If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Douglas, look no further. You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. From remote to easy-to-reach, these Douglas campsites are perfect for tent campers.
Admiralty National Monument ACTIVITIES Boating Fishing Hiking Hunting Wildlife Viewing Fire Lookouts/cabins Overnight Swimming
Skater's Cabin Shelter is located on the shore of the southwest corner of Mendenhall Lake, near the Mendenhall Glacier. The cabin was constructed in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and is made with natural stone.
The site is a popular destination for viewing beautiful scenery, biking, picnicking, and hiking.
The Shelter has a maximum capacity of 20 people. The maximum group size allowed with this reservation is 74 people. The cabin is equipped with a covered porch and two movable picnic tables along with a wood stove. Outside facilities include a large group fire ring in front of the cabin and a stationary wood picnic table and a fire ring adjacent to the southwest corner of the cabin. The area is accessed by a trail that meets accessibility guidelines and leads to the beach.
A potable water hydrant and accessible vault toilets are also provided. The picnic area has two additional picnic sites with fire rings and tables designated for non-group use (they are not a part of this reservable site).
Skater's Cabin is on the shore of Mendenhall Lake, in view of massive Mendenhall Glacier that is surrounded by mountains that rise from 4,000 to 7,000 feet above the glacier.
The Picnic Shelter #5 is part of the Auk Recreation Area and is located adjacent to a scenic beach on the northern shoreline of Auk Bay, once a village site for the Auk Tlingit Natives. It is the last shelter on the west end of the picnic area. It is the largest of the five shelters in the recreation area.
The shelter overlooks Auk Bay and is surrounded by a western hemlock and Sitka spruce forested area.
The area offers fishing, water activities, picnicking, hiking, and berry picking.
Auk Recreation Area includes a large day use area on the shores of Auk Bay. The area includes five different shelters, picnic tables, drinking water, fire rings and a trail. At the Auk Bay Harbor commercial operators offer sport fishing, kayak rental, and whale watching tours.
Shelter #5 has a maximum capacity of 40 people. The maximum group size allowed with this reservation is 74 people. Parking can be limited on sunny days due to crowds and is available above the shelter next to the highway (use caution loading and unloading). The shelter is accessed by a metal staircase or a fully accessible ramp. There are three picnic tables inside the shelter and a fire place. There are two grills next to the shelter, and a fire pit on the beach. There is a two-hole vault toilet a couple hundred feet from the shelter, and water spigot with city water on site. The path in front of the shelter leads to Auk Village Campground and Pt. Louisa. The opposite way leads to the restroom and another shelter.
$40 / night
Sportsmen Cabin offers guests recreation, relaxation and a rustic wilderness lodging experience in the central part of Admiralty Island in the Tongass National Forest. The remote site offers a scenic setting for hiking, fishing, canoeing and wildlife viewing, all within the vicinity of the cabin.
This is one of two cabins on Distin Lake. It is located on the north side of the lake and within the Admiralty Island Canoe Route.
Access to the cabin is float plane or canoe with portage. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety and must bring several of their own amenities.
The cabin is situated under a dense towering canopy of old-growth trees at an elevation of 312 feet, just steps away from scenic Distin Lake.
The Kootznoowoo Wilderness encompasses nearly a million acres of Admiralty Island. Dense spruce and hemlock forests, lakes and muskeg openings define the landscape, while distant rocky peaks tower along the islands high crest, reaching elevations of more than 3,000 feet.
Wildlife in the area abounds, including Sitka black-tailed deer, bald eagles, waterfowl and brown bear.
Anglers enjoy Distin Lake for catching cutthroat trout, Dolly Varden and kokanee salmon.
Visitors are welcome to use the skiff with oars available at the cabin and may choose to bring a small outboard motor. The motor must be less than 10 horsepower due to wilderness regulations, and visitors are responsible for bringing and using their own personal floatation devices. The lake is normally ice free from mid-May through November.
Originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, the [Admiralty Island Canoe Route] features portages of varying difficulty linking seven mountain lakes in the heart of Admiralty Islands Kootznoowoo Wilderness between Angoon and Seymour Canal. Several trails are accessible by boat along the route, offering guests access to pristine wilderness settings.
Trails accessible from Distin Lake go to Thayer Lake (3 miles from Distin Lake cabin), Lake Guerin (.4 mile from the trailhead), and Davidson Lake (.2 mile from the trailhead). Some of the original Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) trail construction is visible along the trail. A small boat at the nearby Guerin Lake shelter provides an opportunity to explore another lake.
Sportsmen Cabin is a small, log cabin in hunter-style, furnished with four bunkbed(s) without mattresses, and can sleep up to six guests. The cabin is equipped with a table, benches, a small cook area, a wood stove for heat and an outside toilet. Firewood is stacked in a woodshed near the cabin. Additional amenities include an axe, splitting maul and broom.
The cabin does not have running water or electricity. Visitors must bring their own food, water, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cook stoves, matches, cooking gear/utensils, light source, toilet paper, first aid kit and garbage bags. Water from any natural site must be filtered, boiled or chemically treated before drinking.
Admiralty Island has a rich cultural heritage, which is evident in the traditional native village of [Angoon]
An Adirondack style emergency shelter at Pinta Cove. The shelter is supplied with a wood stove, food preparation table, and sleeping bunks. This shelter is available for recreational use on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not required. Firewood is not provided. ACTIVITIES Boating: Motorized boating and marine mammal viewing opportunities at Pinta Cove and Point Adolphus. Hunting: Big game hunting in season possible from this shelter. Refer to http://www.adfg.alaska.gov for species, permits and regulations. Picnicking: Picnic just outside the shelter or on the beach. Fire Lookouts/cabins Overnight: This emergency shelter is available for recreational use on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations are not required. Firewood is not provided. Swimming
Guide
The campground is nice, with great tent sites! The car sites looked nice too, but I didn't stay there. The tent sites were nicely separated, giving you that feeling that you're further away than you really are. I loved staying here, and loved the things to do nearby. We explored the glacier and went on a hike. Juneau is a lovely town as well.
TravelerIt was a wonderful campground! Right on the lake overlooking the Mendenhall Glacier. The bugs are manageable. the campground is clean and well organized. you have to reserve before you arrive, cannot pay when you get there. The bathrooms are clean and well interspersed. There are showers with hot water. There is a section for tent camping, RV camping, and backpack camping. The campground itself is located near tons of hiking trails, kayaking/rafting opportinities, and the Glacier viewing center is nearby. We loved it!
RangerAfter being unable to find good reviews of campsites here, I took what I could find and gambled on a site. We were in tent site 021. It was a gorgeous site, had a large picnic table, bear box, water spigot between us and the site next to us, fire pit, clean pit toilets and a clean bath house. This campground has backpacker sites, RV sites, and car sites as well. We had a short walk through the moss on a trail that led down to Mendenhall Lake. It had a gorgeous view of the glacier. We enjoyed listening to all the birds and it was a pretty quiet campground.
There are a few sites close to boggy areas and they can be mushy and muddy, especially after a rain. There is a map on the reservation website where you can kind of see it. Our site was fabulous.
The trails are not far from the campground, so they are walkable.
LegendTent camping review. This was a great camp ground. Very clean and quiet. You can't beat the proximity to the park and hiking. Some of the sites even have great views. Each site has plenty of privacy, so even with intermixed RV's it stays pretty quiet. The showers were okay, not the cleanest and not the hottest but got the job done. My only complaint was coming after dark the first night to someone clearly squatting with their RV in our site. The camp hosts do not mark each site with the booked reservations (even though the posts clearly say that the section we were in were "reservation only". So people just drop in and take sites, assuming they aren't reserved. We attempted to solicit the camphosts help but in the 4 nights we stayed there, we never saw the hosts available once. We asked the people to move the next morning in daylight- not wanting to start anything or end up shot by knocking on their door and asking them to move that first night. However, that meant that we set up in someone else's potentially reserved site and started a huge domino effect. So I recommend getting there early to make sure your reserved spot isn't taken.
LegendWe’ve been full-time camping in our vintage camper for over10 years, and in that time we’ve taken some “camping trips” without our rig, Hamlet. This time we hopped on the ferry from Haines down to Juneau and pulled out the tent for a few days in this amazing campground. We were just looking for the least expensive place that was close to the ferry terminal in Auke Bay, but struck gold in the hills just above. This might be one of the best traditional campgrounds we've ever stayed in with some of the most stunning views in our "backyard."
The campground is laid out along the southern bank of Mendenhall Lake, and offers drinking water, flush, and vault toilets and hot showers -- at no extra charge. Did I mention that camping here will only set you back $10 per night? We cannot remember such an inexpensive camping experience that offered showers. These $10 sites don’t offer electrical hookups, so bring your solar panels and solar generator or power bank and you’ll be all set.
The western trailhead is a short walk from the campground, but the Mendenhall Visitor's Center on the east side of the lake is just a few miles away. There are many trails, photographic viewpoints and opportunities to paddle on this side of the lake, but parking is competitive because it is such a popular area- including with the busses from the cruise ships docked in town. So, get there early. We enjoyed paddling on the lake where we got great views of the glacier and Nugget Falls, but keep your distance from icebergs. We watched one crack and roll not too far from where we were paddling, had we been closer I might not be writing this review.
The Mendenhall Valley has all the amenities you could expect from the Juneau suburbs, grocery stores, malls and restaurants. Downtown has a few more options as well as Douglas Island, just across the bridge.
Ranger
I always visited Juneau by ferry. This campground is accessible from the slow ferry, but it is a distance from the cruise ships or airports (as you know Juneau is very spread out for its small population). There is nothing Alaska spectacular about this campground, but it is quaint and nice. It is very RV-oriented.
GuideEasy access to epic beauty from the airport. The glacier brings the temperature down significantly from the surrounding area ❄️ All of the campsites are furnished with picnic tables, tent pads & fire rings with grills. Water faucets & accessible vault toilets are provided, as are two accessible flush toilets and shower facilities. A dump station & trash dumpster are located on-site.
TravelerThis is a very nice campground set back from Mendenhall lake and the famous Mendenhall Glacier. Bears frequent this area and sometimes wolves too. If you are looking for that wild Alaska experience you can have it here. Lots of hiking around there. Once that salmon start running you can walk on the man made walkway next to the creek and watch bears catch salmon to feed their cubs! Truly an amazing experience! If you make it there during the winter bring your cross country skis and ski through the campground, or across the lake to the glacier.
LegendUnfortunately, we were unable to stay at this campground (due to scheduling issues) but we did drive around and check it all out so we can know for next time :) The campground doesn't have many sites which make it a very quiet place (at least during the day by our observation). Sites seemed somewhat geared towards RV's but a tent would be fine too. Sites were spacious and quite private. Beautiful area. We plan to come back here and stay a couple nights on another visit!
RangerThere is diverse and plentiful wildlife and plant life that is a hybrid between the PNW rainforests and AK fjords. Only open in summer and dominated by tent-only sites, this campground isn’t quite on the bay but is on a small lake close to the inland part of the bay. The campground itself meanders along the lake and a number of smaller lakes, so you have lots of choices for waterfront camping. Sites vary in their views and amenities---everything is perfectly basic but clean. Make a reservation. There is a bus from the harbor.
Guide
Amazingly beautiful & rugged island. Experiences with wildlife here are epically fulfilling.
GuideInspiring wildlife 🌊⛺️🎣🐟🦅 🦌 🐋 🐻
RangerRangerIf you fly into Juneau, the towering Mendenhall Glacier is sure to impress. The glacier is huge and dangles right near town. I took a cheap blue bus from the cruise ship down to Mendenhall. It's a pure Alaskan experience to camp near Mendenhall. A state capital with a huge glacier. Awesome. The campsite has flush toilets and a shower house, as well as some covered shelters. Sites can be reserved on Recreation.gov.
RangerPretty standard campgrounds with good amentities that I wold expect at a more touristy campground. Not necessarily closely located to a store so a vehicle is helpful, but very cool site in regards to seeing the glacier, waterfall and wildlife.
RangerMendenhall Campground is right on Mendenhall Lake and keeps you away from the crowds that come into the ranger station and visitor center. Best way to avoid the cruise ship crowds is to go early or late. Photo point trail and Nugget Falls trail are a must and have the heaviest foot traffic from 10am to 2pm. There's way more seclusion on the East Glacier trail and the Trail of time which are both longer. Half way up nugget falls trails there are a few cut through's to the lake where you can find nice private beaches.
ScoutStayed early September for 2 nights. Great views of the mountains and Glacier, and got to see the Northern lights!
TravelerAfter a month of kayaking in Glacier Bay, stumbling off the ferry and taking the bus to the campground Mendenhall campground felt like luxury. Without a doubt the best hot showers I've ever had camping. The proximity to the glacier and the views from around the lake are astounding. Mt McGinnis on the west and Mt Bullard and Thunder Mountain to the East. The shark fin and the towers piercing out of the ice field. It's all jaw dropping regardless of what direction you turn your head.
The campground is walking distance to multiple trails including the west glacier trail that approaches the glacier or splits off and climbs to summit Mt McGinnis as well as the visitor center. Also big heads up there were the famed ice caves but those have long collapsed and as of my visit no new caves have formed.
Bear boxes are at each campsite as well as fire pits. By far my favorite established campground in Juneau. Only downer in my opinion is having to reserve online first.
GuideThis area is exceptional, everywhere you look is a postcard-worthy scene. This campground is very well designed, almost all of the sites are along the water. Many have amazing views but all are within the trees. I don’t think there were any RVs, not sure if it was an off week or the road here is too much. You will love it here.
ScoutThis place is great!!!! Close to town yet out in nature.
ScoutGreat place for the family, bears do frequent the area so keep site clean.
RangerMust see beauty in Juneau. This beautiful site is not only spectacular but conviently close to town. After setting up camp you can explore the trail to get close to the glacier and see beautiful waterfalls!
GuideExplore the lake via kayak, hike the short park trails, explore the far side of the lake - this is a great spot just minutes from the Juneau Airport. Before you go: you must reserve a spot online in advance & spots tend to fill up quickly in July & August.
RangerExcellent location on lake offering a spectacular view. Nice campground, cozy and only offers less than 70 sites. Full hookups are available at some. Picnic tables and fire rings are available at sites. There is also a dump station and restrooms available. Hiking trails are close. As is the Mendenhall Glacier accessible from the Visitor Center
ScoutThe sites on the right on the lake can be great. However, on a sunny day the wind will likely blow hard off the glacier making it very cold till the evening, which in summer can mean 10pm or so. I’ve lived just s couple block from here for 30 years. Trust me
ScoutI stay here every summer with my s.o. and our pets and absolutely LOVE it here. The f.s officers could use some grooming but mostly they are okay as long as you are polite and follow the rules they usually leave you alone. They are helpful but tend to not want to listen when you try and explain a situation, any how other then that the camp grounds are usually always clean and I've never had a problem finding my site. And if I've ever needed a food bear box or anything I've always gotten it asap. Overall pretty awesome place to just kick back enjoy the view and relax the day away.
GuideSo lucky to have found this campground. The price cannot be beat starting at $10. Although you are aware of others around you, there is enough forest between most campsites so you get the real roughing it kind of feel without actually hiking out. We got a great site, walk down to the water's edge and see the glacier smack right in your face. Amazing! There is a river further in, so choose your site wisely if camping with kids, pets or partiers! We didn't see a bear, but we did see the beaver! They have a bear cache at every site, so amazing for the price. Highly recommended. It's a 1 way loop so don't make the same mistake I did and go the wrong way! The hosts are very nice and chatty. The troopers do drive through from time to time but never bothered us.
Nestled in the stunning landscapes of Alaska, Douglas offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Douglas, AK?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Douglas, AK is Admiralty National Monument with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 7 tent camping locations near Douglas, AK, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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