Best Tent Camping near Moose Pass, AK
Tent camping options near Moose Pass, Alaska include several established sites in the Chugach National Forest and Kenai Peninsula region. Tern Lake offers day use facilities but is primarily used as a rest area at the intersection of routes to Anchorage and Seward, with wildlife viewing opportunities for campers passing through. Exit Glacier Campground in Kenai Fjords National Park provides a more developed tent camping experience with basic amenities and glacier proximity.
Most tent campgrounds in the area feature primitive facilities with varying levels of accessibility. Exit Glacier Campground has 12 walk-in tent-only sites on a first-come, first-served basis with vault toilets and communal bear-proof food storage. Crescent Creek offers nine tent sites with picnic tables and toilets, accessed via three one-lane bridges with a 10-ton weight limit, making it unsuitable for large vehicles. Chugach Backcountry Camping provides free dispersed tent sites but requires campers to pack in all supplies including water, with no toilets or designated facilities available.
Tent campers frequently use these sites as bases for exploring the surrounding wilderness and glaciers. The Exit Glacier area provides access to the Harding Ice Field Trail, an 8.2-mile round-trip hike with 1,000 feet of elevation gain per mile. Crescent Creek's secluded tent sites offer privacy and wildlife viewing opportunities, though bear activity is common, with one visitor noting "fresh scat" in the area. Areas like Coeur D'Alene Campground provide walk-in tent sites at higher elevations that remain "chilly at night and early morning even in the summer," according to a review. Small streams near many campsites provide peaceful background sounds for sleeping, though proper food storage is essential due to bear activity throughout the region.
