Kenai Peninsula RV Parks & Campgrounds

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RV Parks & Campgrounds

There’s noth­ing quite like camp­ing in the woods with the fam­i­ly when you’re a kid. The crack­ling camp­fire and gooey s’mores. Bik­ing around the camp­ground loop. Run­ning through the for­est and gath­er­ing wood. Catch­ing (and land­ing) that first fish. Here we offer details for nine great pub­lic fam­i­ly camp­grounds with­in a 90-minute dri­ve from Anchorage.

Season: April 15 – Sept 29 Camping $52+ / Cabins $155+

Just 5 min­utes from down­town Seward is this full-ser­vice camp­ground set amid lush trees and tow­er­ing moun­tains, so close to Res­ur­rec­tion Riv­er that you can hear it run by. Choose from one of the 72 sites or 4 cab­ins, and enjoy ameni­ties like a cen­tral bath­house, laun­dry, game room, and out­door games like mini golf, corn­hole, and two playgrounds.

Season: May 1 - Sept 30 Tent $30+, RV $70+

Ocean Shores offers amaz­ing views from all of its sites — plus, it’s warmer here than on the Homer Spit, since it’s not as windy. All sites have a pic­nic table and the side sites have fire pits. You’ll also find DirectTV, Wi-Fi, free show­ers as well as coin-oper­at­ed laundry.

Staris­ki Camp­ground, at Mile 152 on Alaska’s Ster­ling High­way, offers 16 wood­ed sites on a bluff with views of Cook Inlet and Mt. Iliamna. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, water, and pic­nic shel­ters. Sur­round­ed by spruce for­est, it’s a peace­ful base for fish­ing, hik­ing, beach­comb­ing, and enjoy­ing the near­by charm of Anchor Point.

Ninilchik Camp­ground sits near Mile 135.7 of the Ster­ling High­way in the fish­ing vil­lage of Ninilchik, offer­ing 14 tent-only sites in Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la near the Ninilchik Riv­er. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, it’s sur­round­ed by spruce with easy access to the riv­er and vil­lage, fea­tur­ing vault toi­lets and drink­ing water for a sim­ple stay.

Iza­ak Wal­ton Camp­ground at Mile 81 of the Ster­ling High­way near Ster­ling offers 31 river­side sites on Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la. Sur­round­ed by spruce for­est, it pro­vides direct access to the Kenai Riv­er, renowned for salmon fish­ing. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, the site fea­tures pic­nic tables, fire rings, and a boat launch, mak­ing it ide­al for anglers and campers seek­ing a peace­ful retreat amid stun­ning nat­ur­al beauty.

Gran­ite Creek Camp­ground, at Mile 64 of the Seward High­way near Tur­na­gain Pass, offers 19 wood­ed sites in Alaska’s Chugach Nation­al For­est. Set along Gran­ite Creek and sur­round­ed by spruce and alpine mead­ows, it fea­tures vault toi­lets and fire rings. Campers can fish for trout, hike near­by trails, or enjoy Kenai’s moun­tain scenery, with Seward just an hour away.

Set in a hand­some birch for­est over­look­ing Tur­na­gain Arm, this camp­ground in Chugach Nation­al For­est close to the his­toric vil­lage of Hope is a fam­i­ly clas­sic. The 34 sites offer all the usu­al ameni­ties (pic­nic table, camp­fire ring, out­hous­es, water pump) and are laid out with an eye toward pri­va­cy. Just 81 miles from Anchorage.

Jean Lake Camp­ground, near Ster­ling in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge, offers 3 qui­et camp­sites along Jean Lake off Swan­son Riv­er Road. Sur­round­ed by spruce and wet­lands, it has lake access but no for­mal ameni­ties. Campers can fish for trout, pad­dle the calm waters, or watch for wildlife like moose and loons, with the town of Sterling’s ser­vices just a short dri­ve away.

Kel­ly Lake Camp­ground, in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge near Ster­ling, offers 4 open sites along the lake in a qui­et road­side set­ting. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it fea­tures fire rings, lake access, and a sim­ple, prim­i­tive atmos­phere. Campers can fish for trout, pad­dle a kayak or canoe, and enjoy the peace­ful soli­tude of the refuge, with Ster­ling close by.

The most pop­u­lar camp­ground in Sol­dot­na with over 250 camp­sites in a large wood­ed area. And, it’s a fish­er­man’s dream for access­ing the boun­ty of the Kenai Riv­er. There are twen­ty-five sets of stairs to the riv­er, 2 fish­ing plat­forms that are 85 feet long (one is acces­si­ble), and 650 feet of ele­vat­ed boardwalk. 

Bik­ing, fish view­ing, a nat­ur­al his­to­ry cen­ter and a flat hike to a glac­i­er are with­in easy reach of this qui­et, inti­mate camp­ground in Portage Val­ley at the head of Tur­na­gain Arm in the Chugach Nation­al For­est. The 12 sites in the grav­eled, wood­ed Black Bear are yards from the Trail of Blue Ice — a non-motor­ized mul­ti-use trail that tra­vers­es the val­ley floor.

Russ­ian Riv­er Camp­ground, at Mile 54 of the Ster­ling High­way near Coop­er Land­ing, offers 83 wood­ed sites with access to the Russ­ian and Kenai Rivers. Man­aged by the U.S. For­est Ser­vice, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, fire rings, and spruce sur­round­ings for an angler-friend­ly stay. It’s a pop­u­lar base for salmon fish­ing, hik­ing to Russ­ian Riv­er Falls, or enjoy­ing the Kenai Peninsula’s scenic beauty.

Deep Creek South Camp­ground, near Ninilchik on Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la, offers 100 wood­ed sites with access to Deep Creek and Cook Inlet. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, it fea­tures beach and riv­er access, vault toi­lets, and fire rings. This spa­cious camp­ground is ide­al for salmon fish­ing, beach­comb­ing, or enjoy­ing coastal views, with Ninilchik’s his­toric charm just min­utes away.

With 60 sites on paved loops, Willi­waw is suit­able for large motorhomes and offers great access to the Trail of Blue Ice — a non-motor­ized mul­ti-use trail that tra­vers­es the val­ley floor. Also near­by bik­ing, salmon view­ing, hikes, and glac­i­er viewing.

John­son Lake State Rec Area & Camp­ground at Mile 110 of Ster­ling High­way near Kasilof offers 51 wood­ed sites with lake access. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, fire rings, and a pic­nic area. Sur­round­ed by spruce, it’s ide­al for fish­ing rain­bow trout, pad­dling, and explor­ing dip­net­ting spots, with Soldotna’s ameni­ties just north for convenience.

Homer Spit Camp­ground, on the scenic Homer Spit in Kachemak Bay, offers 122 sites with sweep­ing views of the bay and Kenai Moun­tains. Pri­vate­ly man­aged, it fea­tures show­ers, laun­dry, and Wi-Fi. Campers can fish for hal­ibut, beach­comb, kayak to near­by islands, or enjoy Homer’s cre­ative ener­gy, with shops, din­ing, and gal­leries just steps away in this live­ly coastal setting.

This is a pop­u­lar boat launch for drift boaters fish­ing for king salmon. The Kasilof Riv­er red salmon dip­net fish­ery is here, but only open to Alas­ka res­i­dents. It’s worth a look if you’ve nev­er seen dip­net­ters in action before. There are 16 camp­sites, water, tables, toi­lets, hik­ing trails, a boat launch and fishing.

Anchor Riv­er State Rec Area, near the mouth of the Anchor Riv­er off the Ster­ling High­way, fea­tures 5 camp­grounds with 186 camp­sites. Pop­u­lar for salmon fish­ing, beach­comb­ing, and enjoy­ing coastal scenery, it offers easy access to the ocean and scenic views. Campers appre­ci­ate its nat­ur­al beau­ty and prox­im­i­ty to the small-town charm of Anchor Point on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula.

Res­ur­rec­tion South Camp­ground near down­town Seward offers 70 wood­ed camp­sites along Res­ur­rec­tion Bay with beach access on Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la. Man­aged by the City of Seward, it fea­tures spruce sur­round­ings, show­ers, flush toi­lets, and trails. It’s a scenic base for salmon fish­ing, kayak­ing, or explor­ing Seward’s coastal charm and attrac­tions like the Alas­ka SeaL­ife Cen­ter — all walkable.

Ninilchik Riv­er Camp­ground sits at Mile 134.4 of the Ster­ling High­way, offer­ing 40 wood­ed sites along the Ninilchik Riv­er in Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la, near the fish­ing vil­lage of Ninilchik. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, it’s sur­round­ed by spruce with direct riv­er access, fea­tur­ing vault toi­lets, drink­ing water, and a boat launch for anglers.

Crooked Creek State Rec Site, near Kasilof on Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la, offers 79 wood­ed sites along Crooked Creek and the Kasilof Riv­er. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, fire rings, and riv­er access. Sur­round­ed by spruce, it’s a peace­ful base for salmon fish­ing, enjoy­ing the river­front, or explor­ing the Kenai’s coastal scenery with Kasilof’s qui­et charm nearby.

Dol­ly Var­den Lake Camp­ground, in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge near Ster­ling, offers 12 wood­ed sites with lake access off Swan­son Riv­er Road. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, a boat ramp, and a qui­et, prim­i­tive set­ting. Campers can fish for Dol­ly Var­den and rain­bow trout, pad­dle the lake, or enjoy the refuge’s serene wilder­ness near Sterling.

Find out how the sock­eye salmon in this lake ben­e­fit from the clear waters.

Bertha Creek Camp­ground is a great choice for a low-key cam­pout in a recre­ation­al gold-pan­ning area on a qui­et loop where the kids won’t get lost. Locat­ed just south of Tur­na­gain Pass in the Kenai Moun­tains about 65 miles south of Anchor­age, the camp­ground is tucked into an open for­est beside the con­flu­ence of Bertha and Gran­ite creeks at the base of steep mountains.

Seward Water­front Park extends from the small boat har­bor to the SeaL­ife Cen­ter and con­tains paid tent and RV camp­ing, play­grounds, a skate park, pic­nic­ing areas, beach access, and a trail lined with his­tor­i­cal landmarks.

Rain­bow Lake Camp­ground, near Ster­ling in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge, offers 3 tent-only sites with lake access. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it’s a qui­et, prim­i­tive retreat with fire rings, sur­round­ed by spruce and wet­lands. Campers can fish for rain­bow trout, pad­dle the lake, or watch for moose and loons, with Sterling’s ameni­ties just a short dri­ve away.

Quartz Creek camp­ground is sit­u­at­ed on the banks of sparkling Kenai Lake. This is a great spot to cool off on a hot day. Kenai Lake has a good sandy swim­ming beach and a trail that fol­lows along near­by Quartz Creek. Cast your line for some awe­some fly-fish­ing at the creek or look for the near­by horse sta­ble for a scenic ride. 

Low­er Ski­lak Lake Camp­ground, in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge near Ster­ling, offers 14 wood­ed sites with water­front access. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it fea­tures fire rings, a boat launch, and scenic lake views. This peace­ful camp­ground is per­fect for trout fish­ing, boat­ing, or enjoy­ing the refuge’s pris­tine wilder­ness, with Ster­ling just a short dri­ve away.

Low­er Ohmer Lake Camp­ground, 75.3 miles off the Ster­ling High­way on Ski­lak Lake Road, offers 3 wood­ed sites on Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, lake access, and a rough boat launch. This qui­et, prim­i­tive camp­ground is ide­al for fish­ing Dol­ly Var­den and trout, pad­dling the lake, or enjoy­ing the Kenai wilder­ness near Sterling.

Cres­cent Creek Camp­ground, near Coop­er Land­ing in Alaska’s Chugach Nation­al For­est, offers 9 tent-only sites along a scenic creek. Nes­tled among spruce and hem­lock, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, fire rings, and peace­ful creek­side access. Ide­al for fish­ing Dol­ly Var­den, hik­ing Cres­cent Creek Trail, or explor­ing the Kenai Penin­su­la, with Kenai Lake just a short dis­tance away.

Camp out at this qui­et, clear­wa­ter lake, along Ski­lak Lake Road in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge, where glac­i­ers once stood over 2,000 feet tall. There’s oppor­tu­ni­ties for fish­ing (and a boat launch) and a pic­nic area along the shore. All camp­sites are avail­able on a first-come, first served basis. 

Swan Lake Canoe Route West Entrance near Ster­ling offers 8 RV-only sites in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it pro­vides access to a serene net­work of lakes and portages. Sur­round­ed by spruce and wet­lands, it’s ide­al for pad­dling, trout fish­ing, and spot­ting moose or loons, with fire rings for a prim­i­tive stay and town ser­vices close by.

Swift­wa­ter Camp­ground, at 675 Swift­wa­ter Park Rd in Sol­dot­na, offers 40 camp­sites along the Kenai Riv­er. Man­aged by the City of Sol­dot­na, it fea­tures spruce sur­round­ings, direct riv­er access, fish-clean­ing sta­tions, vault toi­lets, and fire rings. It’s per­fect for salmon fish­ing, river­front relax­ation, and enjoy­ing Soldotna’s out­door activ­i­ties, with town ameni­ties just min­utes away.

Mer­ganser Lake Camp­ground offers a sin­gle RV site near Mer­ganser Lake along Swan­son Riv­er Road, tucked in Alaska’s Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge near Ster­ling. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it’s sur­round­ed by spruce and wet­lands with lake access, fea­tur­ing a vault toi­let and fire ring for a soli­tary stay.

Trail Riv­er Camp­ground, at Mile 24 of the Seward High­way near Moose Pass, offers 91 wood­ed sites in Chugach Nation­al For­est. With access to Kenai Lake and the Kenai Riv­er, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, fire rings, and a vol­ley­ball area. Sur­round­ed by spruce and moun­tains, it’s a scenic base for fish­ing, hik­ing, and enjoy­ing the Kenai Penin­su­la, with Seward a short dri­ve to the south.

Swan­son Riv­er Camp­ground, in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge near Ster­ling, offers 3 wood­ed sites along the Swan­son Riv­er off Swan­son Riv­er Road. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, a boat launch, and riv­er access. This qui­et, prim­i­tive spot is ide­al for fish­ing rain­bow trout, Dol­ly Var­den, or sil­ver salmon, pad­dling, and enjoy­ing the wilderness.

Wat­son Lake Camp­ground, near Ster­ling in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge, offers 40 wood­ed sites along the qui­et shores of Wat­son Lake. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it fea­tures lake access and fire rings for a peace­ful, prim­i­tive stay. It’s an ide­al base for fish­ing rain­bow trout, pad­dling a kayak or canoe, or enjoy­ing the soli­tude of the refuge, with Ster­ling close by.

Engi­neer Lake Camp­ground, along Ski­lak Lake Road near Ster­ling, offers 3 wood­ed sites on qui­et Engi­neer Lake shores. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, fire pits, and lake access for a prim­i­tive stay. This seclud­ed retreat is ide­al for fish­ing Dol­ly Var­den and land­locked salmon, pad­dling, and enjoy­ing wilder­ness, with Ster­ling nearby.

Deep Creek Beach sits at Mile 136 of the Ster­ling High­way near Ninilchik, offer­ing 100 camp­sites along Cook Inlet and Deep Creek in Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, it’s sur­round­ed by spruce with beach and riv­er access, fea­tur­ing vault toi­lets, drink­ing water, and a boat launch for anglers. 

Spring Creek Camp­ground near Seward offers a few wood­ed sites on Res­ur­rec­tion Bay in Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la. Man­aged by the City of Seward, it’s sur­round­ed by spruce with bay access, fire rings, and scenic views. This peace­ful spot is ide­al for campers look­ing to fish for salmon, hike coastal trails, or explore near­by Seward and attrac­tions like the Alas­ka SeaL­ife Center.

Includes bear lock­er and fire ring.

Ninilchik View Camp­ground, at Mile 135.7 on the Ster­ling High­way, offers 14 sites above the vil­lage of Ninilchik on Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, it sits on a spruce-lined bluff with views of Cook Inlet and Mt. Iliamna. Ameni­ties include vault toi­lets, water, and a dump sta­tion — per­fect for fish­ing, sight­see­ing, and explor­ing the Kenai coast.

the recre­ation area pro­vides pic­nic sites, shel­ters, camp­sites, water and toi­lets. There are excel­lent views of Cook Inlet, the Aleut­ian Moun­tain Range and its three tallest peaks: Mount Iliamna, Mount Redoubt and Mount Spur. There are 125 camp­sites, and the RV size lim­it is 35′. Note: The Depart­ment of Fish & Game has closed clam­ming at Clam Gulch for the last sev­er­al years. Please check the cur­rent sta­tus before harvesting.   ...more

Fish Lake Camp­ground, along Swan Lake Road in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge near Ster­ling, offers 2 wood­ed sites by Fish Lake. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it fea­tures lake access, a vault toi­let, and fire rings for a min­i­mal­ist stay. This qui­et road­side retreat is per­fect for fish­ing stocked Arc­tic char, pad­dling, or enjoy­ing the refuge’s soli­tude, with Ster­ling nearby. 

16 sites in a wood­ed set­ting. There’s a fam­i­ly friend­ly trail that leads to Ptarmi­gan Lake. It’s a sev­en mile round trip and you’ll see sheep and goats along the way. There’s also good trout and Dol­ly Var­den fish­ing, so bring your gear.

Bing’s Land­ing Camp­ground sits at Mile 80 of the Ster­ling High­way along the Kenai Riv­er, offer­ing 36 river­side sites in Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la near Ster­ling. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, it’s sur­round­ed by spruce for­est with a boat launch and direct access to the river’s renowned salmon fish­ing waters.

Peter­son Lake Camp­ground, locat­ed along Ski­lak Lake Road near Ster­ling in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge, offers 4 wood­ed sites beside the lake. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it pro­vides lake access, fire rings, and a qui­et, prim­i­tive stay. It’s a seclud­ed spot for trout fish­ing, float­plane watch­ing, or hik­ing refuge trails, with Sterling’s ser­vices a short dri­ve away.

Dis­cov­ery Camp­ground sits at Mile 39 of the Kenai Spur High­way with­in Cap­tain Cook State Recre­ation Area, offer­ing 53 wood­ed sites along Alaska’s Kenai Penin­su­la near Cook Inlet. Man­aged by Alas­ka State Parks, it’s sur­round­ed by spruce and birch with access to Stormy Lake and the inlet’s beach­es, fea­tur­ing pic­nic tables, fire rings, and trails.

Upper Ski­lak Lake Camp­ground, in the Kenai Nation­al Wildlife Refuge near Ster­ling, offers 26 wood­ed sites with water­front access. Man­aged by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser­vice, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, fire rings, and views of Ski­lak Lake. It’s a peace­ful base for trout fish­ing, hik­ing the Ski­lak Loop trails, or enjoy­ing the refuge’s nat­ur­al beau­ty, with Ster­ling close by.

Prim­rose Land­ing Camp­ground, at Mile 17 of the Seward High­way near Kenai Lake, offers 8 wood­ed sites in Chugach Nation­al For­est. Man­aged by the U.S. For­est Ser­vice, it fea­tures vault toi­lets, fire rings, lake access, and a boat ramp. This peace­ful spot is per­fect for trout fish­ing, hik­ing the Prim­rose Trail to Lost Lake, or enjoy­ing Kenai Penin­su­la views, with Seward nearby.

If you want to camp beside sub­alpine Upper Sum­mit Lake close to trum­peter swans and fish­ing for rain­bows, take the fam­i­ly to this camp­ground deep in the Kenai Moun­tains off Mile 46 of the Seward High­way. The 35 sites are spread along a loop in the alder, wil­low and spruce woods on the hill­side above the lake, with clear-run­ning Ten­der­foot Creek pass­ing through 

Difficulty: Easy

The trail is half a mile long and takes you through a mature birch for­est that is car­pet­ed with dev­il’s club and water­mel­on berry plants. It’s an easy walk­ing, ide­al for small chil­dren, and ends at a small camp­ing area on a slight bluff that over­looks Bish­op’s Beach and Bish­op Creek.

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