Best Equestrian Camping near Eagle River, AK

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!

Trails were beautiful, lake view beautiful, lots of animals to see. The bugs weren’t to bad. Nice little place before the campground if you would like to get cleaned up, wash clothes or just to sit and have a scoop of ice cream on a hot day. Cell service: no Campsites: 50 large enough for bigger campers or RVs Water : yes Bathrooms: yes Trails: yes Atv and horse trails all with beautiful views.

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.

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.

Our visit was awesome, it's very intimate and allows for 3+ four person tents to fit. There is no cell service so it's a great place to go and disconnect from social media. There are bathrooms and bear boxes available there as well!

We visited eklutna during Questival on July 21. Eklutna has been one of our favorite campgrounds since we moved here. It has a bit of everything. Kayak, water sports, hiking and biking! We had an amazing time last night.

Beautiful weather!m and campground!

Stayed overnight in one of the widely separated tent / RV sites. This campground has plenty of green space between sites although facilities are limited. excellent access to Twin Peaks hiking trail, lake water activities and a 13 mile bike trail around the lake and back to the glacier. Rentals available onsite.

I love when the sites still feel like they are in the forest. Great place

This place is a straight 10!

Roomy camp sites, fire pits and clean. Bears do roam from time to time so food storage away from your sleeping area is a must! Rangers here will ticket if you leave food out around your site.

Quiet wooded area surrounded by wonderful hiking trails- try twin peaks for a lung and leg stretching adventure with a view as your reward! A 12 mile ( one way) dirt road for biking walking or Sunday- Wednesday atv'n the lake. Blue clear glacier water is beyond beautiful! Remember your life jackets as this water is literally freezing!

You can rent kayaks and bikes here-- if you don't have room to bring your own.

atvs can run the trail Sunday- wednesday only April- November but the noise does not interrupt your quiet campsites.

This is a family favorite!!

bathrooms and fresh water pumps :)

Great campground. Wish some of the spots were on the lake though because that’s it’s star player. Amazing hikes of the lake, glacier, and waterfalls that flow into it. Normal stuff here: pit toilets, picnic tables, and fire pits. All spots are paved. It’s $20/night but you can pay with credit card at a kiosk or cash like usual.

Lits of bear scat around so don't cook bacon. Lol. Nice trails around lake. The lake is beautiful but fishing is poor due to all the silt.

Kept up nice. Lake and hiking available.

The campsite was very private and 2min walking from the lake

Trails to hike or play on the lake! This campground is situated with access to Eklunta Lake and boy is that perfect. Tons of campsites to choose from both double, single and handicapped. First come, first served. Fire rings, tables, restrooms, firewood for purchase ($15) and camp host. Two sets of walk in tent sites with food lockers also available. Well water available too. Come spend a weekend exploring Eklunta Lake!

Perfect

Pretty private and a great location. Tons of opportunities for outdoor activities from hiking, biking, paddling, and ATV on specific days. Lots to love. Prepare for chilly weather any time of year because of the elevation

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.

lovely place to visit

This is a great place to see bears! Moose.... Foxes. The waters are clear and the landscape is so lush. There are a ton of flies though in the summer. Especially next to all this water. Mosquitos are aggressive at night.

I have had a lot of friends come here to camp/explore. The photos alone make you want to visit! Twin peaks is a fun hike but pretty steep for kids. The view is worth the hike but be prepared. This campground has about 50 campsites, toilets and water. Each campsite comes with a picnic table and fire pit. This would be a great location to have a bicycle. We will definitely visit, hike and camp!

I’ve camped at Eklutna many times before this was the first time we’ve actually biked. It was a busy trail but between the biking hiking trail and the four wheeler trial there is more than enough space to enjoy the beautiful trails!

The camp sites only allow two vehicles per site but you can pay the parking fee for the extra vehicles and park them at the main lot.

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.

Our long bike ride took several hours to reach to the Serenity Falls. We started in Anchorage, AK and rested a day at Beach Lake campground in Chugiak. The following day biked up 1800’ ascent to Eklutna towards Serenity Falls.

please note: bicycles and cars share the road to the Eklutna Trailhead parking lot. Narrow shoulder all the way, please be mindful of riders and wildlife. We saw a moose in the ditch eating.

From the Eklutna parking lot to Serenity Falls it is 12 miles. Shared trail with pedestrians, dog mushers/bikers, and on various days 4-wheelers.

on the way the sights are so beautiful. The glacier fed lake gives a blueish green appearance, beautiful mountains, wildlife (moose and Mountain goats), and the spooky looking trees that look like sticks out of the ground. There were several waterfalls along the way.

I have not yet mastered the dry brushing teeth, but there are little creeks and small rivers one can brush their teeth. Bring bug dope, and bear spray or gun in case of bears—I forgot my bug dope and was karate chopping mosquitoes in my sleeping bag (no tent) throughout the night. It Was a beautiful campsite.

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.