Best Tent Camping near Halibut Cove, AK

Four hours from Anchorage is a must see and do destination.. Homer Alaska. It is a very small town that gets lots of visitors in the summer months. Especially June, July and August thanks to charter companies who will take you out to get halibut, salmon and whatever else the magical ocean has in store for you.

Homer is also the place to get a water taxi to see Kachemak Bay, Halibut Cove, Seldovia, Nanwalek and Port Graham. Water taxi rides are roughly 75$ round trip for one person.. give or take a few bucks and cheaper for kids.

The Spit as it is called is the end of the Road here.. literally. The Spit is surrounded by water.. yeah that's why it's called a Spit lol. It has Restaurants tons of little shops. Some geared toward touristy things but some of the best hand crafted made only in Alaska gifts that keep you coming back for more. You may have heard of the infamous Salty dog saloon.. if you dare - go in and order a salty dog here.

If you choose to camp on the Spit you will have two choices.. One is the RV/ Camper side and one is the Tent on the beach side. I have done both and although I prefer tenting hands down.. nothing beats an RV with wet sticky sandy dogs.. love some of that in your sleeping bag! (not)

There is a fee to tent camp, it's not much. You can build a fire right on the beach and set your tent so as you lay back, free from the wind, your whole view will just be ocean and mountains. Truly amazing! You can by wood by the bundle or just comb the beach for drift wood. If you do bring your dogs just be courteous of others and bring your own doggie bags :)

There are honey buckets for use.. but sometimes we walk the spit and find a real bathroom. (There are state toilets on the RV side, which is directly across the only road on the Spit)

On the RV side the fees are a bit more.. but you get full electrical hook ups, bathrooms, showers, and laundry if you need it. WOW! Bring your bikes to ride the spit or good shoes to walk around town. Also be ready for any kind of weather.. as you are surrounded by the ocean.

There are a few city run campgrounds on the spit in Homer.  This mini peninsula juts a few miles out into Kachemak Bay and creates one of the main tourist areas for the town. This is another of Alaska's pot-holed, parking lot camping areas where tents can be set up just off the perimeter and RVs of any size can take up residence within it. Picnic tables and fire rings lie between the parking and the beach and there’s a general esprit de corps of the folks hanging out there.  

Like many Alaskan camping spots what the site itself lacks in charm, is simply overwhelmed by the spectacular views in any direction. That's why you come here in the first place. The bathroom situation is simple, a couple of port-o-potties with a hand washing station. Recycling and trash dumpsters are right next to the toilets. Water can be filled up for free at the city RV dump station in town, right across from the Post Office on the Sterling Hwy. Payment can be made at the automated permit machine. 

The lack of any trees made solar power a no-brainer, even on the cloudy days. With our solar suitcase from Renogy and 200W of solar on the roof, we were able to recharge our battery without any issues. 

There's a great bike path that leads to the many tourist shops, bars and restaurants on the spit. The spit is also a great launching area for kayaking in the ocean side of the spit- launching on the other bay side can be tricky because of tides and mud. Parking along the spit is pretty easy and there are large lots which allow for overnight parking if you are going to use the area as a launching pad for other adventures either on the Kenai or further afield. Homer is known as a particularly good spot for Grizzly Bear tours into Kobuk Valley National Park (the holy grail of grizzly sightings). Be sure to tour the Alaskan Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Visitor’s Center, it’s difficult to get out to the Aleutian Islands, but through the engaging films and interactive displays, you can get a feel for the history and wildlife of these remote areas. 

Homer has all the services that campers need including grocery stores and good restaurants (we loved Fat Olive and Carmen’s Gelato out on the spit.)  A short drive along East End Road will take you right by Fitz Creek General store, which is a treat for all kinds of cool stuff -- the chocolate muffins alone are worth the drive alone. The village farmer’s market is truly amazing with veggies, baked goods, prepared food, and lots of other arts and crafts.

We stayed for a few nights from midweek. There are 9 large campsites that can accommodate RVs and small groups. There are fire rings, a vault toilet, and a launch ramp into the river. You can access the lake from the river, but is about a mile upstream. There is not really a trail to reach the lake. Young people seem to come out here to party for the evening and then leave, and leave their trash. We only had this one night. There are no dumpsters or trash cans here and it shows. The road through the campground should be checked before you drive through. Some parts would not be passable for an RV during our visit.

Moose roam through the campground. Beautiful views of the river, flowers, and tons of different birds.

Following the shoreline of Johnson Lake, this tidy little campground makes for a fun summer stop with the family. A boat launch provides water access to anyone looking to play with jet skis, motor boats, or canoes and kayaks. shallow warmer waters provide for good swimming as well.

Stocked by fish and game; the later summer months can provide good fishing for Rainbow Trout. Both shore and boat fishing can provide success to the right angler. Just gotta bring the right set up!

A nicely set up day use area is avaIlable nearby as well. Large awnings cover anywhere from 2 to 4 picnic tables providing dry areas. Fire pits and built in BBQ‘s are close by each awning.

Late June and July finds this campground very busy, especially during hot days when locals are looking to escape the sun. noise levels and lake activity can get pretty high at these times. The rest of the year these issues are less likely.

One of my favorIte campgrounds growing up, I could be found here most summer days with a lIne in the water or swimmIng. Now a days I use the day use area occasionally for gatherIngs wIth friends and some BBQin. I tend to avoid the campgrounds durring the summer months because of the overcrowding, but late season camping and fishing can be peaceful and quiet.

Need to knows

• 51 total spaces.
• Good for both tent and motor home camping.
• Well water and dumpsters are provided.
• Bathrooms are available.
• Excellent Trout fishing in later summer months.
• Camp hosts can be intrusive.

I camped SIX nights at the Homer Spit campground and there were so many great and not so great things about it.  We stayed four nights in site 6 (interior), and two nights in site 104 (on the beach)

Overall the campground gets a 5. It's super well managed, it's clean and convenient and the view are BREATHTAKING. (the interior sites get a 0 for being scenic)

There are 3 types of site

- Beach front (you camp on the beach, and there are no hookups)

- Beach view (you have a front row beach view and there is a plug in)

- Interior (you are basically camping in what feels like a walmart parking lot with a view)

Most people who visit the spit campground are here for 1 or 2 nights max, and about 80% of them are in RVs. There is a strict 11 am checkout and 3pm check in, so the place is pretty empty during the day, and at night looks like an RV lot.  But it's still awesome.

The sites are small and there is nothing between them besides a log so you know where your boundaries are.  Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. There are about 150 sites. There is one bathroom which was very clean nearly every single time I used it and it has hot water!  Showers cost 2x per person if you're staying at the campsite and they were FANTASTIC - so clean, and hot, and not timed, and amazing water pressure.

--- (the negatives)

- Many of the electrical 110 outlets at the interior sites did not work. This was a small problem for us because we were trying to work in the mornings.

- There was pretty much nowhere for dishwashing. Dishwashing was forbidden at the main water point, with signs to wash dishes at the hose that was also used for feet rinsing at the beach. This wasn't a problem for most people who were in their RVs - but if you're planning to tent camp and cook, you will likely want a dishwashing bucket/bin.

- In the morning the main water point was usually overtaken by a line of RV's filling up the water tank. It wasn't a problem unless that was when I wanted to refill my water...

- The interior sites are not at all scenic. We faced a big dirt pile and a safeway tractor trailer when we were in our campsite. You're staying there for the location, remember, and if you walk 10 feet you will see all the mountains.

++ (the positives)

+ You're literally right at the end of Homer Spit at the campground and you can walk to all the shops without having to fight all the other people for parking!

+ The wifi worked across the property with no problems

+ OMG, the view. 

+ If you don't want to make coffee or breakfast, La Baliene and Sue the Bus are just across the street.

+ the team literally checks every site every day, they clean the trash out of the fire pits, and actually make sure that everything works.

This is my family's 3rd year camping on the Homer Spit. We love it every year. Who wouldn't love waking up and going to sleep looking at the ocean?! It does get a bit windy, but it keeps away the famous Alaskan mosquitoes and provides a great opportunity to watch the para-surfers. The sand is great and the tide goes out far, providing fun exploration activities for kids! It can get a little loud with the nearby road, but you get used to it. There are nearby port-a-potties (no showers) and it is only $10 a night per tent. Camping is on a first-come basis and can be a bit crowded on holiday weekends. Overall, the views are awesome and a great place to pitch a tent!

This camground sits high above Clam Gulch beach. Providing both camping and parking access for the beach below. The mornings and evening can also make for fantastic photo opportunities of the ocean, beach and mountains across the bay.

Clam Gulch beach itself provides tons of photo opportunities especially at low tides, which reveal large sandy flats with sporadic rock outcroppings. The occasional creek or small stream spilling down from the bluffs add to the possibilities. Eagles and other sea birds commonly make appearances as well.

Rock collectors and agate hunters will find plenty to find and pick along the upper beaches. Sea glass and sea shells can also be found along the tidal lines. Others will find tranquility enjoying sImple quiet walks or hikes along the shoreline.

One of my favorite day use areas, i don’t personally camp here often. The shortage, and crowding of the tent camping areas is a turn off for me, as i prefer more separated spaces. The large low tide beaches, photo opportunities, and quiet of the area is huge draw however.

Need to knows

• 120 camping spaces avaIlable
• Mostly motorhome camping with only a handful of tent spaces.
• Tent spaces have a picnic table and fire pit.
• Well water and Dumpsters available.
• Bathrooms are clean and well kept.
• Bring supplies, the closest market is quite a drive away.
• Bring warm weather gear, wind can pick up quickly here.