Sticks & Sparks

Alaska Outdoor Guide: Campgrounds, Trails, Beaches & RV Spots

Chugach and Kenai Mountains from Bird Point, Alaska

Photo: Frank K. / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Key Takeaways

Riley Creek Campground is the easiest, most family-friendly base for Denali — open year-round with a nearby store, though reservations open December 1 for the following summer and go fast
Alaska’s lakes are genuinely beautiful but glacially cold — plan for paddling, wading, and scenery rather than actual swimming
The Kenai Peninsula and Seward corridor is the best-developed area for RV travel in the state; Denali itself has no hookups anywhere
Mendenhall Glacier’s easier trails (Nugget Falls, Photo Point) stay low near the lake, while the East and West Glacier Trails climb for more ambitious views

Wildlife and Glaciers, Not Beach Days

Alaska’s outdoor identity is built around Denali, glacier viewing, and genuinely spectacular wildlife encounters — set your expectations for scenery and adventure rather than warm-water swimming, and the trip delivers in a way nowhere else in this guide can match.

Campgrounds

Riley Creek Campground — Denali National Park (Mile 0.25)

Riley Creek Campground — Denali National Park (Mile 0.25)

The largest and most convenient Denali campground, open year-round with a nearby general store. Accommodates both tents and RVs up to 40 feet, though there are no hookups. Reservations open December 1 for the following summer — mark your calendar, since the whole season can fill fast.

Teklanika River Campground — Denali National Park (Mile 29)

Teklanika River Campground — Denali National Park (Mile 29)

Forested, private sites along the river, and the best campground in the park for wildlife sightings — moose, caribou, and hares regularly pass through. Requires a 3-night minimum and a Tek Pass, making it a good pick for families wanting a deeper park experience.

Upper Summit Lake — Chugach National Forest (Mile 46, Seward Highway)

Upper Summit Lake — Chugach National Forest (Mile 46, Seward Highway)

35 sites above the lake among alder and spruce, with trumpeter swans and rainbow trout fishing — a genuine Alaska family classic.

Centennial Park — Soldotna

Centennial Park — Soldotna

A huge municipal campground directly on the Kenai River, with trails for biking and dog-walking. A great pick during salmon season if fishing is part of your trip.

Denali Grizzly Bear Resort — 6 miles south of the park entrance

Denali Grizzly Bear Resort — 6 miles south of the park entrance

A family-run private resort with varied accommodations and good amenities, plus Nenana River views — a comfortable option if you want more than a bare campsite near Denali.

Hiking Trails

Savage Alpine Trail — Denali National Park

Savage Alpine Trail — Denali National Park

A moderate alpine ridge hike accessed by the free park shuttle, with genuinely big tundra views. A frequently recommended Denali day hike.

Horseshoe Lake Trail — Denali National Park

Horseshoe Lake Trail — Denali National Park

An easy, family-friendly loop near the park entrance to a glacial lake — a good pick for younger kids or a shorter day.

Flattop Mountain — Chugach State Park (near Anchorage)

Flattop Mountain — Chugach State Park (near Anchorage)

The most-hiked mountain in Alaska, with views of Anchorage, Turnagain Arm, and Denali on clear days. Crowded but genuinely worth it — steep near the summit.

Mendenhall Glacier trails — Juneau

Mendenhall Glacier trails — Juneau

The Nugget Falls Trail and Photo Point Trail stay low and easy near the lake; the East and West Glacier Trails climb for more ambitious families wanting higher glacier views.

Exit Glacier / Harding Icefield Trail — Kenai Fjords National Park (near Seward)

Exit Glacier / Harding Icefield Trail — Kenai Fjords National Park (near Seward)

The lower Exit Glacier viewpoints are easy and family-friendly; the full Harding Icefield Trail is 8 miles round trip with roughly 3,000 feet of gain, for genuinely ambitious families.

Beaches / Lakes & Alpine Areas

Eklutna Lake — Chugach State Park (about an hour from Anchorage)

Eklutna Lake — Chugach State Park (about an hour from Anchorage)

The largest lake in the park, turquoise from glacial melt and framed by mountains. Excellent for kayaking, paddleboarding, and flat lakeshore biking, though the water runs 40-50°F year-round — most visitors wade briefly rather than swim. Arrive early for parking on sunny weekends.

Resurrection Bay shoreline — Seward

Resurrection Bay shoreline — Seward

Walk the shore for sea lions, bald eagles, and sea otters, with whales visible offshore. This is the realistic Alaska “coastal” family experience — wildlife-watching, not swimming.

Mendenhall Lake — Juneau

Mendenhall Lake — Juneau

A glacier-fed lake with Nugget Falls nearby — genuinely beautiful for paddling and shoreline viewing beneath the glacier.

Point Louisa / Auke Bay Recreation Area — Juneau

Point Louisa / Auke Bay Recreation Area — Juneau

A gently sloping gravel beach with covered picnic areas and water views — a traditional Tlingit fishing ground and a genuine Juneau family favorite.

RV Spots

Diamond M Ranch Resort — between Soldotna and Kenai

Diamond M Ranch Resort — between Soldotna and Kenai

An award-winning, family-owned resort with full-hookup RV sites — a strong central base for Seward and Homer day trips.

Stoney Creek RV Park — Seward

Stoney Creek RV Park — Seward

Full hookups including 50-amp, water, and sewer, accommodating big rigs. Open mid-May through mid-September.

Miller's Landing — Lowell Point (2 miles south of Seward)

Miller’s Landing — Lowell Point (2 miles south of Seward)

Oceanfront and wooded RV/tent sites on Resurrection Bay, with water taxi and kayak rentals — a genuinely great spot for kids to spend a day on the beach.

Note: Denali National Park has no hookups anywhere. Riley Creek, Savage River, and Teklanika are the only RV-capable campgrounds inside the park, capped at 40 feet.

Planning Your Trip

Base your Alaska trip around either Denali (Riley Creek Campground) or the Kenai Peninsula/Seward corridor, since the two areas serve different needs — Denali for wildlife and tundra, Seward for glacier viewing and better RV infrastructure. Whichever you choose, set water expectations early: this is a paddling-and-wading state, not a swimming one.