Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Fort Greely, AK

We ended up here Memorial Day weekend because the other sites around Delta were full, but boy am I glad we made it. The campsites are large enough for multiple tents, have fire rings, and most have picnic tables. The bathrooms are also well maintained and the spots spaced out enough so you’re not right on top of your neighbors. What really makes the campground, though, are two things: Number one, NO BUGS! We saw maybe 5 mosquitoes over two days (which is unheard of in interior Alaska), and number two, THE VIEWS! Behind most of the sites is access to Donnelly Creek and boy oh boy the views of the Alaska Range are magnificent. We had a beautiful walk along the path and while it was windy, it was a beautiful day. The only negative is the amount of traffic in the highway nearby because of the proximity to the pipeline, but it’s not something that will keep us away.

We stumbled upon this campground by accident while exploring the area between Paxon Lake and Delta Junction and it was such a hidden gem! The night we stayed it was super quiet with hardly anyone else staying there, which was surprising for the middle of July. Great camp spots, no host when we stayed but the bathrooms were very well maintained. It was a clear sunny night and the views of the Creek with the Alaska Range in the background were pretty spectacular! Whether stopping for the night while passing through or as a destination, I totally recommend this campground.

Half-way between Delta Junction and Glenallen, the road to this vast boondocking area forks off the Richardson Hwy just south of Isabell Pass. The road goes north from the pavement, and will lead about 2 miles of very rough, 2-wheel drive, dirt. Go Slow! After 2 miles the road becomes rougher and demands higher clearance and 4-wheel drive. Along the way, you’ll see side roads leading to large, level parking areas on either side of the main road. Keep an eye out for metal objects as this area was a pipeline construction management area and has been used for many things ever since.  Note:  We attended the annual "RVing to Alaska" boondocking rally on this site.  

There is a small creek winding through the valley to the east where we easily found wild water for washing or filtering that wasn’t too full of glacial silt. The creek to the west was much larger but was very silty.  This is dispersed camping, so there are no toilets, nor any electrical or water hook ups to speak of, so come with plenty of food and your solar powered system. Even on rainy days in July we still managed to top up our small solar powered system -- there’s just so much daylight during the summer. 

Hiking, biking or ATVing in the area is dealer’s choice (pick a destination, head toward it) and there are a multitude of two-track trails and places to explore. One cool hike went up to the toe of the Gulkana Glacier– follow the two-tracks upstream until you find a swinging bridge over the river, cross and keep making your way toward the glacier. 

Services and stores are either in Delta Junction, around 65 miles to the north, or Glenallen, around 90 miles to the south. For those with larger gas tank capacity continue to the Denali Hwy and continue your gravel road adventures.