SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA - As travelers return to San Francisco in growing numbers, a notable share of the city's renewed tourism is coming from much closer to home.
Treasure Island Mobile Home & RV Park in South San Francisco reports that approximately 25% of its RV guests are California residents, pointing to growing interest among Californians in rediscovering San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area through road trips and RV travel.
The trend comes as San Francisco experiences a broader tourism rebound. In May, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie highlighted the return of visitors to the city, while San Francisco Travel projected that the city will welcome approximately 24.2 million visitors in 2026, with visitor spending expected to reach approximately $9.9 billion.
Treasure Island Mobile Home & RV Park, located approximately 10 miles south of downtown San Francisco at 1700 El Camino Real, is positioning itself as an affordable home base for travelers who want to drive into the Bay Area, park their RV, and use public transportation to explore the city. The park currently lists short-term RV stays beginning at $86 per night.
"People sometimes forget that you don't have to fly across the country to have an incredible vacation," said Henry Latu, Park Manager of Treasure Island Mobile Home & RV Park. "We're seeing Californians get in their RVs, take a road trip and rediscover San Francisco. They can stay outside the downtown core, leave the RV parked and explore the city without having to worry about maneuvering a large vehicle through San Francisco."
Park the RV and Let BART Handle the City Driving
For RV travelers, one of Treasure Island's biggest advantages is access to Bay Area public transportation.
The South San Francisco BART station is the closest BART station to the San Francisco RV park, providing travelers with access to San Francisco and destinations throughout the Bay Area. Treasure Island also has access to Caltrain as well as nearby Highway 101, Highway 280 and Highway 1.
That creates a particularly useful travel strategy for RV owners: drive to the Bay Area once, establish a home base, and then use transit for daily sightseeing.
Visitors can take BART into downtown San Francisco and exit at Embarcadero Station, located just steps from the historic Ferry Building.
There, travelers can visit the acclaimed Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, which operates year-round on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Saturday market features more than 100 vendors, while the weekday markets offer California produce, local foods and lunch options.
From the same transit network, visitors can continue exploring many of San Francisco's most recognizable attractions without needing to search for oversized parking or drive an RV through dense downtown streets.
An Affordable Alternative for Experiencing San Francisco
San Francisco remains one of California's premier travel destinations, but accommodations can represent a significant portion of a visitor's travel budget.
Treasure Island Mobile Home & RV Park offers short-term stays starting at $86 per night and long-term options beginning at $1,600 per month, according to current rates published by the park. Sites include full hookups with electrical, water and sewer connections, and the property is located next to Costco and within walking distance of Trader Joe's and other nearby businesses.
For Californians who already own an RV or camper van, that can create a different type of San Francisco vacation.
The result is a trip that combines two very different California travel experiences: the freedom of the open road with access to one of America's most recognizable urban destinations.
San Francisco Can Also Be the Starting Point for a Northern California Road Trip
For RV travelers, San Francisco does not have to be the final destination.
Muir Woods National Monument, located across the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County, protects approximately 550 acres of old-growth coast redwood forest.
For travelers with additional time, Yosemite National Park can become the next major stop on a California RV itinerary. The National Park Service estimates the drive from the San Francisco Bay Area to Yosemite at approximately 195 miles and advises allowing roughly four hours depending on the route, destination and road conditions.
Travelers can also use the Bay Area as a launching point for Napa and Sonoma wine country, the California coast, beaches and other destinations throughout Northern California. Treasure Island Mobile Home & RV Park provides convenient access to Highway 101, Highway 280 and the Pacific Coast Highway corridor.
Californians Are Becoming Tourists in Their Own State
Treasure Island's internal guest data suggests an interesting component of San Francisco's tourism comeback: some of the people returning to the Bay Area are not traditional long-distance tourists at all.
Approximately one in four RV guests staying at Treasure Island Mobile Home & RV Park are California residents, according to the park's guest data.
"You can live in California your entire life and still have an enormous amount left to explore," the Treasure Island representative said. "San Francisco, Muir Woods, the coastline, wine country and Yosemite are all completely different experiences, yet you can connect them through one road trip."
The renewed interest comes as San Francisco officials and tourism leaders highlight the city's recovery and encourage travelers to return. San Francisco Travel expects visitor volume and spending to increase in 2026, continuing the recovery from 2025.
About Treasure Island Mobile Home & RV Park
Treasure Island Mobile Home & RV Park is located at 1700 El Camino Real in South San Francisco, California, approximately 10 miles south of downtown San Francisco.
The park offers short-term and extended RV accommodations with full hookups and access to BART, Caltrain and major Bay Area roadways. Its convenient location provides a home base for exploring San Francisco, the Bay Area and Northern California, while guests can leave their RVs parked during urban sightseeing.
Media Contact
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Name
Treasure Island Mobile Home & RV Park
Contact name
Henry Latu
Contact phone
(650) 731-6049
Contact address
1700 El Camino Real
City
South San Francisco
State
CA
Zip
94080
Country
United States
Url
https://www.treasureislandrvpark.com/
COMTEX_490868289/2888/2026-08-17T09:32:22