Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Healy, AK

Take your bikes or buy a bus pass. Only some spots had a view. The camping is close. Pets are not allowed on trails in the park- only roads. The camp was kind of noisy. Come here for the Denali experience but know it does not start with this campground.

I wouldn’t recommend coming here if you have pets, as they’re not allowed on most of the trails.

Super wooded area & not the best if you’re looking for amazing views.

We came in June, the first week they were officially opened & we paid $30 and none of the bathrooms were open yet. Definitely wait until later in June if you plan to go!

This was out second campsite of our 8 night Alaska trip. We were there for two nights. This campground has a family campground feel with all the RV's and family groups; not that that's a bad thing! The campground was probably 80% full, but still quiet and enough solitude. The campground is right on the Denali park road where all the shuttles and buses pass through the park. We reserved a spot to take us all the way to the Eielson Visitors Center which is a ~4 hour one-way trip from Savage River Campground. Anyone reading this and considering going to Denali - you WILL see wildlife. We saw a family of foxes, caribou, grizzly bears, a marmot, ground and red squirrels, moose, bald eagles, and a variety of other birds. There is a popular short hike from the campground down to Savage River, and the camp host told us that people see moose and bear a lot in the morning on that hike. Other things to note are: Denali Education Center (outside of the park) - we went to yoga here; Healy - check out 49th State Brewing ( they have the "Into the Wild" bus from the movie).

Jake from the Dyrt here! This unique stay in Alaska trains dogs for sledding.  Check them out and make sure to leave a review on the Dyrt!

We liked how the campground was not right next to the main highway going through Healy and Denali. It is about 3 to 4 miles off the main road. We stayed in camp spot number nine, which was a huge spot and perfect for our 32ft camper truck and three dogs. It was unfortunately $60 per night when we stayed the weekend of July 20, 2024. Most campgrounds I’ve ever been to are between five and $20 per night. The other down side is that it is right next to the GVEA power plant so you hear a bit of noise early in the morning from the loaders back up alarms and the plant just operating. The host was absolutely incredible and one of the most friendly host we’ve ever had. The campground when he first pulled into it and passed the office is a little sketchy because it looks like a somewhat rundown place but as you get farther back, the camp spots are nice and big power and water. The dump station unfortunately was on the wrong side when I left and I didn’t have a long enough hose so I had to go out circle and come back in just to dump my tank and luckily no one was in a camping spot so I was able to turn back around and leave. Spot number nine is at the very end on the right and thankfully no one was parked across the drive from us because I needed that whole spot just to back in my camper so if you don’t know how to drive your rig I recommend not going here. I don’t want to discourage anyone from going here with the large price noise from the power plant and somewhat sketchy looking buildings on the property when you first arrive because it was a great stay and mostly quiet because it was so far away from the main road, and the host also made it worthwhile.

“Did you get your Denali reservations, yet?” For months we heard this common refrain from my mother each time we called. We were planning a visit to the park during the first week of August, and here it was April and there was still plenty of availability for the furthest campground into the park that you can take a trailer, camper, RV or motorhome. Still, there’s a reason why it’s so in demand. Not only is the campground beautiful, nestled in between the foothills and the banks of the braided Teklanika river, but it greatly reduces your travel time into the rest of the park by bus. 

The campground offers medium-sized sites, some back-in, some pull-through, picnic tables, fire rings, fresh potable water and vault-style toilets like many other national park campgrounds. None of the campsites offered electrical hook ups, so bring your solar panels.  We were able to charge our system by simply putting our portable solar panel out into the open. 

If you’re driving your personal vehicle, you can make your reservation between 3 minimum required nights or 14 maximum nights. (If you take the bus, you only need to make a reservation for 1 night – but why would you only stay 1 night?– this is Denali, people!)  The purpose for the stay requirement of drivers is to minimize vehicle traffic on the gravel park road. You get to drive in once on the first day of your reservation, and out once on the last day– any other day in-between you’re taking the bus.

Once you get to the campground, the sites are first-come, first-served. There will be enough sites for everyone with a reservation, but your choices might be limited if you arrive later in the day. 

To ride the bus, you must purchase a separate “Tek” bus pass which is a one-time fee and good for the entire length of your stay. You can go in either direction on the bus, hop-on/ hop-off any place you want between the end of the road and Park Headquarters.  The buses can accommodate 3 bikes, so if you want to ride one way and take the bus back like we did, that's a great option!  One note on the Tek Pass, if you go all the way back to the Visitor’s Center you will need to purchase an additional bus pass to get back to camp. So, do your VC stuff before and after you camp within the park. 

Groceries are best purchased at the Three Bears in nearby Healy, around 15 miles from the park entrance, they have better prices and a wider selection than in Denali town, including a full liquor store. There are bars, restaurants, hotels and t-shirt shops aplenty there too.

This is a great campsite near the entrance of Denali Park. Stubby taiga trees and brush separate sites but it's a busy place so be prepared for noise from traffic and other campers. No hookups. Make reservations online up to 6 months in advance to secure your spot. The Denali Visitors Center is a must see, and sign up for a bus tour if you have a whole day to spare. It's a long ride but you can get off and day hike if you're so inclined. The kennels are a fun way to pass a few hours, checking out the pups that pull the dog sleds for the National Park Service in winter.

Loved this NP campground. Quiet and convenient spot to park a tent/camper. Easy walk/drive to bus depot/visitors center/town. They have a mercantile store open to book buses, pay for camping, get beer, ice cream, some goodies. They have laundry and showers (need quarters). Level spots! They do not have electric etc but have a dump station and water.

Denali is awesome. Beautiful hikes, go see the sled dog demo, took a bus tour into the park past the point where no personal vehicles are allowed. 30% chance of seeing Denali. Rainy and foggy when we were there so we saw a small glimpse behind the clouds but you would never know it's this huge mountain. Also beautiful fall colors at this time. Weather changing quickly!!

There was a bear that has destroyed a tent so they had part of campground blocked off. They have three loops: bear, wolf or caribou and no soft sided tents were allowed at this time.

Backpacking in Denali National Park and Preserve in the wintertime is rough. Do not try it unless you know what you are doing. Everything in the area pretty much shuts down during the winter months! Do not expect a warm Irish coffee after the backpacking trek through the snow. On the plus side, everything is free! If you can get yourself out there you can go as far as you would like. I only got 1-2 miles from the sled dog kennels as my toes thought it was too cold to venture further. There are limited water supply areas and if you do want them you must be willing to trek a few miles in deep snow to get to them. I should mention that there’s lots of snow during the wintertime just one more time. Be prepared! i visited in October but for some reason can not change it to the proper month.

BUT you also get the chance to see the northern lights so it’s a win.

P.s. these units are very very different during the summer months and very accessible to tourists!

Igloo campground is located a decent ways into the park. We were told mosquitoes were the national bird of Alaska haha. It is no joke at this campground. Be prepared for me. Only 7 campsites but pretty close together. No campfires or communal fire pit.

We were visiting Denali from California and was our first time in Alaska. We were not only blown away by the beauty of Denali, but the campground was stunning as well. Most campers had RVs which made for a very quiet campground during days and nights. That's not something we are used to in California. It was so relaxing. The only downside was that thr bathroom near our site was basically an outhouse and there was no running water anywhere. Made it difficult to do dishes, wash hands, etc. I would rent an RV next time.

This campground is located at mile 29 of the denali park road so if you're taking the bus that's where you need to get off! Make sure you have your thermarest and sleeping mask the midnight sun is real and you'll need it to get some shut eye. Permafrost in Alaska is also real and you'll have a frozen bum if you forget your thermal rest. Also deet is essential here. This was my favorite place to camp in denali after setting up camp I scrambled up the hill on the other side of the road and watched the caribou herd for what seemed like forever. The day I left I was awakened by a moose and her calf in my camp site who were luckily non aggressive and didn't seem to care about me at all. Mean while I'm sitting in my tent having a heart attack ready to die. Anyway amazing place check it. Happy Adventuring!

I camped here a few years ago when I was on an Alaska trip with my grandma.  We were moving around a lot and this campground was just what we needed for one night.  We took the shuttle bus in, since that's the only way to get there, stayed for a night and then moved on. There aren't many sites in this place, maybe 10 or so but they are spread out and nice. Only tent sites with no hook ups. Be prepared because there is no drinking water here so you need to bring your own or some way to purify it. You can't make reservations, its only walk ups.  

We did one little hike while we were in the area which ended up being really nice. I would definitely recommend checking out horseshoe lake trail if you need an easy hike and want some nice views. I think it was about 2 miles without much elevation gain. 

Although we didn't stay here for very long, just passing through Denali, it was a good experience and I would recommend the campground.

Great place to camp. Sites are big. Has water and electric hook ups. A dump station. Has washer and dryer. Has showers for a price. Would easily come back.

Nice bathrooms, you need special tokens from the office for showers. Not crowded in early June.

I ended up doing car camping here on a whim because it was super rainy and I wanted somewhere I could comfortably car camp without running into the risk of being disturbed and let me tell you this was such a beautiful and safe space to be camping. The best part of it all, if you have AT&T you get full 5g service in the mountains. It was great 10/10 will be camping when I pass through here again.

It’s not part of the National Park so camping is allowed. You follow a tiny little path down off the side of the road and can set up camp at the bottom of the rocks. The waterfall is beautiful and it offers wonderful views of the Nenana River.

This is a great lil spot that loved to come visit every once and a while

I was staying there with some friends for 2 nights, the RV Park was full, everything was beautiful, you have an amazing view to appreciate, you can go with your family also because it is a quiet place.

Riley Creek was a nice convenient stay just within Denali NP. The sites are a little close together, but the ability to take a shower and pick up some supplies a short trail away was nice.