Honestly, when we first pulled in I was bummed. I thought we'd hit a bad spot. Until we ventured in…read moreand realized the camp sites here back up to cooper creek, just a short jaunt from the sites. Super private, gorgeous, very Alaska. We loved it so much we went to our next stay and came back the following day to stay at the river side of the campground (warning - that side is first come, first serve so arrive before 11!). Bonus points - the host is amazing and no one cares if your dog is off leash.

There are several campgrounds located in Cooper Landing and the immediate vicinity. Apart from…read moreSkilak Lake Recreation Area, Cooper Creek Campground is my personal favorite because some of the spots overlook the water. It's sort of a strange set up because the campground is bisected in half by the main road that runs through Cooper Landing (hence the confusion regarding the North and South campgrounds.) They are ONE campground with one host. The sites on the South side overlook Cooper Creek and the sites on the North Side overlook the beautiful aquamarine shores of the Kenai River. Can you guess which side I prefer? Sites have picnic tables and fire pits. There's a total of 26 sites. Most of them can accommodate an RV, but this is an older campground with some erosion issues, so you need to be a good parker to stick the landing. Lol. I don't recall seeing any pull through sites. There's a dumpster, bear boxes, pit toilets, hand pump water and firewood for sale. You can not fish or launch a boat from any part of this campground. River access is very nearby in either direction. Bears are a real consideration, so one needs to plan accordingly. Reservations are absolutely necessary during fishing season.

So while I stand by my initial review of the campground, the trail here is incredible. It's one of…read morethe most bang-for-your-buck hikes I've ever done in Alaska. The first mile and a half is fairly flat and has a spectacular view of the creek, mountains, flowers and berries I've ever seen in such an accessible location. It then shifts to an gentle uphill hike without boreal shade. I recommend a machete if you plan on going further. The Devils Club is wicked beyond this point unless it's fall. There is absolutely no cell service here so be sure to bring emergency supplies and appropriate preparation for Alaskan animals and volatile weather.

Gaft, I cannot pronounce this place!!…read more Ptarmigan is part of the Chugach National Forest off Mile 23 on Seward Highway. If you're on your way to Harding Icefield/ Exit Glacier or back to Anchroage, Ptarmigan is worth a stop! So thanks to my hyper active bladder and my constant imbibing of crisp glacier water, I really needed to pee!!!! Thankfully, toilets were not far off and found ourselves here. Toilet is standard outhouse thing. Nothing fancy. But what IS cool is that there is fish viewing from Aug-Sept!!! FREE OF CHARGE!! We saw some tours wanting to charge for this, psh!!! Anyway, we got to the side of the creek... and saw red sockeye salmon swimming against current... waiting to mate, lay eggs and die =(. There were so many of them too!!! Here's something I didn't know...salmon gets its red color when they are spawning (so you don't want to eat these since they are old). When they are young, they are silver in color. Huh! =) Also (didn't know this), but apparently there is an abundance of rainbow trout during mating season. They come and eat up the salmon eggs (roe). Luckily, people are able to fish for rainbow trout and dolly varden fish (june 11 - may 1st). Absolutely no salmon fishing all season!! We did see some fishers there, but they told us that they were there for catch & release only.

This park has stunning views. I got to spend a day in Seward after a long week of doing work in…read moreSoldotna. Seward Waterfront Park is known mostly for their campground area. I didn't camp, but did spend some time walking around the park and taking pictures of the mountain range on the other side of Resurrection Bay. There are restrooms, picnics tables and shower houses at the park. Seward Waterfront Park extends from the boat harbor to the Alaska SeaLife Center near the downtown area. For activities, there are historical landmarks and interpretive signs along the Sea Otter Trail, a skatepark, wildlife viewing, RV parking, camping and a playground. When I was here, there was a cruise ship parked in the terminal. The best part for me was the view of the mountain range from across the bay. The snow on the mountains made for some beautiful photos.

Absolutely stunning. Each spot has a fire pit, but it's dry, no water or power. You can pull right…read moreup to the water. Otters swimming right in front of us. Walk right to the local bars and shopping. It's stunning.

Beautiful location for a campground. Good for families and people who like camping next to all the…read moreamenities. The campground is in town, with a beautiful view of the mountains and water. Sites are very close together. So if you are looking for solitude and a natural experience, this is NOT it. However, if you prefer a campground with all facilities, a playground, beautiful views and you want the safety to be in town, this is an excellent spot.

Loved it. Extremely beautiful. Although Everyone's first option is waterfront campground but this…read moreis far more beautiful , right at the middle of the jungle , serene and quite. There are also sites available late at night.

Black Bear Campground is a very small, 10 site campground located in the Chugach National Forest…read moredown the road from Portage Glacier. The sites are spacious and open, so they do not afford much privacy. Each space has a fire ring, a parking spot, a picnic table and enough room for several average sized tents. The campground is in a conifer forest, so there's plenty of trees to attach tarps and whatnot to, which would be wise given there is LOTS of light, but persistent precipitation in this part of Alaska. Although this campground is located in valley, you really can't see the mountains or glaciers that ring the location because of the abundance of trees. Despite that, I personally think these campsites are prettier than those located over at Williwaw Campground. There are bear dumpsters on site, hand pumps for potable water and outhouses. There is no firewood or campsite host here; however, the campsite host is located less than 1 mile down the road at Williwaw. Black Bear Campground is located along the Trail of Blue Ice: http://www.alyeskaresort.com/Alyeska/SiteAssets/files/mountain/Trail%20of%20Blue%20Ice.pdf . The campsites with the highest numbers (8,9, 10) are closest to the river, so keep this in mind if you have small children. The sites are big enough to accomodate a RV, but the Williwaw campsites are set up more with RV's in mind. Black Bear Campground certainly isn't the best campground in the area, and for $18 a day, I'd probably stay somewhere else. However, that being said, if you plan to spend time hiking the very easy, very family friendly Trail of Blue Ice, or plan to spend a day in Whittier or Portage, this is a very convinient location to make base camp for a day or two. After that you will have exhausted the activities in the area. To reserve a spot in advance log on to: http://www.recreation.gov/. In addition to the $18 they charge a booking fee of $9. Otherwise the campsites are first come-first served. During July, without a reservation you run the risk of arriving and finding all the campsites taken.

I've been here multiple times. Get there early during the summer months to grab a spot. There are…read morehiking trails and bike paths nearby. Always a good time. Bring your rain jacket because between those mountains can get rainy sometimes.

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.

Super relieved to be able to confirm after my visit that Hidden Lake was essentially unaffected by…read morethe Swann Lake fire. All the services (toilets, dump site, amphitheater, boat launch, campsites, etc) were not touched by the flames. However, from the lake shore (boat launch and day use area) there is visible fire damage so the fire came VERY VERY close. So if you intend to hike while in Skilak you'll likely want to go southerly, as we observed heavy fire damage from mile zero through mile 4. But the fire did jump all over the place so you may want to confirm with the park service if you have specific questions about trails or the back country.

Awesome well laid out USDA campground!…read more Great place to stay for fishing at the Russian River, floating the Kenai river, or hiking the numerous trails. Just remember to bring bear spray and/or firearm for bear protection. Numerous parking available if you arrive early enough and with a reservation.

Russian River Campground has got to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest in Kenai and maybe…read moreall of Alaska. It is a massive, sprawling complex that encompasses many camping areas, day uses areas, trails, and of course river access for fishing. I HIGHLY recommend bringing a bike, scooter, skateboard or roller blades if you plan to stay here because of the distance from one area to the next. You definitely need bear spray and or a gun as well. One of the things that makes Russian River unusual is it actually has an TV dumpster AND limited running potable water for drinking (both if which are unusual in state and federal parks in Alaska). Most parks have hand pump water. Pit toilets, no sinks, no showers. The camp sites can accommodate large RVs. Some are pullthrough, but most are not. The sites are very functional, but much to close together for my liking. I wonder if that was deliberate to discourage the bears... There's no privacy in 98% of the camp sites. They all have a picnic table, bear box and fire pit. You DEFINITELY need to make reservations online during peak season. This campground runs at capacity during fishing season. Sites are 18 bucks. I personally wouldn't stay here because of how close together the campsites are and none of them have water view. I definitely will be making use of the day use areas and trails in the future. I think most people staying here will find it satisfactory all in all.

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!