 ft 0.1 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide8:23 AM5.4 ft 5.4 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide2:08 PM1.9 ft 1.9 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide7:45 PM4.9 ft 4.9 ft
Wednesday, November 4
- ▼ ▼ Low tide2:07 AM0.4 ft 0.4 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide9:02 AM5.7 ft 5.7 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide3:06 PM1.2 ft 1.2 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide8:59 PM4.8 ft 4.8 ft
Thursday, November 5
- ▼ ▼ Low tide2:54 AM0.8 ft 0.8 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide9:37 AM6.0 ft 6.0 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide3:55 PM0.6 ft 0.6 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide10:05 PM4.8 ft 4.8 ft
Friday, November 6
- ▼ ▼ Low tide3:36 AM1.2 ft 1.2 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide10:10 AM6.2 ft 6.2 ft
- ▼ ▼ Low tide4:39 PM0.1 ft 0.1 ft
- ▲ ▲ High tide11:05 PM4.8 ft 4.8 ft
Today and Tomorrow at China CampThis Week at China Camp
Feet above MLLW · Pacific time · shaded = night
Tap the chart for the height at any time. The full week is in the table below.Hover or tap the chart for the height at any time.
Predicted vs Actual Water Level
NOAA Richmond gauge · last 2448 hours
Tide predictions cover only the pull of the moon and sun. NOAA's Richmond gauge, about 6 miles away, measures the real water level every 6 minutes, so the gap between the two lines is the weather: storm surge, wind, air pressure and runoff. The same gap usually holds across this part of the bay.
Loading live readings from NOAA…
Predicted Measured
Today at a Glance
Tidal range today
6.3 ft
Typical this month: 6.0 ft
Spring and neap cycle
Between springs and neaps
Next spring tide Nov 9, next neap Nov 3
How they work →Moon
Waning gibbous
60% lit, waning. New moon Nov 8
Sunrise and sunset
7:34 AM / 6:12 PM
10h 38m of daylight
China Camp Tide Table, Next 7 Days
From today · Pacific time
Today, Oct 31
- ▲ High 6:37 AM4.7 ft
- ▼ Low 10:57 AM3.2 ft
- ▲ High 4:46 PM5.9 ft
Sunday, Nov 1
- ▼ Low 12:03 AM−0.4 ft
- ▲ High 6:42 AM4.8 ft
- ▼ Low 11:31 AM3.0 ft
- ▲ High 5:01 PM5.5 ft
Monday, Nov 2
- ▼ Low 12:11 AM−0.1 ft
- ▲ High 7:37 AM5.1 ft
- ▼ Low 12:58 PM2.5 ft
- ▲ High 6:23 PM5.1 ft
Tuesday, Nov 3
- ▼ Low 1:13 AM0.1 ft
- ▲ High 8:23 AM5.4 ft
- ▼ Low 2:08 PM1.9 ft
- ▲ High 7:45 PM4.9 ft
Wednesday, Nov 4
- ▼ Low 2:07 AM0.4 ft
- ▲ High 9:02 AM5.7 ft
- ▼ Low 3:06 PM1.2 ft
- ▲ High 8:59 PM4.8 ft
Thursday, Nov 5
- ▼ Low 2:54 AM0.8 ft
- ▲ High 9:37 AM6.0 ft
- ▼ Low 3:55 PM0.6 ft
- ▲ High 10:05 PM4.8 ft
Friday, Nov 6
- ▼ Low 3:36 AM1.2 ft
- ▲ High 10:10 AM6.2 ft
- ▼ Low 4:39 PM0.1 ft
- ▲ High 11:05 PM4.8 ft
Minus Tides at China Camp
Daylight low tides below zero in the next 60 days, the best times for tidepooling and walking the low beach. More on what a minus tide is.
- Saturday, Nov 7, 5:18 PM−0.2 ft
- Sunday, Nov 22, 4:42 PM−0.5 ft
- Saturday, Dec 5, 4:27 PM−0.2 ft
- Sunday, Dec 6, 5:06 PM−0.4 ft
- Sunday, Dec 20, 3:38 PM−0.3 ft
- Monday, Dec 21, 4:25 PM−0.9 ft
- Tuesday, Dec 22, 5:12 PM−1.3 ft
China Camp Tides on San Pablo Bay
China Camp tides run about an hour behind the Golden Gate, based on NOAA’s offsets for Point San Pedro. Tides here are predicted from NOAA’s Point San Pedro station, about a mile away. High tide comes about 62 minutes after the Golden Gate and low tide about 67 minutes after it.
China Camp State Park protects more than 100 acres of tidal salt marsh on San Pablo Bay. It is one of the last historic tidal salt marshes in the Bay Area. Pickleweed grows on the higher ground and cordgrass on the lower fringe, threaded by a winding network of tidal creeks.
Marsh, Mud and the Tide
High tides push water up those creeks and over the low marsh, and low tides drain them back to mud. The marsh is home to endangered Ridgway’s rails, California black rails and salt marsh harvest mice. Scientists with the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve use it as a reference site for marsh restoration around the bay.
North San Pedro Road cuts across part of the old marsh. Marsh on the land side of the road gets only a muted share of the tide.
The Village Shore
In the 1880s about 500 Chinese Americans lived at China Camp and fished San Pablo Bay for shrimp. The village beach is still the place to swim and picnic, though dogs are not allowed on it.
Boaters can launch small craft from undeveloped spots at Bullhead Flat and lower China Camp Village. The park notes that easy access depends on the tide, and the shore here is shallow, so a rising or high tide makes launching simpler.
Tides Near China Camp
All Marin tides →How the tide is running right now at the closest spots.
Also close to China Camp: Tiburon 8.8 mi · Richardson Bay 9.0 mi · Sausalito 9.9 mi · Muir Beach 12 mi · Stinson Beach 12 mi
Where the China Camp Tide Station Is
37.9933, -122.4467
Tide times for China Camp come from NOAA's Point San Pedro tide station (9415009), about 1.0 miles away.
About Tides at China Camp
How the tide works at China Camp
China Camp gets mixed semidiurnal tides, the usual pattern on the California coast: two highs and two lows most days, with one high noticeably higher than the other and one low noticeably lower. The lower low is the one that uncovers the most shore.
A typical day here swings about 6.0 ft from low water to the next high. The biggest spring tides of the next month stretch that to about 8.6 ft, and the quietest neap days shrink it to about 3.6 ft. The next spring tides peak around Nov 9.
Where the China Camp predictions come from
Every time and height is a NOAA prediction for NOAA's Point San Pedro tide station (9415009), about 1.0 miles away. It is a subordinate station: NOAA predicts its highs and lows by applying time and height offsets to the San Francisco (Golden Gate) reference station.
The curve between each high and low is drawn with the standard cosine method, so heights between the turns are close estimates. Weather can move the real water level: strong onshore wind and low air pressure raise it, and offshore wind and high pressure lower it. Read more on how tide predictions work.
Reading the tide clock, table and chart
The tide clock's hand sweeps from high tide at the top to low tide at the bottom and back, one full turn per tidal cycle of about 12 hours and 25 minutes. The countdowns on either side show the time to the next high and the next low.
The day picker and the 7-day table list each turn of the tide with its time and height. On the chart, each crest is a high and each trough a low; shaded bands are night. Heights are feet above mean lower low water, so a negative number is a minus tide. Our guide on how to read a tide chart goes further.
China Camp Tide Questions
Can you launch a kayak at China Camp at low tide?
It is harder. China Camp State Park has undeveloped launch spots at Bullhead Flat and the lower China Camp Village, and the park says easy access there depends on the tide. A low tide on this shallow shore means a longer carry over mud, so a mid to high tide is easier.
Are dogs allowed on China Camp Beach?
No. Dogs are not permitted on the beach at China Camp Village. The beach is open for swimming and picnics, and the park has trails nearby, but the sand itself is off limits to dogs. Check with the park for current rules on trails and in the campground.
What lives in the China Camp salt marsh?
Pickleweed covers the higher marsh and cordgrass grows along the lower edge, cut by winding tidal creeks. Endangered Ridgway's rails, California black rails and salt marsh harvest mice live here. The marsh is part of the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
What time is high tide at China Camp today?
The panel at the top lists today's highs and lows at China Camp with their times and heights, and the tide clock counts down to the next high and the next low. Times are Pacific time and heights are in feet above mean lower low water (MLLW).
How big is the tide at China Camp?
Over the next 30 days the daily swing at China Camp runs from about 3.6 ft on the quietest neap days to 8.6 ft on the biggest spring tides, with 6.0 ft on a typical day. Like the rest of the California coast, most days bring two highs and two lows of unequal size.
Where do the China Camp tide times come from?
They are astronomical predictions from NOAA's Point San Pedro tide station (9415009), about 1.0 miles away. Wind, storms, river runoff and air pressure can push the real water level higher or lower than predicted, so treat them as a planning guide, not a guarantee, and never use them for navigation.