Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Girdwood, AK

Cooper Creek is a great, smaller campground to choose when the popular nearby spots fill up with anglers. For some reason, this spot is not as in demand as the Russian River campground, despite having many of the same amenities.

This campground is great for group camping trips, as each site is rated for 8 people and a few can have up to 12. There are many ada-acessible sites to choose from as well, which was a great help when bringing along family in need.

The gravel roads can sometimes mean backing-in is a bit more strenuous than other paved campgrounds, but if you're camping in Alaska, you probably already know how to reverse park a camper! Picnic tables were always well maintained, and the deep firepits came in handy for our large fires. They even have grills built in!

Toilets are well maintained, but we always had to supply our own method of handwashing - hand santizer, in our case to leave as little trace as possible.

Don't forget to bring your fishing poles (get that permit first!) and keep an eye out for bear activity.

This is a double site in Williwaw Campground and it was great! The air was crisp and cool, close to a flowing creek and a trail, a hand pump for water was next to the site, and the triangular fire pit was cool! We were in a campervan and did have mosquitoes at times. There was a short walk to the restrooms. The campground was quiet but we could walk the Trail of Blue Ice which had an entrance in the campground. Cell service in Alaska is hit or miss but AT&T was pretty much useless and Verizon was not much better…..but who comes out here for that.😊 Girdwood is your closest town for ice and firewood but take the tunnel to Whittier for a cool experience and quick snack!

This is a great little campground between Anchorage and Girdwood, right along the Turnagain Arm inlet and Seward Hwy.  While the road noise from the nearby (and busy highway), could be loud at times, things mostly quieted down during the nighttime hours.  This first come-first served campground is popular on weekends because of the proximity to Anchorage, where folks usually rent RV’s to explore the Kenai Peninsula – so plan ahead. 

The campsites are spacious, but only about half of the sites can accommodate larger RV’s; the rest can only manage a small van or travel trailer.  There is plenty of space in each site to set up a tent, if that’s how you’re going to roll. The sites were clean, as were the vault toilets.  Water is available in a few spigots distributed throughout the park, but they recommended boiling the water to be safe.  Bring your solar panels, as these sites don't have electrical hookups!

There is a beautiful nature trail leading to the Bird to Gird (biking/walking path) for the young and old alike. Biking the path along the old railroad line is a great way to spend the afternoon.  Bike all the way to Girdwood and reward yourself with some of their famous Blueberry fritters at Alpine Cafe and Bakery, which is right off the path at the intersection of the Seward and Alyeska Hwy.  

Two other awesome natural features of the area are Byron Glacier (easy hike) and the bore tide. During certain times of the month, the incoming tide creates an incoming wave of water that is large enough to surf.  Be sure to look for the tidal information online or in park's posted materials.  Warning!  Do not wade out into the water, the tidal mud is like quicksand and many a casual visitor has become entrapped. Heed the warnings of the locals, don’t wade out into the mud flats!

Girdwood has many services, including gas, the aforementioned fritters, laundry and showers, groceries, bakeries, restaurants, golf course, and a ski mountain. Might we also recommend the Girdwood Brewery with its food trucks!