Black Bear Campground is a very small, 10 site campground located in the Chugach National Forest…read moredown the road from Portage Glacier. The sites are spacious and open, so they do not afford much privacy. Each space has a fire ring, a parking spot, a picnic table and enough room for several average sized tents. The campground is in a conifer forest, so there's plenty of trees to attach tarps and whatnot to, which would be wise given there is LOTS of light, but persistent precipitation in this part of Alaska. Although this campground is located in valley, you really can't see the mountains or glaciers that ring the location because of the abundance of trees. Despite that, I personally think these campsites are prettier than those located over at Williwaw Campground. There are bear dumpsters on site, hand pumps for potable water and outhouses. There is no firewood or campsite host here; however, the campsite host is located less than 1 mile down the road at Williwaw. Black Bear Campground is located along the Trail of Blue Ice: http://www.alyeskaresort.com/Alyeska/SiteAssets/files/mountain/Trail%20of%20Blue%20Ice.pdf . The campsites with the highest numbers (8,9, 10) are closest to the river, so keep this in mind if you have small children. The sites are big enough to accomodate a RV, but the Williwaw campsites are set up more with RV's in mind. Black Bear Campground certainly isn't the best campground in the area, and for $18 a day, I'd probably stay somewhere else. However, that being said, if you plan to spend time hiking the very easy, very family friendly Trail of Blue Ice, or plan to spend a day in Whittier or Portage, this is a very convinient location to make base camp for a day or two. After that you will have exhausted the activities in the area. To reserve a spot in advance log on to: http://www.recreation.gov/. In addition to the $18 they charge a booking fee of $9. Otherwise the campsites are first come-first served. During July, without a reservation you run the risk of arriving and finding all the campsites taken.

I've been here multiple times. Get there early during the summer months to grab a spot. There are…read morehiking trails and bike paths nearby. Always a good time. Bring your rain jacket because between those mountains can get rainy sometimes.

Bertha Creek is a lovely little wooded campground nestled between Girdwood and Hope in the middle…read moreof nowhere Alaska. It's funny because it's only 3ish miles away from its sister campground Granite Creek, but somehow Bertha feels just right. Most of the sites are cozily shaded amongst the ample spruce trees and nicely spaced apart. There are a few sites on the south side of the campground that get sun in the afternoon and have a stunning view of the surrounding mountains. Bertha Creek wraps very closely around the perimeter of the campground, but none of the sites have a creek view due to undergrowth. I'm guessing the creek is a class 3 rapids, so it makes sense that the sites would be a little distance in the event the creek floods or changes paths over the years. There is a darling waterfall just a few hundred feet from the nearest campsite and I've decided that I'm DEFINITELY camping here next year so we can spend the day frolicking in the water. I'm packing my waders and gonna try to see if it's scalable. The waterfall is blissfully moss covered a la Fern Gully, so I'm probably fooling myself, but I can dream... at the very least I plan to spend a few years sunning myself along the banks of this beauty. OK, details: No campsite host. He's down the road a Granite Creek. So if you need firewood, it's about a 3 mile trek. One bear box for the whole campground. Clean, "modern" pit toilets. No running water, but there are water pumps. $14 per night, no reservations. I highly doubt this campground ever fills up due to its remoteness. Sites are large enough for Small RVs. There aren't any pullthroughs, so ginormous RVS might have trouble, but it's doable if you're a good driver. This is an ideal site for tents, but I do believe bears are a real concern, so be prepared. Open Memorial Day through Labor Day. Johnson Pass Trail is the nearest attraction. This is really the middle of nowhere. Six Mile Creek and Hope are the next nearest things to do. Girdwood, about 40 minutes away is the next nearest gas station, grocery store and Rv dump station. One aside, it looks like the Forest Service is working on some improvements here... they built a heavy duty bridge to nowhere over the creek so maybe there is an awesome trail in the works? Bertha Creek is really gorgeous so I'm excited to see what the finished product will be!

This site was horrible for mosquitos where you couldn't be outside using the picnic tables or fire…read morepits. There is zero cell signal here. No hookups to water or electric anywhere. Two pumps only for drinking water, and they are hand pumps.

A must stop campground if traveling through Alaska. The location is absolutely breathtaking!…read moreTrails, rivers, creeks, and mountians. The location does not have electric hook ups and no water hookups. During the season there is a host on site and the pit toilets are well maintained. This spot is in the heart of nature and you'll find yourself among all the critters of Alaska. Reservations can be made on recreation.gov and there are 25+ first come first serve sites available. If you're looking for the a 5 star hotel this isn't it, this is the wild and absolutely worth the stop!

Where is all the blue ice? I don't see no trail! Well... I did see a couple of glaciers up top…read moreunder white snow, so I saw sprinkling of blue ice. This is the Tony Knowles Coastal trail of Portage. You start at Moose Flats, or Visitor's center, and walk/jog/bike/skate/meander 5 miles to the opposite end. I started at Moose Flats and it was a good time viewing natural and unnatural areas of interest. Scouted out camp spots, watched kayakers in a lake, and enjoyed walking over bridges during the jaunt. It was good, not great. So much so, that instead of walking all the way back I hitched to get the car and pick up walking companion. Then we jetted over to Byron's Glacier for a proper, albeit shorter, hike. Would come again if camping in area, but would pass for future hiking funsies due to lack of interest.

This is a flat 5-mile trail that links together the many sights and sounds of one of my favorite…read moreareas in Alaska: Portage. Despite being located a little over an hour from Anchorage, this area gets obscene amounts of snow and rain. As a consequence of all that H2O falling from the sky, the mountains in here are heavily glaciated, even though they are not very tall by Alaska standards. (tallest in the area is around 6,000 ft, with many in the 3,000-4,000 ft range) Because this trail is so flat, it's very commonly cycled. Bring your bike and make a half-day of it, or bring only your boots for a much fuller day. There are places to view Salmon here, but I can never seem get the timing right. Stuff to see in this area from/next to the trail: Explorer Peak (and Explorer Glacier): https://www.yelp.com/biz/explorer-peak-portage Byron Glacier Trail: https://www.yelp.com/biz/byron-glacier-trailhead-anchorage Portage Glacier visitor center: https://www.yelp.com/biz/portage-glacier-and-begich-bloggs-visitor-center-girdwood

So while I stand by my initial review of the campground, the trail here is incredible. It's one of…read morethe most bang-for-your-buck hikes I've ever done in Alaska. The first mile and a half is fairly flat and has a spectacular view of the creek, mountains, flowers and berries I've ever seen in such an accessible location. It then shifts to an gentle uphill hike without boreal shade. I recommend a machete if you plan on going further. The Devils Club is wicked beyond this point unless it's fall. There is absolutely no cell service here so be sure to bring emergency supplies and appropriate preparation for Alaskan animals and volatile weather.

Gaft, I cannot pronounce this place!!…read more Ptarmigan is part of the Chugach National Forest off Mile 23 on Seward Highway. If you're on your way to Harding Icefield/ Exit Glacier or back to Anchroage, Ptarmigan is worth a stop! So thanks to my hyper active bladder and my constant imbibing of crisp glacier water, I really needed to pee!!!! Thankfully, toilets were not far off and found ourselves here. Toilet is standard outhouse thing. Nothing fancy. But what IS cool is that there is fish viewing from Aug-Sept!!! FREE OF CHARGE!! We saw some tours wanting to charge for this, psh!!! Anyway, we got to the side of the creek... and saw red sockeye salmon swimming against current... waiting to mate, lay eggs and die =(. There were so many of them too!!! Here's something I didn't know...salmon gets its red color when they are spawning (so you don't want to eat these since they are old). When they are young, they are silver in color. Huh! =) Also (didn't know this), but apparently there is an abundance of rainbow trout during mating season. They come and eat up the salmon eggs (roe). Luckily, people are able to fish for rainbow trout and dolly varden fish (june 11 - may 1st). Absolutely no salmon fishing all season!! We did see some fishers there, but they told us that they were there for catch & release only.

We just bought an RV and didn't want to camp in the "hot spot" of Seward so we did the next best…read morething and went to Moose Pass. Having lived in Alaska 6 years I honestly have never stoped in moose pass, only obeyed the speed limit and slowed down while passing though. The campground is super easy to find (especially when obeying the speed limit). They have a sign out on the road. The camp host was beyond friendly. We let her know it was our first time and we were hoping for a spot a little more secluded so we could work out any kinks and hangout with our pups. She put us in a location that was easy for us to back into and we isn't have any camp neighbors within a visual radius. A few of the spots do but up against the highway so you'll have some street noise, but that mellowed down around 10pm. There was a group fire pit where folks brought some drinks and hung out. Super friendly place! The next morning we went for a walk down to the float plane docs and along the railroad tracks. Such a cute little town and a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Seward.

This campground is a hidden, underutilized jewel. The rates are dirt cheap - maybe the best in…read moreAlaska. The grounds are nicely manicured. The grounds are beautiful with trees througout. Sort walk to "town" which is very cool. Had a great lunch at the Inn. My dog got to swim in the lake. The lake and surrounding mountains are stunning. Please stop here. They deserve your support and this campground needs to remain open.

Whether you like this campground or not depends on what you're looking for. If proximity to…read moreAnchorage, easy access to salmon fishing and easy trails, and safety in numbers are important to you, then this is a winner. Relative to a lot of other campsites with fishing access, the likelihood of bear encounters is SOMEWHAT less due to its direct proximity to the highway, and nominal greenway for bears to hide in. There's a small buffer of trees between the highway and the campground, so bears have adequate space to sneak up if they're so inclined (this is Alaska, after all) so the highway noise is noticeable from all of the campsites. (I did a very thorough walk through of the campground and the perimeter and found evidence of one black bear who appeared to be "passing through"). The only site you may not notice the sound of the highway would be the Beluga cabin, which backs up against the train tracks. Some campers may find trainsounds bothersome. I happen to like train noises, (I grew up 2 blocks from train tracks), but if the honking bothers you DO NOT CAMP HERE since the tracks are REALLY CLOSE. They have to honk to warm idiots that walk on the tracks. Alaskans and tourists alike seem to like to tempt fate and play chicken with the train. A few points to note- there's only one bear box for the whole campground. I find this REALLY IRRITATING, but a common theme at a lot of Alaskan campgrounds, despite the pleas to keep our campsites food and fragrance free. (Grrrr please supply more flipping bear boxes!!!!) There are 3 pit toilets; one dumpster ; you can pay with cash, check or credit card (there's an electronic pay station); the 2 cabins have to be paid for in advance on line; the campsite is within cell/internet service; in 2022 there is NO camp host which means the toilets are getting minimal servicing so BRING YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER (ans SANITIZER if you're a germiphobe like me), so be sure you have the firewood you need prior to arrival. You should bring your own drinking and washing water as well; the handpump here is the worst I've ever used and is need if some serious maintenance. It requires the strength if two men to get going- I think it needs to be oiled??? The water is gross anyway- better to get your washing water from a creek before arrival and brink bottle or tap water for drinking. Some of the sites do NOT accommodate tents due to the gravel and lack of trees. All the RV spots are back in, none are pull-through. The campground has a nice nature trail and connects with a paved bike trail. You can walk to the salmon fishing site down the street. There is also a village gas station, bar, motel, and two small restaurants within plus or minus a mile of the campground. For me, this campground is convenient given its proximity to Anchorage, although I think 20 bucks a night is a little steep given there's no host. I saw a lot of other Anchoragites of the same mind. We'll probably be back.

Very clean and well maintained campground! Outhouses are frequently cleaned and restocked, trash…read moreservice on site, camp spots are nice big graveled pads with a large picnic table, big fire ring and small cleared areas for tents. 2 vehicle limit per spot. There are trees throughout the grounds, so there is a feeling of privacy. Great for both tent or RV camping. Location is beautiful with lots of site seeing close by. I saw beluga whales! It is easy to locate from the highway as it's the turn at the only overhead light in any direction for a LONG ways. Directly across the street is a gas station to pop in for ice or snacks or fuel.

Paddled Spencer Glacier with Chugach adventures in early June. We travelled by train to get there…read more Then by bus to the beach. They pretty much have thought of everything! All you need to do is paddle and bring a water bottle! They bring snacks, and homemade lunches that were amazing with homemade bread!! The view when you come around the corner is jaw dropping!! The staff were amazing and very personable!! We traveled by train for the second half of our journey to view multiple glaciers and animal sightings!! Moose, eagles, bear. There's an opportunity to get off the train and complete a short hike. This trip was the most expensive that we did, but we would do it again!!

Our group did the Glacier Blue Kayak and Grandview Tour which started with a trainride from…read moreGirdwood to Spencer Glacier. Then we had a quick kayak lesson, then paddled across the water to get up close to the glacier. Once we walked up close to admire the view, we did a meaningful meditation, took some pictures, then headed down for lunch. The box lunch was plentiful and fresh. Just enough to keep us satisfied as the train went up to Grandview to see a few more glaciers and some waterfalls that you can't get to by road. All in all, Ryan and Caroline provided us with a safe and fun day that was unforgettable. Definitely the highlight of our time in Alaska.

Wow, what a great experience!! Our family of four did the black stone glacier trip and it was…read moreamazing. Owner and other guides were friendly, knowledgeable and very nice to spend the day with. Highly recommend this company, it was our favorite day trip on our whole Alaskan vacation!

Upon arrival at Whittier I went to Sound Paddler to find out the final details for my kayak…read moreadventure to Blackstone glacier the next day. I was told by owner that a family had reserved five of the six spots yesterday but then called back and asked for one more and was given my spot on the trip. I asked how this could be after reserving my spot weeks ago then scheduling my vacation around this and renting a hotel room for two nights in Whittier for this express purpose? She said that they were a family and gave it to them, I said I had a reservation she replied but they are a family. The moral/ ethical thing to do would have said to them I am sorry I have a commitment to a man that reserved that spot weeks ago and need to give to him. At this point the husband came in he was no help for me I was getting screwed. During this conversation she opened her reservation book and referred to a large sticky note with all my reservation and contact information. What kind of a business is this? One that you can't trust.