Ketchikan is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Ketchikan is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Ketchikan. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
Signal Creek Campground is a year-round facility located in the Ward Lake Recreation Area, 7 miles north of downtown Ketchikan and about 4 miles north of the State ferry terminal. The campground straddles Signal Creek and lies on the banks of Ward Lake, with easy access to fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing.
Hiking is a popular option, as the Ward Lake Recreation Area boasts seven trails. The Ward Lake Nature Travel meanders 1.3 miles around the lake. A large day-use complex with picnic sites and shelters is also available. Freshwater fishing, canoeing, kayaking, wildlife viewing and scenery are favorite draws at Ward Lake.
Signal Creek Campground's sites can accommodate up to 10 people. Each campsite contains a picnic table, a campfire ring with grill and a gravel parking spur. Two hand pumps for drinking water and three vault toilets are provided. Water is provided during the peak season only. During the winter season, only the outhouse closest to sites 1-5 is open. Firewood may be provided but is not guaranteed.
The campground is surrounded by an old-growth temperate rainforest comprised primarily of western hemlock and Sitka spruce. Signal Creek flows through the campground, and Ward Lake is adjacent. At nearly 17 million acres, the Tongass National Forest covers most of Southeast Alaska and is the largest forest in the national forest system. The Tongass surrounds the Inside Passage, the network of waterways that buffers the jagged Alaskan Coast and a cluster of coastline islands. The Tongass offers visitors a chance to view wildlife, including eagles, bears and spawning salmon. Expansive vistas, including fjords, glaciers and mountain peaks abound.
$10 / night
The dark sandy, shallow sloping beaches and forest has been a popular recreation area since the 1930's, and historically used by the Tlingits for fishing and hunting. There is a 1/2 mile wood chip trail traversing the southern-most Blank Islands.
The park offers exploring, kayaking, scuba diving, fishing, hiking, and camping. Access is currently by boat or aircraft.
This park encompasses the Blank Islands and a portion of Gravina Island, at the mouth of the Blank Inlet on the East side of Gravina Island (about 4.6 miles directly south of Ketchikan).
This is 16' X 16' A-frame shelter that was reconstructed in 2008-09. The shelter offers great views of the surrounding mountains and alpine as well as opportunities for wildlife viewing. FACILITIES: • 2 double bunks for 4 people • Sleeping loft for 4 people • Oil Stove (#1 Diesel fuel NOT provided) • Table and benches • Cooking Counter
Non-reservable; First Come, First Serve
Elevation: 2900
This buoy is available on a first come; first serve basis and is intended for use by small and medium watercraft. The buoy is located in 30-80 feet of water and has a 7/8 inch chain. Look for a white buoy with blue reflective tape. This buoy provides access to the Black Mountain trail.
Polk Camp is a three bedroom cabin located in Polk Inlet on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The site offers recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience in the Tongass National Forest. Polk Camp once served as a remote administration camp for the Craig Ranger District and is now a recreation cabin with amenities including a kitchen and running water. The cabin is accessible by vehicle, boat or floatplane. Although the site is not as remote as others in the area, visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Anglers will find that Dog Salmon Creek, which flows into the inlet, has an excellent run of coho, chum, sockeye and pink salmon, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and Dolly Varden. Crabbing, beachcombing and wildlife viewing are popular in the area as well. Dog Salmon Fish Pass is noted as a popular bear viewing site in August. A system of roads for off-road enthusiasts is also in the vicinity. Hunters can take advantage of the long hunting seasons in the surrounding national forest. Bear season occurs during spring and fall, while deer season begins in late summer and lasts through late fall. Polk Inlet also has a rich logging history. Log landings and log transfer facilities can be found on the nearby shoreline, but are not visible from the cabin.
The Polk Camp has a large kitchen with a fully functional propane stove and oven, running water in the sink, and plenty of counter and cupboard space. There are three bedrooms with two moveable beds in each room. Running water is currently inavailable. Please bring your own water. There is a large gathering room, a great deck and exquisite views. Polk Camp is a wonderful spot for a family reunion, a wedding or a weekend with your friends.
The cabin is nestled in a canopy of young Sitka spruce and western hemlock. There are plenty of places to explore in the Polk Inlet area, including an estuary just south of the cabin, where wildlife is abundant, including sandhill cranes, eagles, wolves, black bears, Sitka black-tailed deer and a variety of migratory birds.
Nearby attractions include: Dog Salmon Wildlife Viewing Area; Polk Inlet Road system; Polk Inlet all-terrain vehicle roads (trails); hunting; fishing; crabbing; wildlife viewing.
$45 - $75 / night
This campground has 4 drive-in camping units available with paved road access. Facilities include fire rings, garbage cans, vault toilets, and hand pump water - no hookups. This site is available for group use and is only available to single users if other campgrounds (Signal Creek, Last Chance) are full.
Last Chance Campground is located in the Ward Lake Recreation Area, 9 miles north of downtown Ketchikan and about 4 miles north of the State ferry terminal. This campground straddles Last Chance Creek and lies next to Ward Creek with easy access to fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing.
Hiking is a popular option, as the Ward Lake Recreation Area boasts seven trails. The Ward Lake Nature Trail meanders 1.3 miles around the lake. A large day-use complex with picnic sites and shelters is also available. Freshwater fishing, wildlife viewing and scenery are favorite draws at Ward Lake.
Last Chance Campground is designated to be fully accessible. Each campsite contains a picnic table, a campfire ring with grill and a gravel parking spur. Two hand pumps for drinking water and three vault toilets are provided. Firewood may be provided but is not guaranteed. Firewood and other assistance may be obtained from the campground host located 2 miles away at Signal Creek Campground.
Last Chance is surrounded by an old-growth temperate rainforest comprised primarily of western hemlock and Sitka spruce. Last Chance Creek flows through the campground, and Ward Creek runs alongside. At nearly 17 million acres, the Tongass National Forest covers most of Southeast Alaska and is the largest forest in the national forest system. The Tongass surrounds the Inside Passage, the network of waterways that buffers the jagged Alaskan Coast and a cluster of coastline islands. The Tongass offers visitors a chance to view wildlife, including eagles, bears and spawning salmon. Expansive vistas, including fjords, glaciers and mountain peaks abound.
$10 / night
Twelvemile Cabin is a fully accessible cabin located on Twelvemile Inlet on Prince of Wales Island in southeastern Alaska. The site offers recreation, relaxation and a unique lodging experience in the Tongass National Forest. Construction of this cabin was made possible through mitigation funds from Alaska Power and Telephone and the Federal Energy Regulatiory Commission. The cabin is accessible by vehicle and a short gravel trail. Although the site is not as remote as others in the area, visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities.
Anglers will find that Twelvemile Creek, which flows into the inlet, has an excellent run of coho, chum and pink salmon, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout and Dolly Varden. At Old Frank's natural area, located east of the cabin, visitors can find streams supporting cutthroat and Dolly Varden. Crabbing, beachcombing and wildlife viewing are popular in the area as well. Dog Salmon Fish Pass is located approximately 10 miles from the cabin, and is noted as a popular bear viewing site in August. A system of roads for off-road enthusiasts can be found about 4 miles south of the cabin. Hunters can take advantage of the long hunting seasons in the surrounding national forest. Bear season occurs during spring and fall, while deer season begins in late summer and lasts through late fall. Twelvemile Inlet also has a rich logging history. Remnants of an abandoned camp, log landings and log transfer facilities can be found on the nearby shoreline, but are not visible from the cabin.
The 16x20-ft, one-story, fully accessible cabin can sleep up to six people on wooden bunkbeds without mattresses. The cabin is equipped with a table, benches, a wood stove for heat and a fully-accessible outdoor toilet, located 40 feet from the cabin. Other amenities include a cooking counter, shelves, cupboard space, axe, splitting maul and a broom. Firewood is available, though the supply is not guaranteed. The cabin does not have running water or electricity. Visitors must bring their own food, water, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, cook stove, stove fuel, fire starter, cooking gear/utensils, lantern or flashlight, toilet paper, first aid kit and garbage bags. Water is available from a stream south of the cabin, but must be treated before being used. A primative boat ramp is located .25 miles north of the cabin, and an accessible gravel foot trail from the parking area to the cabin entrance is located on-site. Click here for more cabin details.
The cabin is nestled in a canopy of young Sitka spruce and western hemlock. There are plenty of places to explore in the Twelvemile area, including an estuary just south of the cabin, where wildlife is abundant, including sandhill cranes, eagles, wolves, black bears, Sitka black-tailed deer, and a variety of migratory birds. Across the inlet from the cabin is a view of Twelvemile old growth reserve. This area is managed for old growth characteristics and provides a pristine forest setting.
$45 - $55 / night
The dark sandy, shallow sloping beaches and forest has been a popular recreation area since the 1930's, and historically used by the Tlingits for fishing and hunting. There is a 1/2 mile wood chip trail traversing the southern-most Blank Islands.
The park offers exploring, kayaking, scuba diving, fishing, hiking, and camping. Access is currently by boat or aircraft.
This park encompasses the Blank Islands and a portion of Gravina Island, at the mouth of the Blank Inlet on the East side of Gravina Island (about 4.6 miles directly south of Ketchikan).
This is 16' X 16' A-frame shelter that was reconstructed in 2008-09. The shelter offers great views of the surrounding mountains and alpine as well as opportunities for wildlife viewing. FACILITIES: • 2 double bunks for 4 people • Sleeping loft for 4 people • Oil Stove (#1 Diesel fuel NOT provided) • Table and benches • Cooking Counter
Non-reservable; First Come, First Serve
Elevation: 2900
