Tent camping options near Douglas, Alaska focus primarily on remote, wilderness experiences with minimal amenities. Admiralty National Monument offers highly rated primitive tent camping with opportunities for wildlife viewing in a rugged island setting. Additional tent camping can be found at Bessie Creek Trailhead north of Juneau and St. James Bay State Marine Park, accessible by boat and located approximately 35 miles northwest of Juneau.
Most tent sites in the Douglas area require visitors to be self-sufficient, bringing all necessary supplies including drinking water. St. James Bay State Marine Park provides basic amenities including toilets and allows fires, while most other locations prohibit fires and lack facilities. Weather conditions can change rapidly, requiring campers to pack quality rain gear and warm clothing even in summer months. The region experiences typical Alaska summer temperatures in the 60s with rare highs reaching 80 degrees. Sites are generally unmaintained and situated on natural terrain requiring proper tent setup on uneven ground.
The tent camping experience near Douglas emphasizes natural immersion and wildlife encounters. Admiralty Island National Monument provides opportunities for what one visitor described as "amazingly beautiful and rugged" landscape with "epically fulfilling" wildlife experiences. Bessie Creek offers creek-side hiking with forest and water views. Marine access campgrounds like St. James Bay provide protected anchorages for boaters and are popular for wildlife viewing, photography, hunting, and fishing. Campers should prepare for potentially extreme weather conditions, as a review noted that "inclement weather can set in quickly and last for days." Most locations remain uncrowded except during peak summer weekends, allowing for genuine wilderness experiences.
"Inspiring wildlife 🌊⛺️🎣🐟🦅 🦌 🐋 🐻"
"Experiences with wildlife here are epically fulfilling."
$40 / night
"The Bessie Creek Trailhead & Camping Area is near the end of the road North of Juneau. Beautiful wildlife, water, & forest!"
"James State Marine Park is located approximately 35 miles northwest of Juneau and 45 miles south of Haines. The park encompasses St."
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.
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.
RangerThis campground has 11 sites and we were lucky to get #5, right across from the pit toilets so we didn’t have to walk far. We had a great site, bear box, campfire pit, and a fabulous view when you walk to the edge right behind your site! We didn’t put any hammocks in the trees or do any cooking on site, as it is black bear country and you don’t want any uninvited guests. We went to the picnic shelter at Lena Cove for our morning breakfast and hung our hammocks in the shelter for the morning. We had great views of Auke Bay and Lena Cove.
I could not find any reviews to pick a site but I reserved this one and it was gold! We had a water spigot close to us in the campground, but there are no electric or water supplies at the sites. You need to bring your own firewood because some sites say it was supplied, however, due to low crew numbers they can’t keep up with demand.
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
LegendThis campground has one site with a picnic table and a fire ring. However you can camp anywhere that there is parking. This is on a well-maintained road and would be great to bring a kayak. I look forward to spending a lot of time at this campground.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tent camping options near Douglas, Alaska primarily consist of remote wilderness experiences across several designated areas. Admiralty National Monument offers rugged tent camping areas within its pristine wilderness, while Bessie Creek Trailhead provides a more accessible tent site north of Juneau. St. James Bay State Marine Park offers tent camping with basic amenities and is primarily accessible by boat.
Most tent campsites in the Douglas area require campers to be self-sufficient with essential supplies. The primitive nature of these sites means limited or no amenities are available. At Admiralty National Monument and Bessie Creek, no drinking water, toilets, or trash service is provided. St. James Bay State Marine Park stands out by offering vault toilets and allowing fires, though firewood is not provided. Weather conditions can change rapidly in this coastal region, requiring proper rain gear and warm clothing even during summer months when temperatures typically range in the 60s.
The tent camping experience near Douglas rewards visitors with exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities and natural solitude. St. James Bay State Marine Park accommodates wildlife viewing, photography, and sport fishing from its tent sites. The Bessie Creek area provides access to creek-side hiking trails through beautiful forests. Tent campers should be prepared for wildlife encounters, including bears, as these areas preserve natural habitats. A recent review noted, "Amazingly beautiful and rugged island. Experiences with wildlife here are epically fulfilling." Most sites remain uncrowded except during peak summer periods, offering genuine wilderness immersion with spectacular coastal views for those properly prepared for backcountry tent camping conditions.
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.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Douglas, AK?
TheDyrt.com has all 6 tent camping locations near Douglas, AK, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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