Best Tent Camping near Seward, AK

Recent Tent Reviews in Seward

221 Reviews of 9 Seward Campgrounds

• R

  Richard R.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 24, 2024

  Trail River

  Gorgeous ,convenient

  In mid August we had very few mosquitoes. We also had our pick of some of the best camping spots I’ve ever seen. We became spoiled boomers and kept passing up sites until we got a close walk to the lake, a close walk to the well pump, and a close walk to the pit toilet(very clean). Also a short drive to Seward for all the tourist amenities.

• 

  Marin T.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 18, 2024

  Lower Ohmer Lake Campground

  Beautiful lake, cute campground

  We were lucky enough to get a spot here! It was a perfect place to stop on our way from Homer back to Anchorage.

• T

  Truman S.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 9, 2024

  Primrose Trailhead

  Great time!

  Went there for the weekend. It was really nice. Right along the river and there are picnic tables and bear boxes around. You’re a really short walk to the lake and there is soft rocky beach you can enjoy the views on. The sites are pretty well established and it is a first come first serve basis. We got lucky and got the last spot in the lane. There isn’t too many sites. I think 8 total? It’s a smaller one. Two restrooms vaults at each end.

• 

  Leslie R.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  North Beach at Caines Head State Rec Area

  Well maintained campground near hike to WWII fort

  Although we didn't camp here overnight, we ended up staying in the campground for a couple hours waiting out the rain. The vault toilets and covered group cooking/eating areas were in great shape and stayed dry.

  From the campground, we hiked up to explore the abandoned WWII fort, Fort McGilvray. Super interesting and much bigger than I expected! See the full hiking route here: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/alaska/caines-head-trail

  You have two options for getting here: 

  • 1. Hiking in, which we did on the way in. It is very important to check the tides, and it is recommended to avoid hiking along the beach once the tide reaches+3. See tide tables here: https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=9455090&legacy=1 
  • 2. Water taxi, which we did on the way back. The water taxi that we took was priced was$50 one-way. Rainy weather is common here, but fortunately there are covered areas for cooking/eating.
• 

  Leslie R.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Tonsina Point at Caines Head

  Tent Camping + Tonsina Cabin

  We didn't get to stay in the cabin this time, but it looks nice! It was built recently. The cabin can be reservered in advance, see more info about it here: https://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspcabins/tonsinacabin.htm

  You have two options for getting here:

  • 1. Hiking in, which we did on the way in. It is very important to check the tides, and it is recommended to avoid hiking along the beach once the tide reaches +3. See tide tables here: https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaatidepredictions.html?id=9455090&legacy=1
  • 2. Water taxi, which we did on the way back. The water taxi that we took was priced was $50 one-way.

  Rainy weather is common here, but fortunately there are covered areas for cooking/eating.

• 

  ashlynn H.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 26, 2024

  Tenderfoot Creek

  Site 6 is amazing 7/237-7/25

  The roads were paved okay, the sites are more gravel. It was a (narrow) but 30 second walk to the private lake access we had. The campsite overall was the biggest one we’ve been in. The flys were so awful, the mosquitos seemed invisible. The lake is clean and amazing, there was road noise but didn’t bother us, we’re loud anyway. It was so beautiful. But the bathrooms were useable. If you try to get food at summit lake lodge, don’t, they suck and are overpriced. Maybe French fries and onion rings but nothing else.

• c

  christine

  Guide

  

  Jul. 13, 2024

  Trail River

  Great forest service spot $23

  Beautiful lakeside setting, inexpensive well maintained facilities. Lots of camp sites, both rv and tent. Sites are fairly private. Quiet. Lots of families. Good camp host.

• 

  Samantha F.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 18, 2024

  Upper Skilak Lake Campground - Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

  Campsite and gorgeous views were worth dealing with the bugs for for

  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.

• 

  Heather K.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 15, 2024

  Seward City Campgrounds

  Convenient For Fishing Trips

  This is what it is. It’s a gravel lot and you’re packed in like sardines. Go in with that knowledge and you’ll find it to be a great spot to stay a night or two. We stayed here two nights because we had booked a fishing trip. It’s close to the marina and easy walking distance to several shops.

• 

  franco T.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 3, 2024

  Chugach Backcountry Camping

  Get Your hot cloths

  This place is very cold we climb and have some while watching movies

• 

  Wes F.

  Guide

  

  May. 28, 2024

  Seward Military Resort

  Close quarters

  Hated having to be so close to everyone. Basically a parking lot that they squeeze everyone into.

• 

  Melissa W.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 29, 2023

  Seward City Campgrounds

  Ok considering the option

  Tent review. This would not be my first pick of campgrounds, however, travelling in shoulder season, options are limited. Since we are tent campers, we stayed in that section in Resurrection Sound. The sites are tight with zero privacy. As long as you have good neighbors, its not a problem. Our first couple nights were fairly enjoyable. The homeless family living in a site 2 down from us weren't too bad except for them splitting wood after dark when we were trying to sleep. It was labor day weekend and our last night was miserable. The campground filled up with locals there to party. They set up pop up tents, brought amplifiers, music, instruments and were up until 2 or 3 in the morning getting drunk. The views were okay. The walking path along the campground is very nice. The public park bathrooms were fairly clean considering their use. We had to drive into the city to use the harbor showers. They are coin operated. They were fairly clean.

• M

  MacKensie C.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 28, 2023

  Cooper Creek North Campground

  River views near a bbq restaurant

  There is a south campground along the river and a north loop along the creek. We stayed in the south camp at the end of September so it was “no services no fees” at that time. There’s a bbq restaurant across the street. There are food storage lockers at each site because of bears. Most other campers were there to fish.

• 

  Kristi D.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 26, 2023

  Seward City Campgrounds

  Convenience & views

  Extremely convenient place to stay. You can walk the boardwalk along Resurrection Bay and get to where a lot of the shops/restaurants/tourist attractions are and where the cruise ships pull into port. Super convenient. You could go the opposite direction and walk to downtown as well.

  The campground is just a huge gravel parking lot with a ton of RVS.....it's $65/night partial hookup if you want to camp right on the bay. $55/night if you camp one row back. We chose $55 a night as we had plenty of good views but a lot of people chose that front spot. This is for electric only. There is a dump station/water down the road. The shower house was under maintenance which was unfortunate due to the price. They have portapottys out, so you can go to the bathroom, but the reviews I have seen said the bathrooms are gross. You would think the city could do better than this. They are rolling in the $$s as the campground is busy. Level spots too.

  We were able to see birds and a sea otter steps from our camper. A neat place for sure! I guess it usually rains there as it foggy and rainy the two days we spent there.

• 

  Kristi D.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 21, 2023

  Cooper Creek North Campground

  Lovely convenient campground

  It's salmon fishing season and you can tell people are staying here to fish the Kenai River, which is great. It was a very convenient campsite off the highway on the way to Homer, in the national forest. only $23 a night to camp or $11.50 if your a senior or have an access pass. Great prize for Alaska, but of course no amenities at site such as water, electric etc. It's a dry spot.

  Good size sites and level spots with picnic table and fire pit. Enjoyed our night here ...

• 

  Kristi D.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 21, 2023

  Cooper Creek South

  Beautiful spot on river

  Small but lovely campground on a one way road right on the Kenai river. Sites are spread out, a couple tent spots and a couple of camper spots. There appears to be seven spots and if this is full, you can go just up the road to the next campground.

  No electric, water etc but there is a dumpster, picnic tables and fire pits. Across the road is a BBQ spot and a store. You can easily walk to it, just be careful going across road as hwy. Is pretty busy!

• J

  Jay D.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 2, 2023

  Miller's Landing

  Decent Campground

  There were several nice spots in amongst the trees for tent camping, but for the RV spots, you would want a spot along the beach or next to the bath house. We stayed in the spot named “Amy” next to the bath house. It was flat, but could be difficult to back in to if adjacent spots were full. We will stay in the North Annex next year, a place ran by the same owners.

• 

  Cathy B.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 24, 2023

  Hidden Lake Campground

  Hidden Lake Camp Ground

  The camp hosts were exceptional, I am handicap and they found us a great handicap space for car camping at the time. This as Fourth of July weekend 2021

• 

  Michael V.

  Guide

  

  May. 30, 2023

  Cooper Creek North Campground

  Lots of Space

  Very basic campground with no amenities. Lots of space between sites with fast moving water on the north side.

• 

  Shari G.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 7, 2023

  North Beach at Caines Head State Rec Area

  Totally Worth the Effort to Get Here!

  To celebrate our 10th nomadiversary and 22nd wedding anniversary, we sea kayaked into this incredible campground about 5 miles from the boat launch point at Lowell Point, and found the most perfect tent platform just off the beach.  This may be one of the most spectacular campsites we’ve ever enjoyed that is just a few miles from shore.  Making a camp fire on the pebble beach to cook our dinner and watch the sun go down couldn’t have been a better way to end the day!

  A short walk up a trail, there’s a picnic shelter with food storage lockers, and a fire rig. 

  A few more yards toward the ranger cabin you’ll find the two vault toilets (rustic, yet clean), but don’t forget to bring your own toilet paper.  This place is a paddlers dream, with easy beach access and a sheltered cove. Paddle around the headland to the south beach and you’ll find sheer rocky cliffs and sea arches -- in good weather this is simply stunning. 

  If the weather is too harsh for paddling, there’s a great hiking trail leading between the two camping areas with a side trail up to the remains of Fort McGilvray, a World War II era fort. Truly beautiful hike, gorgeous views, and very interesting history.  

  Resurrection Bay, and Seward AK, is one of the most visited areas of the Kenai Peninsula. Visitors can access this area by boat, cruise ship, plane, train, motor vehicle, bicycle, or on foot.  But, getting to Caines Head SRA is a bit of a logistical challenge, but totally worth the effort. The parking area is limited, with only a few spots for RV’s of any length, in the upper lot. But the experience is so worth it. There are a couple of cabins that are reservable through the DNR scattered throughout the Caines Head area.  These are accessible via boat or at very low tide.

• C

  Christopher S.

  Scout

  

  Jan. 1, 2023

  Granite Creek

  Koa Valdez

  Beautiful drive getting there. Food at the restaurants downtown was a bit pricey but good. The KOA was real nice, peaceful and clean. It had everything needed for a weekend getaway. Family friendly!

• 

  SJ D.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 21, 2022

  Miller's Landing

  Wedding Reception at Uncle Steve’s Cabin

  Perfect spot for a small wedding reception! The bon fire pit and grill gave an fun and cozy vibe while the cabin had comfortable beds and a warm stove while it was rainy. The stove would fog up the one of the big windows, but the window next it to was fine.

• 

  Connor O.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 21, 2022

  Tonsina Point at Caines Head

  Amazing views next to the Beach

  We just passed through here while hiking, but it was absolutely beautiful. There was a nice pavilion and fire pit.

• 

  Connor O.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 21, 2022

  Upper Skilak Lake Campground - Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

  Absolutely beautiful and secluded campgrounds by the lake

  We just stayed here one night, But they were beautiful wooded campgrounds right next to the lake. We were there during a weekday and there was only one other camper at the campground so it felt very secluded.

• A

  Abigail

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 18, 2022

  Bertha Creek Campground — Chugach National Forest

  Peaceful campsite in the Mountains

  Nice campground with all the normal amenities: pit toilets, dumpster, picnic tables, fire pits, and hand pump for water. Weren’t too many people here so it was secluded and peacefully situated in the mountains with good views. Small waterfall and creek with many ways to get there. My favorite path is the one behind the water pump that goes to a wide, rocky bank that is easily fish-able. I’m sure there’s fish in the creek but I couldn’t catch any.

• 

  Michael V.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 11, 2022

  Kelly Lake Campground

  Small campground away from crowds.

  Only a handful of spots, I’ve only camped with a tent here, might be able to camp with a small camper here. No hook ups, does have fire rings and picnic tables

• 

  Michael V.

  Ranger

  

  Aug. 11, 2022

  Lower Ohmer Lake Campground

  Small, quiet and secluded

  Only a handful of sites, first come first serve and FREE.