Are you planning a tent camping trip to Kenai? We've got you covered. The Dyrt helps you find campsites near Kenai with tent camping. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Kenai's most popular destinations.
Scout
Wonderful stay at 50 site primitive campground. Big rig friendly, clean, private sites. Clean vault toilets, pump for water, trash, no dump station. Lots of wildlife - moose with calves in cg. Great fishing in Cooks Inlet, Stormy Lake, and Swanson River all steps from the campground. Beachcombing and rockhounding on beach. Stunning views.
Scout
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!
Scout
We were lucky enough to get a spot here! It was a perfect place to stop on our way from Homer back to Anchorage.
Traveler
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.
Scout
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.
Scout
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.
ScoutI 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.
Ranger
4.5 stars for this RV park. They have everything you need. Laundry/showers/bathrooms. 50/30 amp electric, sewer, water. Small dog run. They have a fish charter service, as well as fish cleaning stations. They also fillet, vacuum pack freeze and ship your catch. We really enjoyed ourselves here.
Scout
It’s crowded and I’m not even sure what to do because it’s a big mess but I’m gonna go ahead and do the same
Guide
Big Parking lot , but the View and trail down to the Beach makes up for it
Guide
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.
Scout
Beautiful campground. Clean facilities. BUT the $23/vehicle/campsite killed the 5 stars this place deserves. Be aware that if you have a towed car or motorcycles with your camper they will charge you even though you are in one site. And this fee is not on the entrance sign nor the City of Soldotna website.
Traveler
This is a small campground with individual sites. It has a lake with boat ramp access and is used frequently, during summer months. Campsites have firepits. Some sites can be quite muddy to get to. Very nice. No cell service at sites.
Guide
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.
GuideWe 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.
LegendRight on the Kenai river with a campground and boat launch. Tons of stores etc in Soldotkna minutes away to include a laundry mat five minutes away.
Road in is dirt and in good condition. They have people at the front that collect fees of people coming and goin. Lots of people coming through to use the boat launch, but you can't beat the beautiful turquoise of the Kenai river. Also, a beautiful mile or so trail along the river so people can pay $8 to park for the day. Plenty of restrooms and picnic tables. level camping spots and spots were nice and spread out so you aren't on top of your neighbor.
Also, close to Kenai Wildlife Refuge, a couple minutes away. So check out the visitors center and the trails off the visitors center. Well maintained and scenic!
LegendIt's salmon fishing season and you can tell people are staying here to fish the Kenai River, which is great. It was a very convenient campsite off the highway on the way to Homer, in the national forest. only $23 a night to camp or $11.50 if your a senior or have an access pass. Great prize for Alaska, but of course no amenities at site such as water, electric etc. It's a dry spot.
Good size sites and level spots with picnic table and fire pit. Enjoyed our night here ...
Legend
Small but lovely campground on a one way road right on the Kenai river. Sites are spread out, a couple tent spots and a couple of camper spots. There appears to be seven spots and if this is full, you can go just up the road to the next campground.
No electric, water etc but there is a dumpster, picnic tables and fire pits. Across the road is a BBQ spot and a store. You can easily walk to it, just be careful going across road as hwy. Is pretty busy!
Scout
Master of camping
TravelerMostly 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.
Scout
The camp hosts were exceptional, I am handicap and they found us a great handicap space for car camping at the time. This as Fourth of July weekend 2021
GuideVery basic campground with no amenities. Lots of space between sites with fast moving water on the north side.
LegendTucked 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.
Ranger
Mainly a large parking lot, no bathrooms this time of year. Beautiful right on the way, be careful driving on the sand especially at low tide it quickly turns to mud flats
RangerStayed at site 19, only a few sites down there is a marked trail (steep and slippery when wet) that goes down to the ocean. There are nice tables at the picnic area, not many water sources or bathrooms. Low tide is breathtaking, be careful of the mud flats, they can be like quick sand
RangerWe just stayed here one night, But they were beautiful wooded campgrounds right next to the lake. We were there during a weekday and there was only one other camper at the campground so it felt very secluded.
Ranger
Only a handful of spots, I’ve only camped with a tent here, might be able to camp with a small camper here. No hook ups, does have fire rings and picnic tables
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Kenai, AK?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Kenai, AK is Lower Skilak Lake Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 8 reviews.
