Best Tent Camping near Big Lake, AK

No amenities. What you pack in you pack out. 6 tent camping spots before the gate, back country camping after the gate. Look for the posts with yellow reflectors for camping sites past the gate. beautiful sunrise and sunsets.

Due to construction this campground is closing for the 2020 season. Reservations are required 2 weeks in advance. (907) 240-9797 or reservations@greatholidaycampgrounds.com Gates close you in from 8 am - 8 pm. Rentals for canoes and paddle boards.

With only 10 sites they fill up quickly.

RV and tent camping sites.

Well maintained trails but a walk to the cabin or yurts. Accessible by foot year around. No horses or bikes allowed on trails. Tent camping along the Crow Creek Pass Trail.

Many choices for length of hikes depending on which loop you choose. This is bear county so bring your bear bells. Loved the hikes so much we decided to rent the cabin for my birthday.

This campground has nice size sites for RV's. If you are tent camping (I am), there's one pull in to 3 sites so you are close to strangers if your friends don't come. The toilets are clean but smell awful. One can also hear quite a bit of road noise and military aircraft all day because the campground is near both. Nice quick stop. $20 a site per day.

I needed a place to stay between Anchorage and Glen Allen. I was shocked this campground wasn't in Dyrt (found it on google). We actually ended up staying here two separate times- on our way North east and coming back South West. This State Rec Area is extremely clean. It's nice that there are tent sites separated from their RV sites (nothing worse than being in a tent and stuck hearing an RV's generator or TV all night). The RV lot is basically a parking lot but without many other options it would probably do the trick for an RV. The tent sites in the back are great. They are huge and have privacy between them. There's a vault toilet which is kept clean. No services or amenities but it's not far to the town of palmer. Despite being right off the state route, it stays pretty quiet from the road traffic because of all the trees. There's a pay station to pay when you arrive and pick your site. This was perfect in the shoulder season and in-between cities. I apologize I didn't get any campground pictures to post!

This campsite fills up fast! We happened to get the last available tent campsite right on the water and it was GORGEOUS! This is the more peaceful campground in Hope (there's another one in town that seems more fun but more noisy too). They have large picnic tables, one spot seemed handicap accessible even. There was a nice fire pit that helped for us novice fire makers. The camp hosts were super helpful and informative. There are two great hikes nearby within driving or walking distance. A perfect weekend getaway from Anchorage! You'll adore this beautiful spot.

Bird Creek camp/ RV/ Cabin site is a beautiful 25 minute journey south of Anchorage. Far enough away but close enough to town if you feel the need to get back to the city.

We rented a cabin 95$ a night and took aprox 12 young ladies in the chilly month of November! Daring, I know! But state restrooms made sharing a bathroom easy :)

there is a small wood stove and wood supplied for each cabin which was amazing! A lil kitchen area is built in for your food prep pleasure- must bring stoves and water. No electricity so bring your choice of lighting. Also I recommend headlamps for winter months as bathrooms are a small treck from the secluded wooded cabins.

Bunks are built in and a loft makes for plenty of room.

There was a beautiful table with a map in the top- pretty awesome!

There is a walking trail and it's close to the inlet for beluga whale watching and if your lucky a bore tide!

Rv sites and tents sites available as well- plus table and fire pits at each site.

Set up as more of a large parking lot. The good features of this "campground" include being right on Big Lake for close access to the water. Lots of water activities on the lake itself. Close tight spots and literally a parking lot for RVs with no room for pop outs or tables. Tables and fire pits are at the end of your spot so hope you like your neighbors. Several walk-in campsites for tents which were much prettier.

Nice place to take the kiddos. Right off the parks Hwy before the Big Lake turn off.

We chose #8 a beachfront site. #7 is wider for anyone trying to decide which one. There is a older swing set for smaller kids to play on and there are kayaks, canoes, & paddle boats for rent. A fire pit and wood table provided at each site.

You do hear noise from the Highway and it looks like there are some long term residents that were running their generators consistently.

Owner is very nice to work with and will bring you a wheel barrel of fire wood for $15.

This campground is available by reservation or walk/drive in. There are only about 10 campsites but a few of them have a terrific set up. This is quiet, small and right on the lake. There are options to hang up your hammock, start a fire using your pit, walk down your private path to the lake and enjoy the weekend. This would be a great spot if you’re not looking to explore but to just relax on the lake. If it’s a rainy day you could drive into wasilla and make a fun day out of it. We ended up driving to the extreme fun center for the kids since it rained all day and had a blast! If you’re looking for more of a group I’d suggest big lakes north or south options.

Right off the Highway this RV park is not bad.  Although I prefer my camping more rural.  If you are visiting and just want to start one way out of Anchorage this could be a choice for you.  With everything from cabins, to full RV hook ups, to dry RV camping, and lakeside tent spots this is a good option for a first stop on a great Alaska adventure.    Because of it’s proximity to Anchorage, Wasilla, and Palmer you are not far from anything.  There is good cell and internet service here as well and stores to get everything you need.  Spaces are close to each other and I would not recommend spending my entire camping trip there, but they are a good option if you need something close.   Cell Service: Yes Internet: Yes Distance from Anchorage: Bug Factor (1 minimal to 10 too many to enjoy): 45 miles

We were hard pressed to find a camping spot in Girdwood, but we found this one to have nice scenery and uncrowded. There were some pretty small sites and we were lucky to find one suitable for an 8 person tent. It sites in a really beautiful spot near the Crow Creek Gold Mine. Being from Alaska, we are used to mosquitos and flies, but our experience here was quite traumatic. We set up after the sun started setting and were up in the morning before the sun rose over the mountains. It was all well and good until the sun was shining bright and the temperature rose. As soon as it got warm, an insane amount of flies came out. We are not talking 10-15, we are talking 50-75 each on my husband and I. We couldn't not pack up fast enough! As we packed up, the kids stood there smacking flies off of us and each other. I am not sure if the insane amount of flies are just from the warm winters and really warm summers or what. It might be worth staying here again if we check the fly situation first.

I have lived in Alaska almost 3 years and still not get over the beauty of this state. Chugach State Park is no different. If you have never been to Alaska and live to hike or camp, you need to plan a trip up here!