Fairbanks to Kenai - Campground Info Sharing
I'll add to this post as we finish working our way thru the Kenai area, but wanted to share what we thought campgrounds along this stretch of the Alaska journey.
Fairbanks - Rivers Edge - We had a spot right on the end overlooking the river, so for us it was great. The staff is very good, helpful in setting things up for tours, etc. Unless on an end site, the sites were a bit on the snug side. Been in worse, but not lots of space. It was a nice park, and we'd stay with them again. Close to just about everything in Fairbanks. And priced as parks are up here, but seemed like a fair value for the location.
Outside Denali - Denali RV Park and Hotel - Just about 10 mins North of the park entrance. Full hook up and cable. On the main road, and some of the road working crew are staying in the small hotel, which is fine they were nice people to talk with. The staff was very nice here too. A good place to stay if you need a few days before going into the park.
Inside Denali - Savage Creek - Great year 7 camp hosts, help with info if asked, and also keep and eye on the safety of the campers. Moose and Grizzly will visit this campground, so good safety practices are warranted. As you first come into the park, the loop to the left has three spots that on a clear day will provide a view out the front of 'The Mountain'. (Space 29, and the one before and after 29, are the pull thru sites that may bring you into the 30% club.)
Inside Demali 2 - "Tek" - This is the one further inside the park, past Savage Creek Ranger Station and Hiking Loop Trail. You leave your Toad if pulling, at the visitor center, and commit to three days minimum. Two oval like loops of sites. a few with views of the river. But most sites require a small walk down to get to the river bed. No camp host had yet signed up when we were visiting. The Rangers put on a night information get together every night, that we found to be fun.(It also helped the blood suckers, having us all in one location made it easier for them to keep well fed.) Hiking on the river bed is fun, but the Green Shuttle becomes your friend, and you go into the park while visiting. A unique experience, and the roads in while dirt and gravel, were better then many of the paved roads we have driven.
Talkeetna - Talkeetna Campers Park - Small place, next to the train station. Good for walking into the town, which is a tourist mix geared towards the people coming in on the train. Also many flight businesses , including float planes, to go view The Mountain or land on a glacier if interested. The work campers were great, and very kind to help us with a door problem we were having. Tight spots, but location, location.
Anchorage - Ships Creek RV - Again, nice staff. Location was good for walking down to Ships Creek to see the Slamin Salmon Fishing Derby, and on up into the downtown area. This is an industrial area, and right on top of the train tracks. Our bedroom was 18' from the track. The trains leaving Ahnchorage need to blow the horn right by the park, as they are going over a road crossing. The South bound do to, but it is not outside your windows. Car alarms go off, due to the rumble of the train. And regardless of the luck of one of the posts we read on RVPARKSREVIEW - the trains did run during the night time all three nights we were in this camp. Tight spots in some areas, as our slide opened up over the table of the spot next door. Lucky no one needed that spot. We did not have any problems, but the park seems to be a short cut to a homeless center, and our last day in the park, police had to come to ask a tent camper to leave. (They took a spot for two people, and by the time we left three days later, probably 8 people were sharing this site... So the staff asked for help to have them leave. I doubt we'd stay here again. I looked at staying just a bit to the North at Eagle, and probably should have.
Kenai Area - Porcupine BLM campground, just 'beyond Hope'. This place was given a make over a few years back. Very well done. Some sites, 7 and 8 and 14 are the ones, are large enough for larger coaches, and have some views of the inlet. If driving a bigger rig, suggest site 7 and 8. BLM does take reservations. Good hiking, and the 'two block' town of Hope is a hoot. Many people blow by Hope, on the way down towards Kenai/Homer - Hope area is worth a few night stay for sure.
We move today towards Cooks Discovery Alaskan Recreation area. Then on down to homer after that, with a few stops along the way. I'll update this thread once we get a few more cmapgrounds under our belts on Kenai.
Travel safe, have fun,
Smitty
Fairbanks - Rivers Edge - We had a spot right on the end overlooking the river, so for us it was great. The staff is very good, helpful in setting things up for tours, etc. Unless on an end site, the sites were a bit on the snug side. Been in worse, but not lots of space. It was a nice park, and we'd stay with them again. Close to just about everything in Fairbanks. And priced as parks are up here, but seemed like a fair value for the location.
Outside Denali - Denali RV Park and Hotel - Just about 10 mins North of the park entrance. Full hook up and cable. On the main road, and some of the road working crew are staying in the small hotel, which is fine they were nice people to talk with. The staff was very nice here too. A good place to stay if you need a few days before going into the park.
Inside Denali - Savage Creek - Great year 7 camp hosts, help with info if asked, and also keep and eye on the safety of the campers. Moose and Grizzly will visit this campground, so good safety practices are warranted. As you first come into the park, the loop to the left has three spots that on a clear day will provide a view out the front of 'The Mountain'. (Space 29, and the one before and after 29, are the pull thru sites that may bring you into the 30% club.)
Inside Demali 2 - "Tek" - This is the one further inside the park, past Savage Creek Ranger Station and Hiking Loop Trail. You leave your Toad if pulling, at the visitor center, and commit to three days minimum. Two oval like loops of sites. a few with views of the river. But most sites require a small walk down to get to the river bed. No camp host had yet signed up when we were visiting. The Rangers put on a night information get together every night, that we found to be fun.(It also helped the blood suckers, having us all in one location made it easier for them to keep well fed.) Hiking on the river bed is fun, but the Green Shuttle becomes your friend, and you go into the park while visiting. A unique experience, and the roads in while dirt and gravel, were better then many of the paved roads we have driven.
Talkeetna - Talkeetna Campers Park - Small place, next to the train station. Good for walking into the town, which is a tourist mix geared towards the people coming in on the train. Also many flight businesses , including float planes, to go view The Mountain or land on a glacier if interested. The work campers were great, and very kind to help us with a door problem we were having. Tight spots, but location, location.
Anchorage - Ships Creek RV - Again, nice staff. Location was good for walking down to Ships Creek to see the Slamin Salmon Fishing Derby, and on up into the downtown area. This is an industrial area, and right on top of the train tracks. Our bedroom was 18' from the track. The trains leaving Ahnchorage need to blow the horn right by the park, as they are going over a road crossing. The South bound do to, but it is not outside your windows. Car alarms go off, due to the rumble of the train. And regardless of the luck of one of the posts we read on RVPARKSREVIEW - the trains did run during the night time all three nights we were in this camp. Tight spots in some areas, as our slide opened up over the table of the spot next door. Lucky no one needed that spot. We did not have any problems, but the park seems to be a short cut to a homeless center, and our last day in the park, police had to come to ask a tent camper to leave. (They took a spot for two people, and by the time we left three days later, probably 8 people were sharing this site... So the staff asked for help to have them leave. I doubt we'd stay here again. I looked at staying just a bit to the North at Eagle, and probably should have.
Kenai Area - Porcupine BLM campground, just 'beyond Hope'. This place was given a make over a few years back. Very well done. Some sites, 7 and 8 and 14 are the ones, are large enough for larger coaches, and have some views of the inlet. If driving a bigger rig, suggest site 7 and 8. BLM does take reservations. Good hiking, and the 'two block' town of Hope is a hoot. Many people blow by Hope, on the way down towards Kenai/Homer - Hope area is worth a few night stay for sure.
We move today towards Cooks Discovery Alaskan Recreation area. Then on down to homer after that, with a few stops along the way. I'll update this thread once we get a few more cmapgrounds under our belts on Kenai.
Travel safe, have fun,
Smitty
