Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Palmer, AK

Harchers pass is a very remote area with camping opportunities along the route from Palmer Alaska to the road to Denali. There are no amenities and few people in tge area. Mostly hunters and fisherman and off road vehicle 4x4s. This is remote wilderness. Be prepared with bear spray.

This is one of the better mat su campgrounds. It does have some great day use parking and 39 campsites. On clear days the lake is beautiful. The trails are nice and well-maintained we also enjoyed the dog park. There are a number of pavilions that can be used but people with reservations to have priority.

Nice, well equipped campground. Sits right on the Eagle River. River is very fast, so advise watching pets and children carefully. Close to Anchorage, but far enough out of town to get away from the hustle. Still a slightly busy campground in summer months.

Cheap at only $17 a night, great for the raceway just down the road or for accessing the ATV trails. Dry sites with fire pits and tables, all pull through sites for 1-18, 19-26 in main area off the parking lot side back up to the forest. First come first severed, no holding of sites and no cutting of trees. Pets allowed on leash. Surrounded by mountains on three side so beautiful views too.

Great spot close to our home of Anchorage for when we don't want to go too far. Large pavillion great for get-togethers right along the river and includes it's own bathroom. Semi-seclude sites give privacy with large open areas at your fire pits, great for groups. Some double sites perfect for camping with friends. Pet friendly just please keep the leashed and clean up after them. Watch for bear activity and make sure to keep all food and enticing items locked up.

This is remote camping you need to carry everything in and out dogs are welcome An this is remote camping you need to carry everything in and out dogs are welcome on a leash! Explore mountains, glaciers and rivers and some of the most beautiful backcountry the state of Alaska has to offer

This is a wonderful campground in the town of Palmer. We have a 26’ travel trailer and are connected to 30 amp electrical. Sites have plenty of trees and grass. Public rest rooms with showers.

40 electric sites 47 tent

Right off the Highway this RV park is not bad.  Although I prefer my camping more rural.  If you are visiting and just want to start one way out of Anchorage this could be a choice for you.  With everything from cabins, to full RV hook ups, to dry RV camping, and lakeside tent spots this is a good option for a first stop on a great Alaska adventure.    Because of it’s proximity to Anchorage, Wasilla, and Palmer you are not far from anything.  There is good cell and internet service here as well and stores to get everything you need.  Spaces are close to each other and I would not recommend spending my entire camping trip there, but they are a good option if you need something close.   Cell Service: Yes Internet: Yes Distance from Anchorage: Bug Factor (1 minimal to 10 too many to enjoy): 45 miles

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!

The Palmer-Fishhook road will take you to the east entrance of Hatcher Pass and connects with the Willow-Fishhook road. Once you leave Hatcher pass going towards Willow there are tons of options for roadside camping. There is everything from riverside camping to wooded areas. Small spots for a camper van or larger spots that can house a number of RVs towing ATVs. Watch for posted signs but if there are no postings then make it yours. The drive is AMAZING!!

Cell Service: spotty Internet: spotty 2020 Cost: Free Distance from Anchorage: 83 miles Bug Factor (1 minimal to 10 too many to enjoy): 4-7 bring bug dope

I 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!

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.

All the amenities you would need including laundry. Don’t plan on playing fetch with your dog. They will enforce the leash rule within seconds. Lots of signs posted everywhere of all the things you can’t do. Feels like you are being scolded all the time. But it is clean and well maintained

All spots are close to one bathroom or another. Train does run by at 6 am so it makes a great alarm clock. Quiet time ends at 6 am. Half the camp sites are next to the bike path so watch your dogs. Dry camping and you can reserve cabins but have to do way in advance.

Although there is no no alcohol allowed this campground is just pure cool. Quiet times from 10pm to 8am, they have a dump, day use area, tons of trails, and fire rings. There are several loops to choose from with a paved RV section up top. Sherrod loop is only 30 feet but much more secluded than above but with no hookups. Pull throughs sites above with over 87 sites total including the paved and dirt road ones. 4 pavilions with a playground and dog station.