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$20 / night
$15 - $20 / night
Legend
This 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
ThisSmall tent camping campground is nestled in the heart of Talkeetna. Close to all the action of this fun little town. Sites fill up in the heart of summer so come during the middle of the week to increase your chance of grabbing a spot. There is cell service but Internet is spotty.
Traveler
Tent camping options in Talkeetna are limited. Thisnhround isnlovayed at the end of the main road in town. It’s super cheap and adequate space for a large tent . Dogs are allowed and there are fireworks and picnic tables at each site. It was overly quiet at night and I felt bad staying up with friends, taking and playing cards but quiet can be good . The views of Denali are just steps away towards he river. One of the best views of Denali in my opinion! One Flush toilet and running water available onsite! Close walk to restaurants.
Guide
I would describe the campsites as decent, but the amenities as awesome. Maybe it was the spending of so many days in the wilderness that caused the amenities to really stick out and give this place a great rating. The tent sites are pretty simple and very close together. There are just a few small, thin trees separating each site so you end up very close to your neighbor. It is mostly geared for RV's so it is very basic. It is a great place to stay if you are looking for a laundry facility and a nice shower. Those facilities are newer and top notch!
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
Ranger
This is a great place to fish and play but it is located right next to the Parks Highway which can be loud and busy with tourists and semis in the summer. If you’re sleeping in a camper the noise might not be so bad but the Alaska Highway doesn’t have a quiet hour.
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!
Traveler
Large campground with plenty of choices to pitch tents or hook up rv. Clean facilities. Fire pits and picnic tables. Near lakes for canoe/kayak and plenty of hiking trails.
LegendExcellent camp ground. a bit over priced but that alaska in the summer. we saw some free camping just north of here that would have rather stayed...but there was no sites available. so we stayed here showed cooked. We were here in July of 2015 and had a difficult time with it never really getting dark. so we made our way down to the creek and drank the night away hahah.
LegendSome 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.
GuideThis campground in Denali State Park opened in 2017 contains both a tent and RV loop, as well as, cabins. Vault toilets, drinking water, firewood, fire pits, and picnic tables available. RV sites include electric hook-ups. Several hiking trails in close proximity to campground. Amplitheater for ranger led programs also available.
TravelerMultiple first come, first serve loops with spots for both tents and RVs. Reasonably priced ($20/night), picnic tables and fire rings, plenty of trees for hammocks, vault toilets, a water source, and close to the interstate. The lake is gorgeous and has a trail to hike around it.
Traveler
Campground was empty, check in was nice and staff was great. They have free wifi, showers, bathrooms and full hookup. Downsides is there’s no grass it’s just gravel. And the mosquitos were the worst we witnessed in all of Alaska. We couldn’t sit outside and there were 100s in our camper by the time we left. Just a negative of being on the river.
RangerI live in Talkeetna and we still frequent this campground. Close to town but tucked away, this campground has a lot to offer. Larger sites for multiple campers and Rvs and smaller sites tucked in the trees to protect your tent. If you get their early enough you can get a site that allows for you to launch your boat and park it right at camp as well!
Traveler
From the moment you step into a clean office, the staff are very friendly and answer all my questions. They even bring the fire wood to your site. We didn’t use the park bathrooms but I did se them cleaning them frequently. Great picnic area and even has basketball courts. We got a spot right in front of the river and it was Ana amazing awakening. This is by far one of the best parks I’ve seen in Alaska and prices are super affordable. Only reason is missing a 5* is because there is no R.V. dumping station and limited electrical spots.
Ranger
Being born and raised in Alaska, I am disappointed in myself for only going to Nancy Lake for the first time in 2018. This is such a cool lake and very shapely. Lots of coves to explore as well as beautiful lake front homes to day dream about.
We spent a whole day enjoying the water, fishing and exploring. The camp spots are conveniently located next to the launch as well.
The restrooms were very well kept which is also a bonus when camping!
ScoutIncredible! Big spaces, clean bathrooms, really great large tent pads and long RV spots. Large space between each spot! Very secluded. Clean, well kept, each spot has a fire pit, sitting bench and picnic table. Lots of hiking trails. Public use cabins, boat rentals, dock and water access with life jackets. There is a trail that goes around the whole lake. This campground does not have cell service for GCI, maybe one bar with AT&T. I can’t say enough good things honestly, oh and it’s amazingly quiet. Worth the visit.
Ranger
Unfortunately we didn't get to see Denali itself during our 4-day trip in the region (late May), but this campground is still absolutely beautiful even without its namesake. Streams and tundra are punctuated with evergreens, snow-capped mountains in the distance, perfectly Alaska. We saw lots of eagles and moose right on site, plus a porcupine.
Campsite is easy to find (like everything in AK, just look up the milepost!). There are a lot of campsites but definitely make reservations in this area in the summer. It doesn't feel crowded even when the site is full. Good facilities. Great stopover on the way to Denali National Park.
This site claims to be ADA accessible and I'd agree with that. Call the rangers about your specific needs.
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.
LegendWith so few camping choices in the area sometime this is where you have to camp. It is a very noisy campground and not what I prefer with such a massive state to explore.
GuideThese are dry camp spots, but they are a very short walk to town. Each space was private and quiet.
TravelerBusy. No real clean up between campers. They added more sites recently and it’s nice but only gravel pads and Not all sites are level. Busy road and river with lots of noise up and down. Bathrooms leave something to be desired.
GuideWe were passing through and needed a place to stay for the night. On a weekend during the height of summer. It was very busy and crowded and noisy. But it served its purpose, needed a place to rest our heads for the night. When we want quiet, we'll head out into the woods.
TravelerWe stayed here in a 40' 5th wheel. The RV area is mostly in the trees and a few places are defined, but a lot is just pick your spot and park where you can fit. The places along the water will need to be shorter rigs or you would need to park parallel. Close to town about 3/4 mile. Solar charging is a challenge due to trees and Starling also. You can run generators. No water or dump station, but there is a dumpster near the office.
LegendNot the best of RV camp spots that we've had, but at least it was close to downtown Talkeetna. The campgound backs up against the railroad tracks so at least twice a day you get to hear the trains go through. Yes the freight train going through in the early morning woke us up. Friendly owner, showers, and a small gift shop made this spot a bit more tolerable. Only a few spots had trees between each other. More of a parking lot than a true camoground.
RangerRV I’m assuming that the rental spots here are a bargain, definitely something to look into if you’re ever in the area.
TravelerI called DAVE at the listed number on June 14, 2024. he said he sold the property and it is closed.
Tent camping near Trapper Creek, Alaska, offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in stunning natural landscapes while enjoying a variety of outdoor activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Trapper Creek, AK?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Trapper Creek, AK is River Park Campground - May-Su Borough with a 3-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 3 tent camping locations near Trapper Creek, AK, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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