Best Cabin Camping near Talkeetna, AK

We stayed here twice in 2020. In August we parked in space 22 with our rented pickup camper, and in October we rented one of the cabins for a short "get out of town" break (we live in Anchorage).  The weather was in our favor in August and we had an awesome view of Denali right from our campsite.  While the RV campsites were closed in October, the cabins and, I believe, the tent sites were available.

I'd love to give this campground 5 stars, but when we were there in summer there was no water available.  There is power to all the RV campsites but only a couple of water stands.  The water supply stands were covered in plastic with no explanation.  I don't know if this is a permanent situation so if you plan on staying here make sure to call ahead if you need a water source.

The cabin we stayed in in October was the one closest to the Ranger Sation.  It was wonderfully quiet and we had hoped to do some star gazing but they keep the exterior lights on all night at the station.  Not sure about you, but I'm wanting to get away from city lights and this was just plain annoying.  The cabin is huge with two tables in the main room, a separate bedroom and a large loft up a circular metal staircase.  I thought the loft would be nice to stay in but it was way too hot and the windows don't open.  We brought our own wood for the stove and were comfortable all night.  These cabins are a notch above the standard Alaska Forest Service cabins, but still pretty rustic.  I think each has an outdoor space with table and fire ring.  

My complaints are specific to me and I would still highly recommend this campground

Some of the best views of the tallest mountain in North America can be seen from hiking within Denali State Park, rather than the National Park itself.  We are so glad that we got this advice from our cousins before heading to Alaska!

The Byers Lake campground has nearly 100 campsites, offering the usual tent pad, picnic table and fire ring in a lovely setting. Vault toilets are close at hand in each loop, but the only well pump is located at the front of the campground, near the automatic pay station (credit card). None of the campsites offered electrical hook ups, so bring your solar panels.  The park has recently thinned the trees within the camping area, and we were able to charge our system by simply putting our portable solar panel out into the open. 

Another thing about Alaskan State Parks is that they all recommend that you boil, treat or filter the well water. This probably means that they haven’t had the water tested so user beware. We were here during the last week of July and though we did run into mosquito areas along our hikes, they weren’t a bother in the campground though –- not sure if they spray. 

Hiking, paddling and fishing on Byers Lake are easy to access. A seasonal adventure operator rents kayaks and canoes and offers rafting experiences on the nearby rivers. We saw our best views of the tall peaks about halfway up the Cascade trail, which was moderately difficult but easy to follow. This would also make a great start or end to an overnight backpacking experience along the Cascade trail. 

One of the best things about this campground is that it rarely, if ever, fills to capacity. While you can make a reservation, there is no need to– it even says this on their website, they have overflow spaces and can almost always accommodate everyone. So, if you have the time and you don’t get the weather window to join the 30% of visitors who get a view of the mountain, stick around for a few days to increase your chances. 

Nearby services are in the town of Cantwell to the north or Talkeetna to the south.

I didn't sleep over night at this campground but we stopped here for lunch during our day hike.

This site has a beautiful view of Byers Lake and Denali. There are 70+ campsites and a few cabins you can rent for the night. There are picnic tables and firepits (we didn't use them since we packed a lunch) but this is a great spot to park and continue on for the day. Cascade Trail leaves from here and is a easy to moderate 2 mile hike.

We actually camped for the night in Talkeetna (about an hours drive) which is an awesome little town with great food, great bars and great camping. Add Moose Creek Campground guys! It is fantastic.