Best RV Parks & Resorts near Salcha, AK

This RV park sits right on the banks of the Chena River.  They are open ‪June 15 through October 15.‬  The river spots are a little extra a night but well worth it.  With full hook ups, and RV wash, shower facilities, and a gift shop this is a great place to RV.  There are also lodging and tent camping options.  Super hook ups are $64.95, Full $59.95, Basic $54.95, Tent sites $34.95 all offer showers, subject to change as this new world we live in evolves.  It is always worth it to reserve your site online before you get there.   Cell Service: yes Internet: yes 2020 Cost: $64.95-$34.95 Distance from Anchorage: 365 miles Best sites: Along the River Bug Factor (1 minimal to 10 too many to enjoy): 5

Whereas the campground map may make these sites look tight we were pleasantly surprised to find most of them had trees and brush separating each site. On-site laundry and showers this makes for a great longer-term spot. Located right along the Chena River this RV Resort has a gift shop for when you need a candy fix or warmer swearer and the availability to book direct for Riverboat Discovery, historic Fairbanks tour, and gold dredge 8 tours. They also offer shuttle service for both the historic tour and Riverboat discovery. Restaurant located right next door is also part of the River's Edge family has wonderful food and riverside deck.

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 stayed here in a 40' 5th wheel. We parked in the west row along the trees. This was a good spot, but the sun goes behing the trees about 5 in summer, if you are looking for solar charging. We noted that the parking rules are pretty loose as to where you stay. If the RV spots are full, we saw several just pick a spot in the regular lot.  If you keep a clean area you may be able to stay more than 5 days, we did.  The water spigot is on the south side of lot near the turn in. The trash cans can get full quick.  The pay stand is on the north side of lot near the first entrance to Pioneer Park, by the small shack. No out of state checks. You can also pay in the office inside the park during business hours. 

  It can be noisy at times because of the close intersection. Some generators are LOUD and one guy ran his about 12 hours a day. I would think an extra battery would be cheaper than all that fuel. 

  It is a very busy place with the park and Alaska Bake activity. Lots of cars and the lot gets pretty full with that sometimes.

  Free dump and water fill at the Sourdough gas station located at Van Horn and Lathrop streets just a few miles south, with easy rig access. 

  We would stay again if we ever go back to Fairbanks.

I was concerned when I first looked at reviews when I booked this campground. It seemed to be split 50/50. Some would stay here again and some wouldnt. The KOA resort people probably wouldn't. I feel like you get what you pay for here. It was super convenient to stores/restaurants in Fairbanks.

The fairgrounds is right next door so I can see that when events take place it could be loud and bring in all sorts of people (could lead to people drinking and stealing). I saw some people mention airport noise with planes flying over, but I didn't notice the noise at all.

It's a small campground so close to your neighbors but it's in a big town. You are still in the woods. They had firewood available to purchase, a dump station, electric hookups, laundry (cheap - $2 each machine) and showers/bathrooms aren't beautiful but the showers clean and I got a nice lot shower and I hadn't had a good shower in a while! Quick RV wash offs aren't the same as a nice long hot shower. I would stay here again, oh and spot was level :).

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.

When in Fairbanks this is my families go to spot. There is often stuff going on here so be prepared for music. When we were here in July the Rodeo was going on so there was loud music the whole day. Saved us having to run our radio. But if you just want quiet you may want to look at a different place. The cost is not back and you have all the things you need within driving distance. You can reserve sites which is nice especially if you are traveling some distance and just want to pull in and sleep.

Cell Service: Yes Internet: Yes 2020 Cost: $30 electric hook up Distance from Anchorage: 365 miles Bug Factor (1 minimal to 10 too many to enjoy): 8