Best Cabin Camping near North Pole, AK

Harding Lake State Recreation Area is a shady and scenic site about twenty minutes from North Pole. The lesser-known and elder cousin of the many water-themed state recreation areas that trace the Richardson Highway from Fairbanks to Delta Junction.

This large and accommodating campground boasts a boat launch into Harding Lake, a baseball field, a large group recreation area near the water, a self-guided nature trail, a trailer dump site, and unpotable bulk water--along with various bathrooms with trash receptacles. 

Our family of 5 tent camped in May and had a fantastic weekend. The sandlot-reminiscent baseball field was a rare and magical find that suited our family's wiffleball addiction perfectly. It's like wandering through a moss grove and emerging into a boreal. baseball field. A subarctic Field of Dreams. I also hit two first-pitch homeruns off my 9 and 5 year old--which may or not be related to the magic of this field--but I choose to believe.

The spacious and thoughtfully-designed campground certainly feels beyond its prime--old, unserviceable water pumps (perhaps not yet operable for the season); aspen saplings dotting the baseball infield; and many downed spruces over the nature trail. The posted maps are a little outdated. However, the campground boasted some of the cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen, anywhere-with a very friendly on-site host who came by to chat and kept the facilities in pristine condition.  The camping spots are well-placed along the loop to allow for varying degrees of privacy between sites.

Mosquitoes are everywhere in springtime Alaska--please let me know when you find a campground in a birch forest without them. That said, bring all the bug repellant and preventative measures you can muster. I was swarmed by a biblical cloud of man-eating Culicidae when we first pulled in--but they soon dispersed and only became annoying for intermittent periods. 

Overall this was a magnificent campground, quiet and clean, with plenty for the kids to do. Fantastic and memorable experience.

Chena Hot Springs offers a full resort experience with hotel rooms, cabins, restaurants, and a host of activities including soaking in the infamous hot pools. It also offers camping with and without electrical hook-ups in either creek side privacy or open lot RV parking. It is a world-famous destination with shuttle buses to and from Fairbanks daily. You will meet people from all over the world. 

Camping and soaking are charged separately, as are any extra experiences like the Ice Museum (glad I did it, not sure I would again).  Vault toilets, rubbish and recycling bins, and potable water are all available in the campsite, flush toilets and showers are a part of the pool/hot springs facility. Hiking, biking, boating and fishing are all available close by in addition to the experiences offered by the resort. 

The nearest services for groceries are about 45 miles back down the road toward Fairbanks, or North Pole, AK. We camped in the primitive area, which was lovely, forested and right along the creek, but the opportunity for solar power collection was limited by the trees, so plan ahead.  We parked in the main lot for awhile to recharge, then took our rig back into the campground.  Worked well!

We came here a month ago in November for a last minute winter getaway. We rented the Forget-me-Not cabin. It’s a dry cabin with an outhouse, but it does have electricity and a DVD player. Just make sure you bring your own DVDs if you plan to use it.

The cabin itself was very rustic and outdated, but a great size for two couples. The provided toaster caught on fire as soon as we turned it on. We told the front desk and they didn’t seem surprised.

Obviously the Hot Springs was the main attraction. It was AMAZING! Definitely a must see. Their restaurant was really good too. No cell service, but WIFI in the main lodge.

This was a nice campground with a friendly couple hosting. The spaces were spaced out with privacy trees. I think we scored one of the best spots number 11. The mosquitoes were unbearable outside and in 73 degree weather you needed to be completely covered. The water was so high that the only water play area was the boat launch area. The kids still had a great time but I would check the water level before coming back. There is a dump station, water, and plenty of bathrooms throughout the campground. It is a party campground for water activities so expect noise well after 2am. There are no electric hookups. The closest store is about 10 minutes down the road and has your basic essentials. There are other lakes to visit within an hour radius which makes this a fun location. There is a baseball/soccer field on site which was a lot of fun for the children to run off so energy and it wasn’t very buggy. The water pump was turned off due to Covid19. There’s a water toys rental by the boat launch that offers paddle boats, canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards $25/2 hours or $35 for all day. They are only open Friday-Sunday or by appointment.

This was a campground with a fun water area for the children. There was a boat launch and water that we could walk very far out in with the children. There were about 70-80 site options, nice walking/bike trails, picnic areas, fire rings, water play area. It felt like there were plenty of camping options with privacy. There were plenty of opportunities to view wildlife as moose came running through our campsite. There was a field through the woods that people were playing softball in late which was fun to watch. I feel like this was a pretty basic campground but the children loved getting into the water.

Awesome to be able to camp at the resort with easy access to the Hot Springs. Dry camping no amenities except a outdoor bathroom. River behind the spots though, spots close together and close to camping. Level spots but wet from rain. Puddles etc....no internet. You got 10 free minutes by the lodge but then you are prompter to start paying. Did get to see the Northern lights so that was a bonus. Missed the ice museum as it said closed for maintenance on the website and when we got there is appeared you could get in by tours. It was too late by that time.

Hot springs are nice but it was chaos! Line to get in and the locker rooms are a nightmare. The springs had a lot of people in them but it wasn't terrible and you could still relax.

Kids cannot go in the hot springs This campground is first come first served.  If you don’t mind walking, then you can stay anywhere in the campground.  If your main reason for visiting is the Hot Springs, then closer to the resort is best.  If you are traveling with children, they can go in the swimming pools but not the hot springs them selves which is really why we all go here.  I have been here in the dead of winter in the bitter cold and there is nothing like jumping in the Hot Springs even if its overcast.  The springs are AMAZING.  There are plenty of things to see if you are traveling to or from Anchorage.  The pipeline runs up the Richardson Highway, you can tour the ice house, and if you have time a stop at the world famous Skinny Dick’s Halfway Inn is worth a stop and a t-shirt.   Cell Service: no Internet: no 2020 Cost: $30 Distance from Anchorage: 426 miles Bug Factor (1 minimal to 10 too many to enjoy): 5