JCGibson
Anchorage, Alaska
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Joined: 08/01/2006
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The USFS campgrounds are our favorite ones, only thing that would make them perfect would be hookups.
Williwaw is gorgeous. Has many sites that will hold big rigs. Our rig is listed below in my signature. The 5er is 37'.
Quartz Creek is my kids favorite because it has a lot of room for riding bikes.
We also like Porcupine in Hope. It is a small campground of about 25 sites or so with only about 4 sites that will take a bigger rig, but last weekend our site #4 was right on a bluff overlooking the inlet.
Tenderfoot Creek which is closed for renovations this year is also a nice campground at the back of Summit Lake.
For State Park Campgrounds, one of our favorite is Eklutna Lake. It is dry and the sites are paved much like the USFS campgrounds. There is a nice trail that can be hiked, biked, etc. There is a boat and bike rental area as well.
Also, if you are military, there is a small dry camping campground at Otter Lake on Ft. Richardson, near Anchorage. This is right on a small kettle lake where the Army has a boat rental facility for paddle boats or canoes. It has beutiful scenery also.
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ak_traveler
Fairbanks, Alaska
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Joined: 04/23/2005
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Don't want to start a debate on this, but here is another suggestion...
Anyone who has been to Blueberry Lake outside of Valdez will appreciate the views from this high alpine campground. Now granted, the views are sometimes hard to come by - being obscured by rain clouds a lot of the time. But if you can hit it when the clouds are gone the panorama is breathtaking!
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alaskasafari
Fairbanks, Alaska
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Joined: 08/09/2007
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Quartz Creek is hard to beat... it's one of our favorite spots.
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TenOC
On the road -- Full time
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Joined: 03/08/2004
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JCGibson wrote:T.
We also like Porcupine in Hope. It is a small campground of about 25 sites or so with only about 4 sites that will take a bigger rig, but last weekend our site #4 was right on a bluff overlooking the inlet
.
I can not suggest Porcupine because it is "to small ???" for big rigs.
Please give me enough troubles, uncertainty, problems, obstacles and STRESS so that I do not become arrogant, proud, and smug in my own abilities, and enough blessings and good times that I realize that someone else is in charge of my life.
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jlawless
north america
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Joined: 07/23/2007
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Tons of awesome dry camps in Alaska.
Deadman's Camp in Tetlin NWR is great and free.
Anchor Point. Our favorite spot overlooks a patch of fireweed, the beach, Cook Inlet, and 2 volcanoes (Mt. Redoubt, and Mt. Illiamna). We stay here to visit Homer because it is nicer and quieter and only 10 miles away from Homer. Best sunsets.
Byers Lake. In heavy vegetation and not for the mosquito-phobic, but great quiet campground and nice natural lake for canoeing. Great views of Denali from on the lake.
Chena River State Recreation Area. Dry camp anywhere along Chena River on Chena Hot Springs Road miles 33 and up. Great moose watching, 2 lynx sightings.
"Whenever you find that you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform."
Mark Twain
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robanddi
Burton TX USA
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Joined: 08/11/2003
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New Candidate: Childs Glacier Nat'l Forest Rec Area and Campground
Well, we think we may have found the best dry camping site in Alaska. It is not all that easy/cheap to get to but the trip is worth it I assure you. Take the ferry from either Valdez or Whittier to Cordova. Town is fishing centered but they are struggling to get some of the tourist trade. There is a campground in town (we stayed there one night since ferry arrived after 7 pm) but the place to go is the $1,000,000 bridge and US Forest Service campground situated across the Copper River from Childs Glacier. Heard the forest service spent $12,000,000 on the campground last year and it looks it. There are no hookups, dump station or water fill but there are both RV and tent sites as well as covered picnic areas and many nice new chemical toilets. There are 11 RV sites which will accommodate the biggest rig and four are pull thrus. The icing on the cake were the host and hostess – two of the nicest and friendliest people we have met. They are from Lafayette, Louisiana, and have been full timing for 13 years.
Bridge is just under 50 miles from Cordova and road is paved first 13 miles (to airport) and then gravel. It is straight as an arrow with only a couple of “S” curves and many small concrete bridges crossing tributaries or ‘braids’ of the Copper River delta. There are numerous trailheads but we only took the hike up Haystack (about 20 miles out of town) and the 2 mile round trip hike from campground to the bridge. Saw bald eagles and one male moose driving out but there was a black bear in camp while we were there. Also saw small/medium size brown bear driving back to town.
Now how to describe Childs Glacier. It is 300-400’ high (off the surface of the river); 3 ½ miles wide; and goes back 12 ½ miles to the icefield. It is the only advancing/receding glacier in the world that dumps on a river according to the host. From the viewing area it is about ¼ mile across the river to the face of the glacier. When we set up camp, we could hear pistol shots (cracking of ice). The three days we camped here, the glacier face was active under overcast skies, in the rain and with bright sun shining. Even at night we hear what sounds like thunder but isn’t and sometimes it even shakes the motor home.
What is so neat about this glacier is that, unlike on a boat, you can pick a spot and stay there as long as you want scanning back and forth looking for tell tale signs of imminent calving. There are multiple viewpoints and most have benches and fire rings. We saw some biggies fall but nothing like what happened in 1993. According to the brochure the face collapsed (???) and caused a 30’ high wave to wash up the beach and hit the viewing area (30’ or so above the river). Car size icebergs were tossed on the beach and viewing area. No one was killed but people were swept into the trees by the wave.
The blue color is dark and deep and amazing to watch thru the binoculars. Again not being on a boat, you are steady so you can really study the face. Because of the frequent calving, the face changes hour by hour and each day you wake up to a ‘new’ glacier front.
The bridge (to nowhere) and its history is also interesting. It was built in 1910 to carry rail traffic from the Kennicot Copper Mine to Cordova. When mine closed, bridge was converted for auto traffic and there were plans to build road to connect Cordova to Chitnia but 4th span collapsed in 1964 earthquake. In 2005 a trucker carrying rock load wrecked on the wooden ramp put in place where span collapsed. He was almost killed so they jacked up the span somehow and reconnected it. The road goes about 2 ½ miles further; it is said you can go 10 miles with 4-wheel drive and high clearance. River is high now and we can’t really see how you could cross. We certainly were not going to try it in our 4-wheel drive Avalanche. From the bridge you can see both the Childs Glacier and the Miles Lake and Glacier further up stream.
Diann
Couple of pictures of area
* This post was
edited 07/30/08 08:57pm by robanddi *
Robert & Diann
2001 34' Foretravel U270
2004 Avalanche
Burton TX
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JCGibson
Anchorage, Alaska
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TenOC wrote:JCGibson wrote:T.
We also like Porcupine in Hope. It is a small campground of about 25 sites or so with only about 4 sites that will take a bigger rig, but last weekend our site #4 was right on a bluff overlooking the inlet
.
I can not suggest Porcupine because it is "to small ???" for big rigs.
That is true. I think our site that we had was the only one that might work for a big rig. We didn't have any problem with our 37' 5er and Dodge megacab going through the campground, but we went really slow. The main difficult point is the road going into the campground.
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lanerd
Ridgecrest, CA
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Joined: 03/03/2003
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We just spent tuesday nite at Williwaw. Fantastic campground. Not knowing any better, I had made reservations at an extra cost of $9.00. When we got there, only about four or five sites had rigs in them. Open spots for the picking!!!
Not sure if it is the "best", but is most certainly is a very nice place with great scenic sites and nice trails to hike. We also did the short drive over to Whittier through the tunnel. Great experience.
Ron
Ron & Sandie
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robanddi
Burton TX USA
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We spent last night at Williwaw and were impressed. The site was big, private but with a view (as most of the sites are since the view is up). Enjoyed watching some salmon in the viewing area which was almost next door to our site. I still like Childs Glacier best BUT if you factor in ease and cost of getting there, this NF campstie has got to be near the top of the list.
Diann
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deerhntr
Kutztown,PA
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Joined: 08/17/2007
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Folks,
I'm really surprised that no one mentioned the NFS campground at the Russian river. My only guess would be the limitation on "Big Rigs". We just finished our annual two week trip to the "great state", and as always the Russian River campground stands out head and shoulders above the rest. The campground is set on a high plateau above the Kenai and Russian River,The mountain and river views are simply put phenomenal. Of course there is the sockeye, trout, and dollie fishing. We also met some graduate students there surveying Native American Archaeological sites, and got to see the remains of ancient fishing camps and lodges. Like most of the CGs in Chugach NF, the sites are paved, Level, and VERY widely spaced. The only down side is, during fishing season you can only stay 3 days. You then have to leave a day, then come back for 3 more. There is access to some great hiking trail if you are not a fisher"person". I you haven't camped there yet give this one a shot!
Russ
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