Harding Lake State Recreation Area, near Salcha, Alaska, is a fantastic spot for families and outdoor lovers alike. This campground offers a scenic setting with a boat launch into Harding Lake, making it a great base for water activities and exploration.

The facilities here are impressive, with clean bathrooms and a friendly host who keeps everything in top shape. Campers have enjoyed the spacious sites, which provide a good amount of privacy, and many have raved about the baseball field that adds a fun twist to the camping experience. As one visitor put it, “It’s like wandering through a moss grove and emerging into a boreal baseball field.”

For those looking to stretch their legs, there are nature trails and picnic areas scattered throughout the campground. Kids will love the water play area, and wildlife sightings, including moose, are a delightful bonus. Just be prepared for the mosquitoes; they can be quite the nuisance, especially in the warmer months.

With a variety of accommodation options, including tents, RVs, and cabins, Harding Lake State Recreation Area caters to different camping styles. Plus, it’s conveniently located near other lakes and outdoor attractions, making it a solid choice for a memorable Alaskan adventure.

The main campground, consisting of 78 vehicle and five walk-in sites, is located in a spruce/birch forest. Many vehicle sites are large enough to accommodate large motor homes or trailers. There is a limit of six people and two vehicles per campsite. Some sites are adjacent to others, allowing groups to park together. Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. Firewood can also be purchased at the campground. Please use existing fire rings and picnic tables. Sanitary dump station, free if camping at Harding, $5 fee if dumping without camping.

Additional camping space is now also available for self-contained units week days at the Lakefront day use area and additional camping for up to 10 camp units is available in the Camp Lot camping area, which is located close to the lake.

Harding Lake State Recreation Area

Salcha, AK is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Salcha is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Find the best campgrounds near Salcha, AK. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.

Salcha

The Best Camping Near Salcha, Alaska

Beautiful campground with much to do all around. The Kenai Fjords National Park is close distance.

Quiet, clean campground in Alaska

This was a campground with a fun water area for the children. There was a boat launch and water that we could walk very far out in with the children. There were about 70-80 site options, nice walking/bike trails, picnic areas, fire rings, water play area. It felt like there were plenty of camping options with privacy. There were plenty of opportunities to view wildlife as moose came running through our campsite. There was a field through the woods that people were playing softball in late which was fun to watch. I feel like this was a pretty basic campground but the children loved getting into the water.

Swim area

This was a nice campground with a friendly couple hosting. The spaces were spaced out with privacy trees. I think we scored one of the best spots number 11. The mosquitoes were unbearable outside and in 73 degree weather you needed to be completely covered. The water was so high that the only water play area was the boat launch area. The kids still had a great time but I would check the water level before coming back. There is a dump station, water, and plenty of bathrooms throughout the campground. It is a party campground for water activities so expect noise well after 2am. There are no electric hookups. The closest store is about 10 minutes down the road and has your basic essentials. There are other lakes to visit within an hour radius which makes this a fun location. There is a baseball/soccer field on site which was a lot of fun for the children to run off so energy and it wasn’t very buggy. The water pump was turned off due to Covid19. There’s a water toys rental by the boat launch that offers paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards $25/2 hours or $35 for all day. They are only open Friday-Sunday or by appointment. 

Mosquitoville

I go there every year for a couple months, pretty nice

Incredible!

**Harding Lake State Recreation Area** is a shady and scenic site about twenty minutes from North Pole. The lesser-known and elder cousin of the many water-themed state recreation areas that trace the Richardson Highway from Fairbanks to Delta Junction.  
  
This large and accommodating campground boasts a boat launch into Harding Lake, a baseball field, a large group recreation area near the water, a self-guided nature trail, a trailer dump site, and unpotable bulk water--along with various bathrooms with trash receptacles. 

  

Our family of 5 tent camped in May and had a fantastic weekend. **The sandlot-reminiscent baseball field was a rare and magical find** that suited our family's wiffleball addiction perfectly. It's like wandering through a moss grove and emerging into a boreal. baseball field. A subarctic Field of Dreams. I also hit two first-pitch homeruns off my 9 and 5 year old--which may or not be related to the magic of this field--but I choose to believe.

  

**The spacious and thoughtfully-designed campground certainly feels beyond its prime**\--old, unserviceable water pumps (perhaps not yet operable for the season); aspen saplings dotting the baseball infield; and many downed spruces over the nature trail. The posted maps are a little outdated. However, **the campground boasted some of the cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen, anywhere**\-with a very friendly on-site host who came by to chat and kept the facilities in pristine condition.  The camping spots are well-placed along the loop to allow for varying degrees of privacy between sites.  
  
Mosquitoes are everywhere in springtime Alaska--please let me know when you find a campground in a birch forest without them. That said, **bring all the bug repellant and preventative measures you can muster**. I was swarmed by a biblical cloud of man-eating Culicidae when we first pulled in--but they soon dispersed and only became annoying for intermittent periods.   
  
Overall this was a magnificent campground, quiet and clean, with plenty for the kids to do. Fantastic and memorable experience.

Photos of Harding Lake State Recreation Area

Real photos from real campers