Best RV Parks & Resorts near Eielson AFB, AK

For once in a long time on our journey through Alaska, the campground (CG) was not right off the highway. We followed our RV GPS to the Badger Road exit and found the CG tucked back from the main road. Check-in was busy but quick. We were assigned pull-through site 133D with full hookups and 50 AMP. This site has special routing instructions—staff had us drive a few hundred yards down Old Badger Road, which runs adjacent to the CG, to enter through the back KOA gate. From there, it was an easy approach into our site. Site 133D is a KOA Patio site with a deluxe Trex deck, outdoor furniture, propane fire pit, and a Weber propane grill with tools. The gravel pad was long enough for our 40’ toy hauler and F450, with room to put down our rear patio. On arrival, the CG WiFi was unusable, but we got an email update that they were working on it. A later speed test showed 4.97 Mbps download—good enough for email and light browsing. Starlink worked but was slower than usual in this area despite a clear sky view. We got one bar on both Verizon and T-Mobile. This is a well-run KOA, with staff constantly mowing, cleaning, and maintaining the grounds. During our stay, several RV caravans came through—they had their own designated area and even buses for tours. The CG has spaces for all types of campers, from tents to big rigs. There’s a laundry facility, two fenced dog parks, swing benches by the river, and plenty of space to walk your dog. All in all, this is one of the best private CGs we’ve stayed at. If you need a great vet while in the area, we highly recommend Dr. Dawn Brown at North Pole Veterinary Hospital. They are an AAHA accredited clinic and we’ sure all the vets are great, but we definitely had a wonderful experience with Dr. Brown during our appointment with our two Braque's. The CG made an excellent base for exploring the Fairbanks area.

While staying in North Pole, AK, we decided to check out Eielson AFB Bear Lake FamCamp as we’d heard from other military RVers and on different forums that the campground was not worth staying at. On the major RV review sites the most recent review was from 2023. We normally don’t post reviews on a campground (CG) we didn’t stay at, but made an exception to help other military RVers out. As we entered the campground, we noticed that there were not many campers (there was what looked like a camp host, but no sign), and could immediately see why. The sites had non-potable per signs attached to the water spigot. We also noticed that many of the sites were grown over. There are pull-through sites on one row that could handle big rigs and then back-in sites of various lengths on another row. These sites are water and electric 50 and 30 AMP). However, on most sites you would need to cut brush and low-hanging limbs. There were signs on the bathhouse and laundry facility that the water was bad due to too much chlorine. They do have a dump station. There’s a lake at the end of the CG area, but the grass again was so high it was up through the picnic tables along the shoreline. Based on the CG’s condition and distance from the sights to see in the Fairbanks area, this in our opinion is not a good CG choice, especially with taller 5th wheels or Class A rigs. Fort Wainwright, which is closer to Fairbanks, has Glass Park RV Campground on post and they have sites that should fit bigger rigs according to the site sizes on their webpage.

We camped here just this past week and it was wonderful. There are a variety of campsites, some large enough to accommodate an RV, as well as well-maintained restrooms, well-water, a dumpster, and every site had a picnic table and fire pit with grate. Some of the campsites are on the river and some are across the street from it, but there is access to the Clearwater river from the day use area for all visitors. The campsite is still close to town if you need supplies, about a 20 minute drive. This is now one of my favorite sites in the state. A quiet, beautiful spot to camp, engage in water sports, and fish.

The BLM has some of the nicest campgrounds in Alaska, and this one is no exception. There are 12 sites with plenty of space between, although they're small for large RVs and trailers (it was perfect for my teardrop trailer). The sites are not directly on the Chatanika River, but you can hear the river running in the background and there is a trail that runs along the riverbank between the campground and the day use area. There are a few walk-in tent sites between the main campground and the river, as well.

Like other BLM facilities it's cleaned and well-maintained, and there are signs up showing local wildlife. Each camping spot has a fire pit and picnic table, and there is a pump to get untreated water near campsite 7. Because it's only about an hour from Fairbanks it doesn't get much traffic from people passing through, although it can get busy during hunting season.