Palmer is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Palmer is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Ready to plan your adventure? Check out our campgrounds near Palmer and user-submitted reviews.
$5 - $100 / night
Eagle River campground is located along the beautiful Eagle River. The campground has 57 sites with picnic tables, fire pits, water, latrines, flush toilets and dump station. Overflow camping area of 10 sites, and a Campground Host. Downtown Eagle River is a short 5 minutes from the campground and has all the amenities of a small town. ★ ADA Facility - Yes ★ 57 Campsites (see fee page) ★ No RV size limit ★ Camping Limit - 4 nights ★ Daily Parking Fee - (see fee page) ★ Toilets - ♿ ★ Water - ♿ ★ Picnic Sites ★ Picnic Shelter (1) ★ Sanitary Dump Station
$30 / night
$25 / night
Big Bear is now a KOA Journey!
Conveniently located close to all the amenities you need while offering pristine Alaska wilderness views, Palmer/Anchorage North KOA is open year round and is your ultimate gateway to a world of camping adventures. Discover the awe-inspiring Matanuska Glacier, embark on scenic hikes in Hatcher Pass, and immerse yourself in the rich heritage of the region at the Palmer Museum of History and Art. With our year round campground as your base camp, nature enthusiasts can experience the true essence of Alaska. Situated conveniently on the route to and from Denali and just a mere 1-mile detour from the Canadian highway, Tok is often the first welcoming point in Alaska after crossing the border. Our charming town makes for the perfect next-day stop on your journey, offering a wealth of amenities and services to ensure a smooth travel experience. Easily positioned for outdoor excursions, including hiking and wildlife viewing, endless opportunities for exploration abound. Your camping adventure begins here amidst the serene Alaskan vistas, and Palmer/Anchorage North KOA is your perfect launchpad for a multitude of exciting activities. Explore the rugged beauty of the Matanuska Glacier, delve into the region's cultural and historical treasures, and make the most of your outdoor adventures. Your unforgettable Alaskan camping experience starts with us.
$20 - $40 / night
Nestled beneath King Mountain on the banks of the Matanuska River, this convenient pullout offers beautiful river scenery and peaceful camping. King Mountain SRS has 22 campsites, picnic areas, toilets, and water. Site reservations for King Mountain SRS can be made through park concessionaire Great Holiday Campgrounds. Call (907) 240-9797; reservations are accepted March-September.
The Knik River Public Use Area offers hundreds of miles of trails for exploring. The most prominent land features around here include the Knik Glacier, Knik River, Pioneer Peak, Jim Creek, Bodenburg Creek, Friday Creek, Metal Creek, and Hunter Creek. The high elevation Chugach Mountains—which form the Knik River Valley—make for a dramatic backdrop to the alluvial gravel bars and winding braids of the Knik River. Overall, the area feels rugged and remote, which is what makes it such a popular destination for campers, off-road enthusiasts, fixed-wing aviators, horseback riders, and boaters. If you’re a bird-watcher, boater, angler, or hunter, you’ll particularly love the sprawling lakes and wetlands complex on the north side of the river.
The area as a whole, though, offers a wide range of outdoor recreational pursuits, for all ages and interests. Park at the Sullivan trail head, for instance, and you can head south into the woods. Once you hit the main wide trail (you’ll recognize it!), just follow it east. That trail opens up into the Knik River gravel bed, with views of the Knik Glacier, and Chugach Mountains. For a quieter experience, explore the dozens of side-trails. You can’t go wrong: the views from any of them will lay your heart wide open.
$5 - $100 / night
Eagle River campground is located along the beautiful Eagle River. The campground has 57 sites with picnic tables, fire pits, water, latrines, flush toilets and dump station. Overflow camping area of 10 sites, and a Campground Host. Downtown Eagle River is a short 5 minutes from the campground and has all the amenities of a small town. ★ ADA Facility - Yes ★ 57 Campsites (see fee page) ★ No RV size limit ★ Camping Limit - 4 nights ★ Daily Parking Fee - (see fee page) ★ Toilets - ♿ ★ Water - ♿ ★ Picnic Sites ★ Picnic Shelter (1) ★ Sanitary Dump Station
$30 / night
Big Bear is now a KOA Journey!
Conveniently located close to all the amenities you need while offering pristine Alaska wilderness views, Palmer/Anchorage North KOA is open year round and is your ultimate gateway to a world of camping adventures. Discover the awe-inspiring Matanuska Glacier, embark on scenic hikes in Hatcher Pass, and immerse yourself in the rich heritage of the region at the Palmer Museum of History and Art. With our year round campground as your base camp, nature enthusiasts can experience the true essence of Alaska. Situated conveniently on the route to and from Denali and just a mere 1-mile detour from the Canadian highway, Tok is often the first welcoming point in Alaska after crossing the border. Our charming town makes for the perfect next-day stop on your journey, offering a wealth of amenities and services to ensure a smooth travel experience. Easily positioned for outdoor excursions, including hiking and wildlife viewing, endless opportunities for exploration abound. Your camping adventure begins here amidst the serene Alaskan vistas, and Palmer/Anchorage North KOA is your perfect launchpad for a multitude of exciting activities. Explore the rugged beauty of the Matanuska Glacier, delve into the region's cultural and historical treasures, and make the most of your outdoor adventures. Your unforgettable Alaskan camping experience starts with us.
Guide
After breaking camp in Denali this was a great spot just far enough down the road to take a shower and do laundry. After 3 days of camp food the Thai restaurant right up the road was a dream come true. The showers and laundry worked flawlessly!,!,
Scout
Posted, no camping.
Guide
It was 54 Degrees in July…… and Mosquitoes ate us alive Great Lake but forget to be outside your Camper. The Spots were not Level at all
Traveler
This is a lovely campground. They have great amenities. The only 2 reasons I gave jt 4 ⭐️ is because half the washers are out of order leaving only 3 working and the sites are close together.
Scout
Funk v ung do
Traveler
We stayed here twice in our travels on Alaska. First appearance, the grasses are overgrown at the “entrance” and i was concerned. The fee both looks abandoned. But we actually saw there were some beautiful camp sites. Nice size for rvs if all lengths. Our table needed some help and it is obvious the camp is not being maintained. The bathroom was clean. Some sites you can hear the river and some road noise. The river is beautiful. There is a dumpster but it is on an upper level next to the dump station which is closed. The first time we did not realize this and took our garbage with us. All in all, it is not a bad campground. The trees are beautiful. We also had a moose and calf hanging around. We came back for a second visit. We used it as a jumping off point for Anchorage. Also the Eagle Nature Center and its trails are amazing! Saw a bull moose there. Would use again if not super picky. We are camping folks! For $20 I would not complain.
Scout
Camping is not allowed
Legend
Matanuska River Park campground
$20 to dry-camp. Water station and sani-dump usage included. There are also some sites with electricity - a few more dollars but extremely close together. Saw a few with overlapping awnings
72 is a great site, our 30 ft 5er and f250 fitted in fine, but some caution needs to be exercised when driving. Trees made Starlink coverage a bit spotty. Short walk to River
Small planes continually passing overhead during the day, but not too noisy ( apparently glide path is over us to land, and engines are apparently idling at this time )
Great friendly host
Scout
Decent spot with fire pit and picnic table, secluded from others, easy to find and good views. We had a 18ft travel trailer and getting around was easy. The bathrooms were very clean!
Guide
Weather Highs in upper 70s Lows in the lower 50s Loop 1 site 1 Bathrooms were clean Dumpster for trash “No host or firewood”
This is a great spot to take your younger kids to teach them the basics. Were new to the area so really just learning AK. But this was a great spot for a 5&4 YO. Not to much in and out traffic and plenty for them to just explore and learn close to camp. You can walk around the other parts of campground as a hike and lead down to the water that has a really small area to play
Skeeters weren’t terrible between the fire, bug spray and bug room we were just fine and came out with minimal bites
You can procure firewood from woods
Ranger
We stayed here one night. Lots of mozzies. There are pit toilets and lots of sites to choose from. The campground is great if you like fishing or canoeing.
TravelerLimited water (20gal a day). No hookups, no trash service and no rv dumping, bathrooms are pit toilets and very dirty. I have been here 3 separate times across three weeks and noticed everything like that bathrooms were extremely stinky and dirty. Have to walk to the entrance of the campground to dispose of any trash.
GuideThis campsite has showers and really nice, quiet spots in the woods. The only downside was the mosquitos which were terrible.
Traveler
We visited here for two nights with our children in our tow-behind trailer. There wasn't a lot to do for the kids, but we were able to enjoy the grassy area, make s'mores in the community fire pit, take a nice walk next to the golf course nearby, and make laps around the campsite's driveway. They otherwise played card games, read books, and made "nature recipes". It was quiet except for birds rising with the sun and airplanes landing at the nearby airport. The kids loved watching the planes land. It was nice having access to the toilets for when we had more than one person needing it at the same time. Another great part was the very good quality water, electric, and sewer hookups! The entire grounds was very well maintained, impeccably clean, and provided a very nice place to enjoy the breathtaking mountain views that rural Palmer, Alaska has to offer! Unfortunately I did not get enough photos!
ScoutThis is SO clean! Everyone raves about site 13 & 14 but we loved site 24. It was a perfect short walk, less than a minute to the creek. The bathroom near the site is so so so clean. Our family LOVES the host - he manages the campground so beautifully. We’re still new tent campers with 3 young kids and Bob (the host) helped make us feel comfortable and safe. We have a 10 person black out tent and a ram 2500 and I think our site was great for that set up.
ScoutCampground was undermanned, underfunded, dumping station, broken bathrooms, dirty the trail, though followed the Eagle River and was nice lots of mosquitoes 
LegendI needed a place to stay between Anchorage and Glen Allen. I was shocked this campground wasn't in Dyrt (found it on google). We actually ended up staying here two separate times- on our way North east and coming back South West. This State Rec Area is extremely clean. It's nice that there are tent sites separated from their RV sites (nothing worse than being in a tent and stuck hearing an RV's generator or TV all night). The RV lot is basically a parking lot but without many other options it would probably do the trick for an RV. The tent sites in the back are great. They are huge and have privacy between them. There's a vault toilet which is kept clean. No services or amenities but it's not far to the town of palmer. Despite being right off the state route, it stays pretty quiet from the road traffic because of all the trees. There's a pay station to pay when you arrive and pick your site. This was perfect in the shoulder season and in-between cities. I apologize I didn't get any campground pictures to post!
Scout
The only bad we could think of was sports are close together. The hookups are on the opposite side if you back in. It is not an issue if you bring an extra extension cord.
Legend
Location and price is right and that is what you pay for. $35 for hookups for the night whereas the other campground in town was $80. Huge difference. We just needed a quick stop near Anchorage on our way to Seward.
We got a level spot with electric, a dump and water station. One picnic table near us in good condition the other in poor. Grass is not mowed well. Bathrooms live up to the reputation, absolutely terrible. You can only stay here 14 days a year which is just fine. Lots of reviews about the homeless which left me concerned but I didn't see that has a huge issue. Maybe they cleaned it up? Not sure. I didn't not feel totally safe walking trails just because the place was a little sketch but it was fine for a nice. Right near highway for convenience but also a lot of highway noise but with windows closed it wasn't bad. Slept just fine!
Legend
Loved being able to walk out of my trailer and onto a trail with lookouts of the glacier....perfect spot on the way to Anchorage.
ScoutWide gravel and grass site with wooden picnic table, no firepit. Several RV tour companies use this park. There are more than 200 sites in this park. Showers were clean and free. Nice laundry room. About 1/4 of park is occupied by long-term residents - clean and well maintained. Park is located within a couple miles of downtown, across street from Costco, and adjacent to a large run down mobile home neighborhood. Wi-fi is offered, but we were too far away from the office so couldn't connect.
Scout
It was quiet and from all aspects was exactly what we were looking for. As locals we just needed a quick and easy getaway for the weekend. Couldn't have picked a better place!
Scout
If all you want is a place to sleep, you don't mind close together sites and no vegetation in between, then you are in luck. But we found a better place.
Legend
This place is a secret wonder, just off the Glenn highway north of Anchorage. The autumn color was spectacular here! It was raining and cold in early September, but simply gorgeous.
The first-come, first served sites are on the smaller side and very wooded; with lots of space in between sites, but not a lot of open canopy. This was a bit of challenge for our rooftop solar, but we used portable solar suitcase on an extension cord to capture some sunlight.
The bathrooms are simple, but clean, vault toilets. Water is available at spigots located throughout the campground loop. The lake offers lots of stunning recreation opportunities for flat water paddling and fishing -- careful, the lake can kick up some pretty mean chop during windy afternoons.
Hiking on the Twin Peak trailhead is just around the corner, and cycling along the main road could be a great way to get some hill climbing exercise, as it’s a steep road up to the lake from the Glenn. If you are visiting the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, this is a great close by campground (about 30 miles away).
We loved that this campground had the feeling of a remote, wilderness campground but all within an hour’s drive of Anchorage. There is one local tourist ice cream shop just a few miles back down the road, which offers food, showers, and laundry. It is only open during the summer months. Further afield the suburban area around the interchange between the Glenn and Parks Highways has all of the services campers need about 30 minutes to the north of the campground.
LegendThis is a great little campground between Anchorage and Girdwood, right along the Turnagain Arm inlet and Seward Hwy. While the road noise from the nearby (and busy highway), could be loud at times, things mostly quieted down during the nighttime hours. This first come-first served campground is popular on weekends because of the proximity to Anchorage, where folks usually rent RV’s to explore the Kenai Peninsula – so plan ahead.
The campsites are spacious, but only about half of the sites can accommodate larger RV’s; the rest can only manage a small van or travel trailer. There is plenty of space in each site to set up a tent, if that’s how you’re going to roll. The sites were clean, as were the vault toilets. Water is available in a few spigots distributed throughout the park, but they recommended boiling the water to be safe. Bring your solar panels, as these sites don't have electrical hookups!
There is a beautiful nature trail leading to the Bird to Gird (biking/walking path) for the young and old alike. Biking the path along the old railroad line is a great way to spend the afternoon. Bike all the way to Girdwood and reward yourself with some of their famous Blueberry fritters at Alpine Cafe and Bakery, which is right off the path at the intersection of the Seward and Alyeska Hwy.
Two other awesome natural features of the area are Byron Glacier (easy hike) and the bore tide. During certain times of the month, the incoming tide creates an incoming wave of water that is large enough to surf. Be sure to look for the tidal information online or in park's posted materials. Warning! Do not wade out into the water, the tidal mud is like quicksand and many a casual visitor has become entrapped. Heed the warnings of the locals, don’t wade out into the mud flats!
Girdwood has many services, including gas, the aforementioned fritters, laundry and showers, groceries, bakeries, restaurants, golf course, and a ski mountain. Might we also recommend the Girdwood Brewery with its food trucks!
Legend
This wooded campground is pretty basic, and cheerless, but did the job for a night or two. It has a great location, just off the Parks Highway in Wasilla, and can be very quiet. In sunnier weather this village supported campground could be lovely. It was raining and chilly in August when we came through, which made it pretty dreary and muddy. What it lacks in charm, it makes up for in convenience and the quiet, location is the big win here.
The bathrooms were extremely spacious, clean vault toilets, with no showers or running water. Water is available in the campground near the entrance to the campground loop. There are some walking trails leading to the soccer fields, and throughout the woodland park, down to the lake for boating, fishing or paddling. Cycling the nearby area would also be a great way to get around, see the area, and get some exercise.
The nearby town of Wasilla offers more than the usual suspects for services in an Alaskan small city. Groceries, laundry, gas, mechanics, coffee shops and an array of restaurants are all within a short drive from the campground. The Iditarod Trail Museum and center is about½ mile away so be sure to check that out while there.
Scout
I have been camping at this campground for many years and is one of my favorite places to camp!
Camping near Palmer, Alaska, offers a unique blend of stunning landscapes and outdoor adventures. Whether you're looking to hike, fish, or just relax in nature, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Palmer, Alaska, offers a mix of adventure and relaxation, making it a great destination for families and outdoor lovers alike.
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Palmer, AK?
According to TheDyrt.com, Palmer, AK offers a wide range of camping options, with 80 campgrounds and RV parks near Palmer, AK and 5 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Palmer, AK?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Palmer, AK is Eklutna - Chugach State Park with a 4.6-star rating from 39 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Palmer, AK?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 5 free dispersed camping spots near Palmer, AK.
What parks are near Palmer, AK?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 6 parks near Palmer, AK that allow camping, notably Chugach National Forest and Kenai Fjords National Park.
