Best Tent Camping near Indian, AK

Campground: Portage – Williwaw   So many nice things about this campground and the other portage campgrounds.  I always like to give the warnings but hope this does not keep you from coming here.  Be prepared for WIND.  I mean big wind.  Bring extra stakes if you are tent camping.  Be prepared for rain, lots of rain.  Be prepared for wildlife encounters.  I cannot tell you how many times I have seen black bear along this road.   It is centrally located between Anchorage and the Peninsula but has so many things to offer.  Trip through the Whittier tunnel is a definite.  If you are a hiker Byron glacier in good weather is decent hike.  If you have kids and even if you don’t then the Wildlife Conservation Center of Alaska is great way to get close to the biggest animals Alaska has to offer.   Cell Service: No Internet: No 2020 Cost: $18-$28 Max stay: 14 days Distance from Anchorage: 55 Best sites: Premium sites $28 – 20, 21, 30, 34, 41, 50, 57 Also good are spots 24, 25, 26, and 38 Bug Factor (1 minimal to 10 too many to enjoy): 5 if it gets sunny the bugs come out

The stunning lake view and access made the campsite worth dealing with the bugs and bears.

We arrived at Upper Skilak Lake Campground on a sunny Friday afternoon and managed to get the last site available. The campground was packed, including all the RV sites. We ended up in one of the walk-in tent sites. There are a total of 10 walk-in tent sites, with six right on the lake and the rest just a short walk away.

Each campsite is equipped with bear-proof storage for food, which is essential considering the active bear presence in the area. There is enough space for two tents, and the fire pits are new with adjustable grill racks, which made cooking easy. Buckets were provided to safely extinguish fires.

The campsites are a short walk from the parking lot, involving a small hill, except for one (maybe two) handicap-accessible site that offers easier access.

During our stay, we saw black bears and grizzly bears every day. Bear scat was common on the trails and beach, adding to the sense of adventure but also requiring constant vigilance regarding food storage and safety.

The park rangers were friendly and stopped by our site each night to check in and talk about bear sightings. However, one morning, a ranger accompanied by a few volunteers walked into our site while we were eating, which felt somewhat invasive.

The main downside was the state of the bathrooms. They were extremely dirty, with one stall that didn’t lock and another that had no toilet paper. The smell was terrible, and overall, the facilities were not well-maintained.

By the time we left on Monday, we were the only campers remaining, which offered a peaceful end to our stay.

Overall, Upper Skilak Lake Campground offers a beautiful location and a genuine wilderness experience, the poor condition of the bathrooms and significant amount of bugs were the only drawback.

Be prepared for bears and lots of bugs. The lake, the trails, and experience were definitely worth the trip.

This campground really has everything when it comes to a state campground. You want water access on a glacial lake? How about numerous hiking, biking skiing and horse trails? Are you looking for updated amenities including a table and fire pit, onsite bathrooms, bear proof dumpster, bear proof food storage, and a well for fresh water (no showers though) and even kayak rentals on site? Do you need large campsites with a reasonable amount of privacy instead of setting up your tent on top of someone else's? Eklutna is the spot. It is technically located within the Municipality of Anchorage about 30 minutes from down town. There is no cell service out there, so you can say goodbye to the rest of the world on your way up the mountain road. In addition, there are forest service cabins for rent that are located down one of the major trails, for even more privacy, and a different kind of adventure. Just a mile from the campground is a cute little ice cream shop for a sweet treat on hot summer days.

Bird Creek camp/ RV/ Cabin site is a beautiful 25 minute journey south of Anchorage. Far enough away but close enough to town if you feel the need to get back to the city.

We rented a cabin 95$ a night and took aprox 12 young ladies in the chilly month of November! Daring, I know! But state restrooms made sharing a bathroom easy :)

there is a small wood stove and wood supplied for each cabin which was amazing! A lil kitchen area is built in for your food prep pleasure- must bring stoves and water. No electricity so bring your choice of lighting. Also I recommend headlamps for winter months as bathrooms are a small treck from the secluded wooded cabins.

Bunks are built in and a loft makes for plenty of room.

There was a beautiful table with a map in the top- pretty awesome!

There is a walking trail and it's close to the inlet for beluga whale watching and if your lucky a bore tide!

Rv sites and tents sites available as well- plus table and fire pits at each site.

Hidden Lake canpground is made up of three sections. Skyview loop the furthest from the lake is the largest with sites large enough for any rig. #6, 10 15 and 20 are handicapped only, do not park here unless you have tags or hanging proof. Ridge Loop and Lake Loop are both tighter and have signs warning of limited manuverbility. Sure #6 on lake loop is ADA and #1 on Ridge loop is ADA. There are trails down to the lake from the upper two, ridge and skyview. There is a free boat launch to access Hidden lake which has trout, dolly garden, kokanee and land locked salmon. Seven day limit at only $10 a day. There are day use covered picnic pavilions, an amphitheater, hiking trails and camp host. The walk in tent area is very private and tree covered. All sites have tables and fire rings. Love this place!