Best Campgrounds near Kenai, AK

The toilets were very clean. No showers though like the app says. I saw a moose when I got out of my tent in the morning!

We were lucky enough to get a spot here! It was a perfect place to stop on our way from Homer back to Anchorage.

You can camp anywhere in the DNR Recreational Area out in The Hills. Camp by the creek or up on one of the hills with amazing views. Wonderful area for foraging fungi and harvesting berries. Great Bear and Moose hunting area.

Please, Pack it in, Pack it out.

Rustic 50 site campground. Several sites suited to large rigs. Well kept campground with immaculate vault toilets. Fantastic views, great fishing, and trails. Beachcomb for agates, spirit stones, and wishing stones.

I had the worst experience camping experience of my life here. Noisy, filthy, and poorly managed. The lady who owns it is disrespectful and lazy yet asking a premium price. The sites are not private, the bathrooms are filthy. I recommend not considering this place unless you are dip netting or in noise at all hours not too mention the thievery.

I stayed here early 2024 season and will not return.  The noise was horrible, no privacy between sites and water in few. Basically dry miserable camping at a premium price but the worst part was dealing with the matriarch of the village. The female owner is a rude disrespectful person, clearly uncomfortable in her own skin.

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.

Great fishing guides

There is a south campground along the river and a north loop along the creek. We stayed in the south camp at the end of September so it was “no services no fees” at that time. There’s a bbq restaurant across the street. There are food storage lockers at each site because of bears. Most other campers were there to fish.

We stayed off season and were the only campers except the host. We rv camped and parked in a spot with an outlook over the cliff toward mountains. Only a few spots have views. There is a trail down to a beautiful beach, also empty when we were there. The parking spots are very tightly spaced.

Mostly dry camping with some full hookup spots. Nice fish cleaning station under a roof to keep you dry in the rain. There was firewood when I was there which we made use of, peaceful place to roast some marshmallows. The bathroom situation could use some work since it is an old place, but they were clean.

Tucked away off the main Kenai Peninsula roads, Captain Cook SP sees fewer visitors and offers campers a nice quiet way to spend a few days. While fishing might be the main outdoor activity here, walking along the rocky beach of Cook inlet can’t be beat. 

The campsites are rustic and small, with just a few able to serve larger rigs. The road through the campground is winding and hilly so we’d recommend not bringing a long 5th wheel or bus in here. The vault toilets were clean and water was available through spigots located around the loop. Like all Alaskan State Park wells, they recommend that you treat, filter, or boil all water before consuming. The forest canopy made it a bit of a challenge for our solar system, but our portable solar suitcase was able to make up the difference by periodically moving it around to the sunny spot. 

Hiking trails lead throughout the campground and down to the beach where you could walk for miles if you wanted. The views of Cook Inlet and the mountains of the western shore are stunning on clear days and the sunsets were incredible.  Denali is probably visible occasionally. There was an “Alaskan boat launch," aka a 4-wheel drive road down to the beach where you could launch a small craft, canoe or kayak, and cycling along the roads is possible. There are ample fishing opportunities throughout the area, as well as companies which will take you further inland by seaplane to find your own isolated spot. 

The closest town with full services is Kenai, and the larger village of Soldatna for mechanics, gas, groceries and restaurants.

Ashley here with The Dyrt. We're so happy to have David on our platform. He offers a cozy yurt for a party of 4. No running water but there is heat! Book a guided fishing trip and leave your review here!