How to enter lottery to reserve Steep Ravine Cabin at Mount Tamalpais

It just became easier to nab one of the holy grails of camping in the Bay Area.

California State Parks rolled out a new system for reserving a Steep Ravine cabin at Mount Tamalpais State Park, a rare overnight adventure inside one of 10 miniature coastal chalets (nine seem to be currently available). The new lottery-style reservation drawing system is already in effect and you can begin selecting dates up to eight months in advance.

“Speaking from experience, it was a pain,” Peter Ostroskie, spokesperson for State Parks, told SFGATE. “ReserveCalifornia has its own hiccups — and we recognize that — but this is a lot better than what we had previously.”

State Parks’ new system removes the hysteria in its attempt to ensure that the cabins remain accessible for all Californians — not just those who are savvy with a late-night keyboard. The lottery booking process, which launched in October, allows guests to enter a free drawing for a date between seven and eight months in the future, thus eliminating competition.

If the visitor gets the $100 reservation, they have to claim it within 30 days to keep it or the unclaimed slot is then released for re-reservation.

Ostroskie explained that ReserveCalifornia rewards retries, so if you aren’t selected the first time, your profile is given a boost the next time you apply.

“If you don’t get selected in the lottery, your account gains a point,” he said. “There’s an extra ticket to your name, and when it goes for the next lottery pull, you have a better chance.”

To begin, create an account on ReserveCalifornia and search for Mount Tamalpais State Park. SFGATE notes that ReserveCalifornia often glitches during login and you might have to reset your password each time. 

After inputting some dates, look for the “S Rav Cabin Area” facility. It will likely say it’s unavailable but look for a yellow lightbulb icon that says “Apply for a Reservation Drawing” and follow the link that says “Click HERE to enter.” From there, you can select up to three dates and cast your fate into the wind.

Currently, you can also use the link in the lower right of the ReserveCalifornia page under the heading “Welcome to the Reservation Drawings Pilot Program!” to go directly to the S Rav Cabin Area reservation page. 

The new reservation system was announced just as Assembly Bill 618 was signed into law. The bill not only imposes costly penalties for people who fail to show up to a reserved campground, but fosters a more equitable system for getting Californians to their public campgrounds.

“We were seeing an inequity with these cabins,” Ostroskie said. “The whole thing with the lottery is that it’s for people who normally would not get the experience.”

The Steep Ravine cabins themselves are designed to enhance accessibility for all Californians by providing another option for getting outdoors that doesn’t involve a tent. (Glamping, so to speak.) The two-room cabins were first built in 1938 by a congressman before State Parks took control in 1960. 

Up to five people can sleep in each cabin and they must provide their own bedding and padding. There’s an indoor picnic table, a wood stove and a barbecue spit outside. 

Perched above the Pacific nestled atop a cove between Stinson Beach and Muir Beach, the cabins offer expansive views of coastal California from a windswept bluff. 

“It’s a once in a lifetime experience,” Ostroskie said. “It’s something that Jack Kerouac would want to write a book about.”