Upper Skilak Lake Campground, near Kenai-Cook Inlet, Alaska, is a stunning spot for those who crave a true wilderness experience. With picturesque views of the lake and surrounding forest, it’s a prime location for camping, fishing, and wildlife watching.

The campground offers a mix of tent and RV sites, with some right on the water's edge. Visitors often mention the bear-proof food storage, which is a must in this area known for its active bear population. As one camper noted, “The stunning lake view and access made the campsite worth dealing with the bugs and bears.” 

For outdoor activities, you can hike the nearby trails or take a stroll around the expansive lake. Many campers have enjoyed fishing and boating, making the most of the beautiful scenery. Just be prepared for the occasional bug and keep an eye out for wildlife, as black and grizzly bears are frequent visitors.

While the campground has its quirks, like some less-than-stellar bathroom facilities, the overall experience is enhanced by the breathtaking views and the sense of adventure. Whether you're here for a weekend or a longer stay, Upper Skilak Lake Campground is a fantastic choice for those looking to immerse themselves in nature.

## Overview

 The Denaina people call this special place \_ Yaghanen \_ - the good land. It's also known as the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. From ice fields and glaciers to tundra, forests, and coastal wetlands, the Kenai Refuge is often called Alaska in miniature.\" Biodiversity is unusually high for this latitude because of the juxtaposition of two biomes: Sitka spruce-dominated coastal rainforest and the western-most reach of boreal forest in North America. This refuge is known for its moose, brown and black bears, lynx, wolves, trumpeter swans, and more. The Kenai River, which originates in the refuge, is renowned for its wide variety of sport fish including Chinook (king), sockeye (red), and coho (silver) salmon, Dolly Varden and rainbow trout. This refuge, including the Kenai Wilderness, is an anchor for biodiversity on the Kenai Peninsula in a time of change - including development downstream, changing climatic conditions, and change through fire. More information is available online at kenai.fws.gov or by calling the Refuge Visitor Center at 907-260-2820. Camping on the Refuge Kenai National Wildlife Refuge has a variety of roadside campgrounds. Most campsites are on a first-come, first-served bases except for the Skyview Loop in Hidden Lake Campground. Camping may not exceed 7 days in Hidden Lake Campground or 14 days elsewhere on the refuge. Federal Interagency Senior and Access Passes reduce camping fees by 50% in refuge campgrounds. 
## Recreation

 Hidden Lake Campground is found with the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge's Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area, where 100 miles of hiking trails, scenic overlooks, a scenic 16 mile drive and multiple lakes for boating can be found. Hiking: Burneys Trail is located across from Skyview Loop- site #7 and connects to Hideout Trail for a thru hike ending at mile 1.9 Skilak Lake Road. The trail is short and relatively easy with a moderately steep section near its end. This trail passes through aspen and spruce forest. At the end of Burneys Trail are views of Hidden Lake, Skilak Lake, and the Kenai Mountains. The upper part of Burneys Trail follows the fires edge of the 2019 Swan Lake Fire. Boating: Hidden Lake is open to boats, though personal watercraft (like jet skis) are not permitted. No summertime landing of aircraft is permitted on Hidden Lake. 
## Natural Features

 Kenai National Wildlife Refuge spans 1.9 million acres along the western Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. The region includes the western slopes of the Kenai Mountains, forested lowlands along Cook Inlet, rivers, lakes and wetlands. To the east is Chugach National Forest and southeast is Kenai Fjords National Park. 
## Contact Info

 For facility specific information, please call (907) 260-2820.
## Charges & Cancellations

 A $10.00 service fee will apply if you change or cancel your reservation. The $10.00 service fee will be deducted from the refund amount.

Upper Skilak Lake Campground - Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Cooper Landing. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Cooper Landing, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. You're sure to find the perfect campground for your Cooper Landing camping trip.

Cooper Landing

The Best Camping Near Cooper Landing, Alaska

This is a great campground for hiking and views.  We also saw a lot of wildlife.  A lot of the people said the fishing was good but we didn't have too much luck.

Amazing views and hikes

Quick visit while exploring the Kenai peninsula. Clean sites. Lots of bear scat! Have bear spray and keep you food in designated bear proof containers at campground. Close to plenty of lakes and hiking trails.

Upper Skilak Lake

Fishing, hiking, boating galore. Paved pads with gorgeous sites some right on the water. Tent sites at $5 a night and Standard sites for camper and RV's run $10. This beautiful lake was hit by the Swan Lake fire this year and the campgound has been closed, however we drove through last weekend and the campground survived the fire! Still nicely surrounded with trees for privacy we were very happy to see it undamaged. 

Outdoor Heaven

This is a great campground but you have to go slow in an RV. There are two sides of the road you can come from and either is rough. I highly recommend walking around the lake. It is huge and beautiful and plenty to do if you have watercraft of any kind. 

Road out here is not well maintained 

It is a bumpy road to get to this campground. Skilak road is spotty on maintenance. The decimation from the swan lake fire is still very apparent. 

If you can find a spot take it. 

Great campground fills up fast

We just stayed here one night, But they were beautiful wooded campgrounds right next to the lake. We were there during a weekday and there was only one other camper at the campground so it felt very secluded. 

Absolutely beautiful and secluded campgrounds by the lake

The stunning lake view and access made the campsite worth dealing with the bugs and bears. 

We arrived at Upper Skilak Lake Campground on a sunny Friday afternoon and managed to get the last site available. The campground was packed, including all the RV sites. We ended up in one of the walk-in tent sites. There are a total of 10 walk-in tent sites, with six right on the lake and the rest just a short walk away.

Each campsite is equipped with bear-proof storage for food, which is essential considering the active bear presence in the area. There is enough space for two tents, and the fire pits are new with adjustable grill racks, which made cooking easy. Buckets were provided to safely extinguish fires.

The campsites are a short walk from the parking lot, involving a small hill, except for one (maybe two) handicap-accessible site that offers easier access. 

During our stay, we saw black bears and grizzly bears every day. Bear scat was common on the trails and beach, adding to the sense of adventure but also requiring constant vigilance regarding food storage and safety.

The park rangers were friendly and stopped by our site each night to check in and talk about bear sightings. However, one morning, a ranger accompanied by a few volunteers walked into our site while we were eating, which felt somewhat invasive.

The main downside was the state of the bathrooms. They were extremely dirty, with one stall that didn’t lock and another that had no toilet paper. The smell was terrible, and overall, the facilities were not well-maintained.

By the time we left on Monday, we were the only campers remaining, which offered a peaceful end to our stay.

Overall, Upper Skilak Lake Campground offers a beautiful location and a genuine wilderness experience, the poor condition of the bathrooms and significant amount of bugs were the only drawback. 

Be prepared for bears and lots of bugs. The lake, the trails, and experience were definitely worth the trip. 

Photos of Upper Skilak Lake Campground - Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

Real photos from real campers