Cabin camping is an amazing way to experience Trapper Creek, while still enjoying a little rustic luxury. Find the best information on cabin camping near Trapper Creek, including sites, reviews, and tips for getting the most out of your camping experience. Search nearby cabins or find top-rated spots from other campers.
"Kesugi" as in, K'esugi Ken Campground, is a Tanaina Indian dialect word meaning "The Ancient One" and is a fitting complement of the Tanana Indian word "Denali" which means "The High One". At 20,320 feet, Denali is North America's highest peak. It literally and figuratively towers over Southcentral Alaska from its base in Denali National Park. Denali State Park was established in 1970 and expanded to its present size in 1976. Its western boundary is shared with its much larger neighbor, Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly Mt. McKinley National Park. Facilities: Closest RV Dump Station: Byers Lake Campground, located 12 miles north at Milepost 147.0 (available daytime only) Nearby Attractions: Byers Lake Campground and Trails, located 12 miles north at Milepost 147.0
$20 - $28 / night
$25 - $160 / night
Stay in a one-room wooden cabin beside a rushing river in a birch tree forest in the Alaskan wilderness. This cabin sits on a tributary of the Sutsitna River below Denali National Park. In the winter, the surrounding area is ideal for snowshoeing and cross country skiing. In the spring and summer, this is a great place for fishing, hiking, and all-terrain vehicles. This is also close to Denali Brewing Company and right off South Parks Highway. Cabin equipped with bed, one burner stove, outhouse, electricity. Bring warm clothes for the winter, gear for hiking and fishing, and food.
$137 / night
98 sites. The recreation area combination of lakes, wetlands, and forests create an ideal habitat for many mammals and birds. Perhaps most noticeable to the summer visitor are water dwellers, especially beaver and waterfowl. Beavers are active in lakes and ponds throughout the park and visitors can see evidence of their work. These animals are vital to maintaining crucial water levels in the ecosystem; their dams and lodges must not be disturbed.
★ ADA Facility - No ★ 36 Acres ★ 30 Campsites ★ No RV size limit ★ Camping Limit - 15 days ★ Toilets ★ Water ★ Picnic sites (15) ★ Picnic Shelter ★ Boat Launch
We are located along side the Little Susitna and have river access for boating, fishing and kayaking. There is a playground and two pavilions with grills for your enjoyment.
We also have showers, laundry and WIFI for our guests.
Locals welcome! Locals may also come in for showers and to do laundry during business hours.
Perfect location between Denali and Anchorage. Only 66 miles from Anchorage and 165 miles to Denali. . Quiet wooded private property on Nancy Lake. We offer a mix of rental cabins, RV camping spots, and a couple camp sites. We have a dock and a community fireplace.
We offer some hookups, electric 110 V and water, no dump station but we do have an outhouse.
Nothing fancy but relaxing, only 5 spots for peace and tranquility.
We will be working throughout the summer to add laundry facilities and a shower house.
$30 - $75 / night
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.
Legend
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.
Ranger
Growing up in the Midwest and camping at state parks I’m use to a lot of interpretive signage explaining the history and landscape. Out of all the AK state parks I’ve visited this is by far the best. I also prefer this over Denali NPS, I find I have better luck seeing Denali from this side but also tons less people.
RangerLack of privacy in the first subdivision of sites. Beautiful trail down to the lake though. Would be interested in renting a public cabin and hiking to the remote sites. Appreciate the pet designated trail :)
GuideOverall We loved this site. Family plus dogs had a great time here. Got to see Denali on a super clear day so that's even better
Pros -spacious sites -trails with amazing views of Denali -plenty of maneuvering space for travel trailers
Cons -no water hookups at site. Currently as of AUG21 only one functioning water spigot at the pay station -missed the entrance but definitely user error there.
GuideReally enjoyed our stay here. Lots of options for lake front, pull through, and back in. I recommend making a loop around before choosing a spot. Camp host was very nice. If you have kids bring their bikes!
Scoutgreat place to bring family and friends for a day/night out in the outdoors. close the lake and trails. spaces are a bit close but some people prefer that!
Scouti highly recommend this campground for tents and rv’s. this place was so clean and well taken care of. beautiful view of denali and hiking trails throughout the campground. bathrooms placed strategically throughout. and again CLEAN!
ScoutWe 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
LegendAll spots are good bit there are some pull throughs for larger rigs. They are dispersed but the lack of trees in the area means you can still see the neighboring camp sites. Bathrooms were clean but there is no trash pick up so you will have to pack out your own trash.
RangerGreat little cabin out in birch trees, amazingly beautiful and great time to relax
LegendThis beautiful campsite has wonderful short walk in tent sites and large RV electric hook up sites. All this with Wonder and beauty of Alaska. Really well maintained. You have to book these sites well in advance with means unless you are tent camping you have 1% chance of finding an open spot at random. Even autumn camping times are booked.
Legend
This RV park has everything from cabin rentals to dry RV sites as well as a two-story cabin that sleeps up to nine people. It is an amazing little drive to this RV park and they are right next-door to the flying squirrel. The flying squirrel is a must stop they have fresh made bread’s and pastries local produce breakfast lunch and on Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to 9 PM they have wood fire pizza. The prices here are pretty standard and worth a shot if you were down towards Talkeetna.
LegendI really enjoy this campground. My dog got a tick here (yes a tick) 15 years ago when I stayed here so I have been coming for many years. The close proximity to the lake is nice. This is not a motorized sport lake or float planes landing that I have ever seen means you can paddle out without worrying about other peoples wakes. It also lets you float silently and gives you better opportunities to get some great views of the local wildlife.
This is a large 98 site campground with all different sized spots including Premium spots (bigger /close to the water).
Cell Service: spotty Internet: no 2020 Cost: $20 - $25 Distance from Anchorage: 76 miles Best sites: A2, A8, A20, A22, A26, A24 Bug Factor (1 minimal to 10 too many to enjoy): 4-7 depending on weather
LegendLike all State Recreation site it has all the basics, the campsites are spaced out which is nice. Not sure the reason but this campground was buggier than the South Rolly lake one, which I would go to first given the choice. But if that campground is full this is a great one to fall back on. Bring bug dope or a netted awning which I just got, worth the money if you are planning on doing lots of camping or have kids who already complain that you drag them camping.
Cell Service: no Internet: no 2020 Cost: $20 Distance from Anchorage: 76 miles Bug Factor (1 minimal to 10 too many to enjoy): 7
LegendThis is a cabin rental out in Willow. If you are looking at taking an Alaska trip or need a getaway with out having to pack all your gear this place in an option.
ScoutLooks brand new, self-pay kiosk, large sites, lots of bathrooms, nice overflow parking area. Not sure if Ranger talks are happening now with COVID, but they were wonderful at last visit. Highly recommend
LegendLake access, picnic area, trails, pretty forest areas , host, no pull through sites however so large rigs may be tight. In my video I accidentally state no motorized boats on the lake but yes they are allowed. Bear proof trash. FCFS, firewood 8 and 2 for 15
Legend6 miles of canoe trails on Nancy Lake to keep you nice and busy all weekend long. Tons of hiking, camp host, firewood for sale $8 or 2 for $15, several lake access day use sites with picnic tables and fire rings. Bear proof trash so they are here people.
LegendFar enough off the main highway to feel away from it all. Two lakes to fish with hiking trails to explore. Ranger talks nightly. Nice large sites with a huge group area. Some sites are FCFS but most reservable on line and booked way in advance. Firewood available for purchase and pavillion is rentable for events. All sites have electric too. Beautiful campground with clean bathrooms.
GuideWe camped here in July 2019 and we had two families. We had tons of space for a 30ft trailer and two trucks and we liked that there was a small grass area for a tent. We had electric and water hookups and we even had cell service. Most of the sites seemed big and well spaced apart so you didn’t feel like you were on top of other people. The campground was very beautiful and clean and quiet. Even the pit toilets were clean and well maintained. We found the location to be excellent - both Talkeetna and Denali NP were day trips for us. We would highly recommend this campground.
RangerBut I’ll do my best. We went for a drive today and found that wonderful camp ground unfortunately we did not get to say there because of trees that needed to be worked on. But you can bet we are going to be going back and staying there it was a cute little place beautiful lake and I can’t wait tell we get to see it all. It was just a bit windy and the boat dock was rocking but that’s because we have never been on a floating boat dock before 😂.
ScoutPlan ahead
TravelerI love the South Rolly Lake campground. We have been going here for years. The sites are large and campground staff clean them daily after campers leave. The outhouses are clean and also maintained daily. There are canoe and kayak rentals and the dock is great for fishing or swimming! There are also great hiking trails accessible from the campground including the Red Shirt Lake trail.
Travelerthe lake is near the sites but most are not on the lake. there is a dock and entrance for launching canoes or kayaks. we stayed in a dry cabin. It had a bed platform and built in table and several chairs. the porch had a roof which was nice when it rains. reservations can be made online. there are pit toilets and pump water.
GuideBeautiful lake with lots of camp spots and 3 public use cabins.
Canoe and kayak rentals are available at the lake from Denali Southside River Guides www.denaliriverguides.com
Great lake for fishing, swimming, and wildlife viewing (trumpeter swans, black bears, moose). The loop trail around the lake is a great short day hike, with a few cool bridges. From this trail you can connect to Kesugi ridge trail.
There's no view of Denali from the campground or cabins 1 & 3, but the hike to the east side of the lake does, as well as cabin #2
Cabins are also great for winter aurora viewing!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Trapper Creek, AK?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Trapper Creek, AK is K’esugi Ken Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 10 reviews.
What is the best site to find cabin camping near Trapper Creek, AK?
TheDyrt.com has all 9 cabin camping locations near Trapper Creek, AK, with real photos and reviews from campers.
