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Best Dog-Friendly Camping near McCarthy, AK

16 Reviews

Base Camp Root Glacier offers pet-friendly camping near McCarthy, Alaska with access to stunning views of the Chugach Mountains and Root Glacier. This established campground allows pets and provides several amenities including picnic tables, fire rings, and trash disposal. Located at the end of a 30-mile gravel road, the campground accommodates tents, RVs, and glamping setups with drive-in, walk-in, and boat-in access options. Campers pay a flat rate of $20 per night using an honor system and can set up anywhere on the property. The campground features outhouses and potable water containers, though facilities are basic. The gravel terrain may be challenging for tent campers seeking soft ground.

McCarthy's remote location provides excellent opportunities for dogs to enjoy wilderness experiences. The campground sits directly beside a rushing river and serves as an ideal base for accessing dog-friendly hiking trails, including routes to Root Glacier. A 15-minute walk takes campers to McCarthy town where limited services are available. The Root Glacier Primitive Backcountry Camping area in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park also permits pets but requires proper containment as bear activity is common in the area. The drive to reach McCarthy can be challenging, taking approximately three hours on rough gravel roads with numerous potholes. During shoulder seasons, campers often have their pick of spots with significantly fewer visitors sharing the grounds.

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Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near McCarthy, Alaska (2)

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Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near McCarthy, AK

2 Photos of 2 McCarthy Campgrounds

Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near McCarthy, AK

16 Reviews of 2 McCarthy Campgrounds

  • SJ D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 5, 2021

    Base Camp Root Glacier

    Stunning views

    Great spot for families, only 1/2 from McCarthy and 5 miles from Kennicott. Over the footbridge you can take public shuttles for a fee to Kennicott.

    Warning- McCarthy can attract a lot of partying, some visitor may be louder and stay up late.

  • V
    Jun. 27, 2016

    Glacier View Campground

    Glacier View Campground

    Beautiful views close to McCarthy's walking bridge. Picnic Benches. Very friendly host. Must try the Roadside Potatohead! It was about a 10 minute walk from our campsite.

  • James B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 14, 2025

    Base Camp Kennicott

    3 Day Stay next to glacier

    Booked three nights after driving the McCarthy Road Area is pretty open with fire rings and a few pit toilets. The ground is not paved or graveled so it’s bumpy coming back.
    We parked our pickup camper with a view of the glacier out our door.
    Easy walk to McCarthy foot bridge. Need to pack out trash as there is no local pickup.
    $35 a night for small rigs, $45 for large.

  • Shadara W.
    Aug. 12, 2019

    Base Camp Root Glacier

    Breathtaking Views!

    This is less of a campsite and more of a just roughing-in it (boondocking) on the side of the river on some gravel. Gorgeous views in every direction so worth the gravelly spots. Perfect Campground for the jumping off into Kennicott and McCarthy. Listen to the Raging River as you fall asleep. Friendly host went out of his way to let us use his phone to check up on grown kids at home. No real fire puts to speak of, we used rocks to enclose our fire and there were plenty of those. No table either but considering the price we really didnt mind for being close to the bridge into McCarthy.

  • E
    Jun. 11, 2024

    Base Camp Root Glacier

    Best campsite in all of Alaska

    While this campsite might be basic in amenities, the views are unbeatable! This also give great access to McCarthy and Kennicott shuttles. Be very careful on the road here, we got a flat on the way out but some very kind Alaskans helped us out and got us on the way.

  • SwitchbackKids
    Jul. 27, 2017

    Jumbo Creek Camping Area — Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

    Incredible views, close to Kennicott

    Like other national parks in Alaska that we encountered, there is often an expensive route and a very affordable route for exploring the park. Wrangell-St. Elias was no exception. While plenty of visitors stayed in the lodge, or in nearby McCarthy, we opted for the free Jumbo Creek Campground, only 1.5 miles from the heart of the park in Kennicott, Alaska.

    Camping here requires a 1.5 trek to and from your site everyday, but if you can get past that, your time here will be unforgettable. Our site here provided possibly the best view we ever had while camping all across the U.S. last year.

    At the “campground” -- a flexible term for an array of flat areas around the trail where you can find a place to camp -- is a bear box, and that’s about it. But it’s free, so what can you do?

    We found the perfect place to pitch our tent, but we cooked a ways down the trail to take every precaution against bears in the area. We didn’t see any during our time here.

    Hiking in and out of the campsite each day was a bit of a chore, but it was worth it to access some amazing hiking: we loved the hike to Bonanza Mine and out the other direction to Root Glacier (where we strapped on crampons with our guided tour.)

    We also enjoyed hearing about the history of Kennicott from rangers in the many available ranger tours.

    You can read much more about our three days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Wrangell-St. Elias)

  • Hannah C.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 12, 2019

    Base Camp Root Glacier

    Rocky and sketchy but with amazing views!

    I came to this campground in the middle of May. No one else seemed to be camping there. There were cars parked in the parking area but most of them seemed to be broke down. No one ever even acknowledged that we were there. You pay buy an honor system of filling out a white slip of paper and putting it on your dash. $20 for overnight camping and $5 for day parking. This campground is conveniently located right next to the foot bridge that goes into McCarthy. If you are tent camping you have to set up on the bare rocks. It can also get very windy. Outhouses did not seem to be set up so we drove a mile out of town to the NPS public pit toilets since they were clean and open. There are picnic tables and rock fire rings scattered around for public use. The views are stunning and I'm sure they are even better in the summer!

  • Melissa W.
    Oct. 29, 2023

    Base Camp Root Glacier

    Great secluded camping

    This place is so far out of the way and worth it. We only stayed one night but there was enough around and the site was so great, I wish we could have stayed for two. The road to get here isn't hard, just extremely long. When it's wet and the potholes are full of water, you have to treat each of them like they're a foot deep since you have no depth perception. It took us about 3 hours on Nabsena road in our rental jeep compass. We were here in shoulder season and had our pick of spots. We set up right along the water. It was extremely peaceful and relaxing. You could sit here to just enjoy the scenery. Walking into McCarthy is fun too and has a couple of dining options. The city's public outhouses are night, the home made pits on the campground are okay (the dimensions are a little off and they're awkward to sit on). I can't remember if they have wood available but don't count on any amenities. Being shoulder season, we were treated to less than 10 others in the campground (any RV's should be prepared to bondock). Plenty of bear tracks sited hiking in the area and locals said the grizzly's were coming out at night. We even got a glimpse of the Northern Lights but the stars alone are incredible here. This site was well worth travelling for.

  • A
    Sep. 5, 2016

    Base Camp Root Glacier

    Remote, difficult to get to, and totally worth it!

    Chugach Mountains on one side, the Root Glacier on the other, and a rushing river on the third side. The MOST gorgeous scenery at a campsite I've ever been to. There is no NP campground in this remote part of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (the largest NP in the US). You can either drive the 30-mile gravel road for 3 hours or take a 4-seater plane in. The flight was our vacation splurge and it was breathtaking. We were dropped off by a shuttle at the other side of the river and used a wheeled cart to carry out gear and cross the pedestrian bridge to the campground. No one was there but we found a picnic table with instructions to put our $20/night cash in an envelope. We found a site on the other side (the side by the picnic table had cars/RV's that had driven in, our side had 3 tents the first night, none the next 2 nights). There aren't really any designated campsites, but there were a scattering of picnic tables, fire rings and plenty of land. Despite the remoteness, we were glad to discover an outhouse and a large container of potable water on site. The town of McCarthy (15 minute walk) had 1 restaurant open that we ate dinner at each night after exploring the Root Glacier and ice climbing. We bought sack lunches from the lodge in Kennicott and only had to cook breakfast. Bear containers are required here if you don't have a vehicle, and we were able to check one out for free from the NP visitor center (not on site, but several hours earlier in the day's drive). While the campground itself is very basic, the remote location and beauty make the effort and expense to get here absolutely worth it! Highly recommended!

Guide to McCarthy

If you're looking to enjoy the great outdoors with your furry friend, there are some fantastic options for pets-allowed camping near McCarthy, Alaska.

Tips for camping with dogs near McCarthy

  • At Base Camp Root Glacier, be prepared for a long drive on Nabsena Road, which can be challenging but rewarding with stunning views. Make sure to bring plenty of water and snacks for both you and your pet, as amenities are limited.

Dog-friendly activities while camping near McCarthy

  • The area around Base Camp Root Glacier offers great hiking opportunities, where you might even spot some wildlife. Just keep an eye on your dog, especially since bear tracks have been reported in the vicinity.

Pet-friendly campgrounds include Root Glacier Primitive Backcountry Camping

  • For a more rugged experience, consider Root Glacier Primitive Backcountry Camping, where you can immerse yourself in nature with your pet. This spot allows for a true backcountry adventure, perfect for those who enjoy hiking and exploring the wilderness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near McCarthy, AK?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near McCarthy, AK is Base Camp Root Glacier with a 4.1-star rating from 9 reviews.

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