Jim Creek Recreational Campground

The Knik River Public Use Area offers hundreds of miles of trails for exploring. The most prominent land features around here include the Knik Glacier, Knik River, Pioneer Peak, Jim Creek, Bodenburg Creek, Friday Creek, Metal Creek, and Hunter Creek. The high elevation Chugach Mountains—which form the Knik River Valley—make for a dramatic backdrop to the alluvial gravel bars and winding braids of the Knik River. Overall, the area feels rugged and remote, which is what makes it such a popular destination for campers, off-road enthusiasts, fixed-wing aviators, horseback riders, and boaters. If you’re a bird-watcher, boater, angler, or hunter, you’ll particularly love the sprawling lakes and wetlands complex on the north side of the river.

The area as a whole, though, offers a wide range of outdoor recreational pursuits, for all ages and interests. Park at the Sullivan trail head, for instance, and you can head south into the woods. Once you hit the main wide trail (you’ll recognize it!), just follow it east. That trail opens up into the Knik River gravel bed, with views of the Knik Glacier, and Chugach Mountains. For a quieter experience, explore the dozens of side-trails. You can’t go wrong: the views from any of them will lay your heart wide open.