GORGEOUS National Park campground. When people imagine camping, this is probably what most people…read morethink of. These campsites are all of a gracious size and some of them have spectacular views of Porcupine Creek in Resurrection Bay. Be sure to make reservations (online or over the phone) ahead of time or you will probably not get a spot and end up and the Seaview RV Park instead. Porcupine Campground is nicely wooded and many of the spots give a real sense of privacy which is surprisingly hard to find in a lot of campgrounds in South Central Alaska. They seem to think that since the state is so big we must all like to be crammed together like sardines (safety in numbers?) Thankfully, Porcupine Campground allows plenty of room so you can stretch out and relax. Tent spots are $15 per night, plus a $9 booking fee if you book ahead. Pay the booking fee or take a HUGE chance there won't be any spots for you. You can check online first before you take the drive if you don't have a reservation.

I like this campground if I want to stay close to Anchorage because it has typical amenities. It is…read moreclose to a great trail, views of the inlet, camp area with a fire pit and picnic table, and there is bathrooms and water if needed. I like to camp on the spots to the right so I can have a view of the inlet, but a lot of the camp spaces are decently situated to feel private enough from the next camper. There is a camp host in the summer that will sell wood and collect camp fees. Will come to camp again.

I have a lot to say about this campground, but I just want to write a quick review for the time…read morebeing. Porcupine Campground in Hope is my favorite, but Trail River is a very close second. It has all the things I love - outstanding views of the mountains; tons of trees; relatively private, large sites that can accommodate RV's; not one but two impressive bodies of water; plenty of places to explore and NO CELL SERVICE. The campground is in the middle of nowhere (Crown Point, which essentially doesn't exist since it doesn't have a zip code.) It's at mile 24.2 of the Seward Highway, about halfway between Moose Pass and Seward. GPS coordinates are GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude): 60.41472, -149.38028 60°24'53"N, 149°22'49"W This is a huge campground with about 80 sites on 3 loops. But even so, reservations on summer weekends are pretty much a necessity. Sites are $18 a day. Make reservations here: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/trail-river/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=70678 The best campsites are on Kenai Lake (see my close up shots of the map), almost all of which are tent-only sites. Only 2 RV sites are on Kenai Lake, #72 and 70. 73 is also near the lake. Ironically, none of the campsites are on the Trail River. You have to drive, bike or walk down the Trail River access road a little ways to view the MAGNIFICENT river, which is in my opinion, more beautiful than the Kenai and Russian Rivers. The plants here are really interesting. And I heard more bird song than I've heard anywhere else I've camped. I awoke every morning to the most beautiful sounds. Really I want to write so much more about how awesome Trail River is, but I'm tired from camping. LOL If you have any questions, PM me.

We decided to go camping last minute with the kids on a Friday after work. We packed up and started…read moredriving, not knowing where we would camp. We drove by two others and found Trail River Campground, found a spot that wasn't reserved, and set up camp. It was spacious and clean with all things ready--fire pit, table, and tent space. For a last-minute camp trip, it worked out great, and we had fun. We would visit again and recommend to others.

Stayed at campground and enjoyed fishing and the sea view restaurant...very true Alaska (2023)read more

The Seaview Cafe happens to own most of downtown Hope where everyone fishes, and as such, they've…read moregot all the most centrally located campsites for tents, RV's and cabins. If you want to be on top of the fish in Hope and right on the river, then Seaview campsites are what you want. These campsites have ZERO privacy except for seagrass. The tent campsites also aren't really marked very well, so it's pretty much a free for all. The RV hookup spots are clearly marked, but those spots are uglier than hell to be honest. There area FEW tent campsites that are actually cute and have trees, but that's only maybe 3 or 4 of them. Most of them are right on the inlet, depending on which direction you're facing you have a beautiful view of inlet and nature OR alternately you can have a few of cruddy portapotties and RV's. This is definitely a PARTYING campground and not the best locale for people who want solitude. Since the campground is right there in town, the live music from the restaurants reverberates through whole area, which creates a real festive atmosphere. The port a pots at the campground are an absolute nightmare, but the Hope public restroom is a short walk and worth walking to. No showers, so welcome to stinkdom! The Seaview is some of the most inexpensive camping I've seen anywhere in Alaska, so if you're on a budget, this is your spot. Tent spots are only 6 bucks! RV spots are $20 with electric or $15 without. Serious bargain!

Whether you like this campground or not depends on what you're looking for. If proximity to…read moreAnchorage, easy access to salmon fishing and easy trails, and safety in numbers are important to you, then this is a winner. Relative to a lot of other campsites with fishing access, the likelihood of bear encounters is SOMEWHAT less due to its direct proximity to the highway, and nominal greenway for bears to hide in. There's a small buffer of trees between the highway and the campground, so bears have adequate space to sneak up if they're so inclined (this is Alaska, after all) so the highway noise is noticeable from all of the campsites. (I did a very thorough walk through of the campground and the perimeter and found evidence of one black bear who appeared to be "passing through"). The only site you may not notice the sound of the highway would be the Beluga cabin, which backs up against the train tracks. Some campers may find trainsounds bothersome. I happen to like train noises, (I grew up 2 blocks from train tracks), but if the honking bothers you DO NOT CAMP HERE since the tracks are REALLY CLOSE. They have to honk to warm idiots that walk on the tracks. Alaskans and tourists alike seem to like to tempt fate and play chicken with the train. A few points to note- there's only one bear box for the whole campground. I find this REALLY IRRITATING, but a common theme at a lot of Alaskan campgrounds, despite the pleas to keep our campsites food and fragrance free. (Grrrr please supply more flipping bear boxes!!!!) There are 3 pit toilets; one dumpster ; you can pay with cash, check or credit card (there's an electronic pay station); the 2 cabins have to be paid for in advance on line; the campsite is within cell/internet service; in 2022 there is NO camp host which means the toilets are getting minimal servicing so BRING YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER (ans SANITIZER if you're a germiphobe like me), so be sure you have the firewood you need prior to arrival. You should bring your own drinking and washing water as well; the handpump here is the worst I've ever used and is need if some serious maintenance. It requires the strength if two men to get going- I think it needs to be oiled??? The water is gross anyway- better to get your washing water from a creek before arrival and brink bottle or tap water for drinking. Some of the sites do NOT accommodate tents due to the gravel and lack of trees. All the RV spots are back in, none are pull-through. The campground has a nice nature trail and connects with a paved bike trail. You can walk to the salmon fishing site down the street. There is also a village gas station, bar, motel, and two small restaurants within plus or minus a mile of the campground. For me, this campground is convenient given its proximity to Anchorage, although I think 20 bucks a night is a little steep given there's no host. I saw a lot of other Anchoragites of the same mind. We'll probably be back.

Very clean and well maintained campground! Outhouses are frequently cleaned and restocked, trash…read moreservice on site, camp spots are nice big graveled pads with a large picnic table, big fire ring and small cleared areas for tents. 2 vehicle limit per spot. There are trees throughout the grounds, so there is a feeling of privacy. Great for both tent or RV camping. Location is beautiful with lots of site seeing close by. I saw beluga whales! It is easy to locate from the highway as it's the turn at the only overhead light in any direction for a LONG ways. Directly across the street is a gas station to pop in for ice or snacks or fuel.

Bertha Creek is a lovely little wooded campground nestled between Girdwood and Hope in the middle…read moreof nowhere Alaska. It's funny because it's only 3ish miles away from its sister campground Granite Creek, but somehow Bertha feels just right. Most of the sites are cozily shaded amongst the ample spruce trees and nicely spaced apart. There are a few sites on the south side of the campground that get sun in the afternoon and have a stunning view of the surrounding mountains. Bertha Creek wraps very closely around the perimeter of the campground, but none of the sites have a creek view due to undergrowth. I'm guessing the creek is a class 3 rapids, so it makes sense that the sites would be a little distance in the event the creek floods or changes paths over the years. There is a darling waterfall just a few hundred feet from the nearest campsite and I've decided that I'm DEFINITELY camping here next year so we can spend the day frolicking in the water. I'm packing my waders and gonna try to see if it's scalable. The waterfall is blissfully moss covered a la Fern Gully, so I'm probably fooling myself, but I can dream... at the very least I plan to spend a few years sunning myself along the banks of this beauty. OK, details: No campsite host. He's down the road a Granite Creek. So if you need firewood, it's about a 3 mile trek. One bear box for the whole campground. Clean, "modern" pit toilets. No running water, but there are water pumps. $14 per night, no reservations. I highly doubt this campground ever fills up due to its remoteness. Sites are large enough for Small RVs. There aren't any pullthroughs, so ginormous RVS might have trouble, but it's doable if you're a good driver. This is an ideal site for tents, but I do believe bears are a real concern, so be prepared. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day. Johnson Pass Trail is the nearest attraction. This is really the middle of nowhere. Six Mile Creek and Hope are the next nearest things to do. Girdwood, about 40 minutes away is the next nearest gas station, grocery store and Rv dump station. One aside, it looks like the Forest Service is working on some improvements here... they built a heavy duty bridge to nowhere over the creek so maybe there is an awesome trail in the works? Bertha Creek is really gorgeous so I'm excited to see what the finished product will be!

I know, I know, I'm two-staring a hiking trail…read more I'm going to nature-appreciation-hell. So be it. This trail is beloved by many, but I just don't get it. I've only done the first 12 miles of this 38 mile trail and...they were a total bore. The "bang-for-buck" on this one is very low. This would be a great trail in upstate NY or Vermont. For Alaska though? It's a total snooze fest. It seems to get most of its hype because: 1) It's really well-maintained (no bushwhacking). 2) If you plan ahead, you can stay in cabins. 3) There is very little elevation gain It would probably be a fun mountain bike too. (mountain bikes are allowed, not common for most Alaska trails) For a hike or a backpacking trip on foot though? Boring. You're in the trees most of the time. When there's a clearing, you are looking at the types of mountains Alaskans call "hills". They aren't steep, they aren't tall, they're short and gentle. Many are shorter than peaks in the Appalachian mountains of the lower 48. There are no glaciers to see. There isn't much wildlife (I only saw a few birds in 12 miles of hiking). The trail gets really icy in the winter. (definitely bring micro-spikes if hiking in/through then) The cabins (we stayed at Fox Creek Cabin, future review coming up) are not well stocked with wood in the winter. Make sure you bring a few duralogs if you're hiking in in the winter. I'm glad Alaska has a trail like this, and I'm glad it's popular. It'll keep the crowds away from the better hikes :)

This is such a beautiful state park. I had the pleasure to go here during my stay in Alaska. I…read morewould highly recommend going and just taking it the beautiful site.

I still stand by my original statement that Chugach State Patk is the best park about living in…read moreAnchorage. However, many of the lane expansion and safety measures that are ongoing on Seward Highway do and will a have lasting impact on much of the easily accessible entry points of the park. Some of my favorite points, such as Windy Corner, are going to be completely eliminated in one of the lane expansion projects for the highway, with no plans for remediation or replacement. For Tourists, I would also like to point out another very impoont I failed to mention in my previous review. Make VERY CAREFUL REVIEW OF STATE AND FEDERAL website maps to be sure you understand where the boundaries between Chugach STATE forest and Chugach NATIONAL forest are. This will ensure you understand fees and the location of campsites, cabins, and accessibility.

A word of caution: this trail is BRUTAL in the winter…read more I think it's because the people of Hope rarely hike it then. The final 3 miles were pure misery, non-stop post-holing. It took us nearly 7 hours RT, this shocked my climbing partner and I both. In the summer, I imagine it can comfortably be done in half that time. The trail is mostly flat, and 5 miles, one-way. At the 5 mile mark, there are some places to camp. This would be a great trip for a beginning backpacker. Most of South-central was socked in when we hiked it, so the views at the end were just OK. Already dreaming of a warm, summery, Corona-free hike in the future. Will re-review it then. As it stands now, it's high-effort, low-reward. You'd be better served by a higher elevation, but more frequently used trail in the winter. (like Flattop, Powerline Pass, Rabbit Creek, etc)

Gull Rock Trail, located in the Chugach National Forest, is a really excellent, moderately easy…read moretrail that has a lot to see and explore. Able bodied adults, children and seniors will enjoy this trail as long as they go prepared for some terrain changes and the misty rain that enevitably descends on hikers in this part of Alaska. To access Gull Rock Trail, take Hope Highway to the end and the entrance and parking lot are on the left. If you are camping at Porcupine Campground, you can access the trail from a 2ndary trail head there as well (which carves .5 miles off the one way distance of the hike.) There is no public parking in the Porcupine Campground to access the trail, so hikers are best off parking at the main trailhead (or camping at Porcupine... make reservations online or you'll NEVER get spot !) Unfortunately I jacked up my knee right before my vacation (argh!) so I was only able to hike about half the trail but it was very enjoyable but not terribly challenging. There's some elevation changes, but not more than about 500 feet elevation gain total. The terrain, however changes a lot. There's rainforest, birch forest, pine forests, talus (rockslidy areas), views of the inlet and the mountains. It's a nice bit of everything. There's some minimal berry picking as well, but nothing particularly exciting. There are some water sources about, so if you bring a water purifier along with you you'll stay well hydrated. There's also, unfortunately ample mosquitos. It's DEFINITELY a trail you want to be prepared for wildlife encounters (bear spray/gun), injuries (first aid pack), and basic survival stuff (a way to purify water, start a fire and a space blanket). Most of the trail has cell service since across the inlet is Seward Highway (which you can see in some spots). But there are dead spots and if you get hurt, no one's gonna find you for a while, so be prepared to hunker down. We had a bear scare on the trail because in some places the brush and shrubbery is flush with the trail. That always makes me a little squirrley. Especially if you take kids with you, be prepared for large animal encounters. There's not a lot of traffic on this trail past mile 2, so it's pretty secluded for some nice quiet time with nature. Enjoy!

Kudos to Joy G for snagging the FTR on this one! (and shame on my for missing it!)…read more This is one of two trails in Hope. Both are very well maintained. The other one, Gull Rock, is flat the entire time: https://www.yelp.com/biz/gull-rock-trail-hope This one, should you take it all the way to the top of Hope Point (3,708'), if you want to take it that far! Views from the top are incredible. You get views of the many peaks of the arm that you just can't get driving to Girdwood because, well, you're too close to the mountains to see their full profiles! This trail is also unique in that it melts out pretty early season (May) for how relatively high it is. More details on Joy G's review, check it out!

Hope Point trail has 2 access points. You can park at the free parking lot that shares the trail…read morehead will Gull Rock Trail for the first mile. Or, if you're lucky enough to be camping at Porcupine Campground, you can start your hike at the unmarked trailhead that starts at the entrance to the campground where the bridge crosses Porcupine Creek. It takes through a much prettier walk through the forest full if beautiful flora and the sounds if rushing water. We hiked both and agree this was much nicer. We didn't have time to hike the whole trail since we also did part of Gull Rock this day, but turned around due to overgrowth and a TON of bear scat on the trail. Hope Point is much rockier and steeper, and doesn't have the same pretty views as Gull, but I also don't want to be mauled by a brown bear. We'll definitely do this trail again.