Best Cabin Camping near Anchorage, AK

This is a cabin rental out in Willow. If you are looking at taking an Alaska trip or need a getaway with out having to pack all your gear this place in an option.

Camping at Eklutna Lake is convenient for people wanting to get away but don't want to deal with hours of driving. This campground is a short jaunt from Anchorage and features nice paved pads for parking, fire pits, picnic tables, etc. No reservations required but that also means spots fill up as the weekend approaches. The campground road is paved and it's nice for walking/biking. Bears have been known to wander through this area. One summer a bear clawed its way into a tent trying to get at toothpaste in a backpack!

The lake is the source of Anchorage's drinking water so it's a cool visual representation of the importance of keeping our waterways clean. Makes sense that no motorized crafts are allowed here. We've kayaked on the lake and the vistas are amazing. Always wear a life jacket! Watch out for the wind - it can whip up the surface of the water and make for a treacherous and difficult paddle.

About 45 minutes from Anchorage and no cell phone service. Sites are surrounded by trees and not too close together. RVs with generators make it loud at times, but there are a few walk in sites available. Lake and trails are nice, very pretty location.

Great campground that conveniently located from Anchorage, tho the road up to the campground takes a while. Usually very crowded on the weekend with biking, hiking camping. Kayaks available for rent, but careful the water is dangerously cold. Ice cream stand nearby in the summer. Awesome scenery and great trails. Careful-potential for lots of bears.

Camping here is wonderful. Far enough from Anchorage to feel as if you're in the bush but close enough to run home if needed. Beautiful views of the mountains and lake. Black bears roam the woods and show themselves in early spring and early fall. Sheep walk the cliffs just north of the campground. Wonderful location to bring a canoe or kayak.

Eklutna is a true gem that I cannot believe more people from Anchorage have even been to before. My wife, a couple friends and I spent the day kayaking and hiking off the lake on an amazing day a couple weeks ago. Camping was easy and very available as well. The wildlife was very scarce this day but was probably due to high amount of visitors.

A short drive from Anchorage, Eagle River and even Wasilla brings you to a pristine piece of nature. The campground right on the water is easily accessible for all ages and the beach allows for all sorts of activities. Feel like getting further away from people? Hike or bike or kayak the shoreline trail to the end of the lake or anywhere along the way. We love camping here and go at least once a year!

This is a huge campground.  91 spots, a group site and a loop just for RVs and can be booked online. The road out to this campground is bumpy so take it slow.  There are many potholes in the dirt road to this campsite. I almost missed the turn headed here so watch for the Trail River Road sign.  There are a number of pull throughs.  I did like 2, 11, and 14 but there are lots of options.   There are also some site like 4 and 5 that are together if there is more than one vehicle in your group.   Cell Service: no Internet: no 2020 Cost: $18 Distance from Anchorage: 97 miles Best sites: 2, 11, 14 or any pull though Bug Factor (1 minimal to 10 too many to enjoy): 6

Crow Pass is.. um.. AHHHHHMAZIIINNNNGGG!!

All the shows you see on t.v that look like "wild Alaska".. this is it!!

If you choose to start the Girdwood side you will travel south via Glenn Highway from Anchorage approx 45 minutes. Take the Girdwood exit.. can't miss it, it has the busiest Gas station in the State! Follow this road until you see Crow creek mine rd on your left.. take that. Follow it till the parking area on your right. Before you head out you might as well do the quick 3 mile round trip winner creek trail that has an awesome hand tram over the river.. scary yes.. worth it absolutely!!

Before you head out on Crow pass if you choose to do all 24 miles be sure that you have someone on the Eagle River Nature side to get you or leave a car 5$ fee for parking. AND ask them to leave an espresso as I TOTALLY needed one right then!!

As you head up the trail you will see state cabin #1.. you can stay here for free.. or if it is pre rented you need to stay outside.. which we did. And it was wonderful.. a small creek runs by here and it is set in the most serene place on earth.. You can't help sing like " The hills are alive with music!"

We only camped one night and trekked the rest of the way.. yes all the way.. awesome and crazy.. you must cross Eagle river to finish the whole trail and if you choose to do this please read up on and be prepared on ways to river cross. Triangle formation, walking stick, group.. I am 5'4" and the extra rain this year made this portion of the hike EXTREMELY dangerous for me as the water was above my waste, and if it wasn't for the triangle formation I'm sure I would have seen some pretty amazing scenery way down the river.

Moose, Bear and Beaver own this land. I HIGHLY recommend a camera, as were took few too many pics.. and Bear spray. Never let your guard down when you hike here as there are surprised around every corner. People laugh when I tell them a beaver chased me.. funny as it is.. THAT SUCKER WAS HUGE and chased me good ways.. my partner laughed.. not cool.

Pack everything in you need, water filter, tent, food, first aid, blister pads, rain gear and bear spray. You can pack ultra light and do this trail in one day.. but whats the rush.. it is AMAZING!!

Great cabin to just get away from it all in the areas that need to be taken care of are just incredible thank you folks

I give this one 2 stars since it is right off the Seward Highway. That noise you hear is not a river or ocean but the rushing of traffic. It is smack dab in the middle of Anchorage and Girdwood and there is plenty of things to explore in the area.

It’s only on thins camping list because it has cabins for rent. Which are very Alaskana. But if you want to pay $100 - $120 a night you are better off thinking ahead and renting the public use cabins at Bird Creek.

This campground really has everything when it comes to a state campground. You want water access on a glacial lake? How about numerous hiking, biking skiing and horse trails? Are you looking for updated amenities including a table and fire pit, onsite bathrooms, bear proof dumpster, bear proof food storage, and a well for fresh water (no showers though) and even kayak rentals on site? Do you need large campsites with a reasonable amount of privacy instead of setting up your tent on top of someone else's? Eklutna is the spot. It is technically located within the Municipality of Anchorage about 30 minutes from down town. There is no cell service out there, so you can say goodbye to the rest of the world on your way up the mountain road. In addition, there are forest service cabins for rent that are located down one of the major trails, for even more privacy, and a different kind of adventure. Just a mile from the campground is a cute little ice cream shop for a sweet treat on hot summer days.

Pristine campground. There are lovely wooded campsites nestled between several beautiful mountains. Bathrooms close, with showers, laundry, and ice cream down the road a little ways. There’s bike and kayak rentals. There is also 4 different public use cabins along the hiking trail you can reserve, and one with wheelchair access (I’ve heard.) there are opportunities for several different hikes along the main trail.

Juneau is a campers wonderland. Honestly, you can't go wrong - especially if you're utilizing the Forest Service cabins sprinkled all over Alaska. This particular cabin was in amazing condition, and very clean. We loved every second of the Alaskan atmosphere here - complete with wildlife.

This is by far the best cabin I've stayed at in Alaska! It's a 3 mile hike up 1800-1900' of endless switchbacks but the views are amazing. The cabin is relatively new, and super spacious. The kerosine heater was a plus, but if you don't hike up the kerosine you might be out of luck for heat. After you settle in at the cabin, continue hiking to the ridge. There are a lot of little lakes and waterfalls all around!

The US Forest Service owns little cabins all over AK and each varies in amenities, age, distance, etc. This one is almost 10 miles of moderate hiking from the trailhead, so is serious backpacking (not a drive-up campground). The view from the cabin is exceptional, as is the whole trail. There’s wildlife galore and a canoe at the lake to use for free. We weren’t there when it was cold enough to use the wood stove, but it gave the cabin so much character. Make sure to bring everything you need (just like normal backpacking). You can do cabin-to-cabin hiking using a number of USFS cabins in this area, but the hiking is not easy.

We hiked in 7.5 miles from the Resurrection Pass South trailhead to enjoy this spacious, primitive cabin with amazing views of Trout Lake. Fish for trout in the provided row boat, or off the dock. Wildlife seen here: moose and beavers and various birds.

Hike: 7 miles to spur off to cabin, .5 miles to cabin from spur.

Note: The cabin can be accessed by floatplane, hiking, biking, skiing, horseback and snowmobile.

Note: Primitive cabin, must pack in/pack out own gear and trash