Best Campgrounds near Ninilchik, 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.

Stayed at the Steelhead one, there are 4 Choices of Campgrounds, Right by the River, Catched my First King Salmon on my Fly Rod

Didnt camp here. We camper at the campground 2 secs. Reason we didnt was due to winds. We didnt have warm enough clothes for the kiddos

This was a awesome spot not but 25 mins out of homer. So you don’t have to worry about the busyness. Also the trees break up the wind

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.

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.

Mountains and the beach. What can be better!?! Only $20 a night, level spots steps from the beach. Does not have electric, water or sewer but if you can be self contained for a couple days. If not, there is a RV park right now the road.

20 minutes to Homer for many things to do and delicious seafood. halibut Capital of the world, beautiful beach with mountains in background.

We did a bear tour out of this town and we could walk to the boat that was taking us. Highly recommend this spot!

It is high of 60 degrees in August, so a little chilly, but nice clear weather!