Campground help needed for June trip to Alaska by RV

[RandMJacobs]

We are making our long-promised pilgrimage to Alaska in June. We are having trouble getting good info on campgrounds. Our concern is whether it is critical that we move on a strict time-scheduled timeframe, in which case we would have to have solid reservations if we want to be sure we can find a place to stay...or if we can travel on a more fluid time-frame and be flexible, which would mean that it would be likely we COULD find a place to stay with no preexisting reservation. In other words, will all suitable campgrounds be booked well in advance such that without a reservation, it will be highly unlikely to find a place last minute?

We are long (42 foot 5th wheel toy hauler). Our preference would be to just go...and when we get tired, be likely we can find somewhere to overnight...or is this just wishful thinking? If we don't have reservations, don't expect to find any vacancies?

[Grit_dog]

We found that all the state and fed campgrounds on the Kenai Pen were pretty much full every weekend in the summer. We were just weekend warriors typically so during the week I'm sure there's less people in the mix when the locals are working.
But i bet this summer will be down a bit on locals with the poor AK economy and up on tourists with the good L48 economy and cheap fuel.
That said, everyone camps for the night wherever they're able to park and I've never seen a AK State Troopers show where they kick people off the side of the road pullouts and gravel pits. Never seen it in person either. It's just normal and acceptable to do up there.

[RandMJacobs]

Bea PA wrote:
Don't forget the service clubs, Elks, Legions, VFW, most have campgrounds. When we were there 5 years ago we only stayed in a campground every 3rd day to dump and fill up with water. We had a 36 ft Class A a that time and there were lots of pull offs where you could overnight. We would stop and by morning there would be several other rigs there.

Great suggestions on the service clubs...do you need to belong to take advantage if they have camp sites? From your post, I'm guessing not as I'd guess it unlikely you belong to each of them LOL.

[Bea_PA]

Don't forget the service clubs, Elks, Legions, VFW, most have campgrounds. When we were there 5 years ago we only stayed in a campground every 3rd day to dump and fill up with water. We had a 36 ft Class A a that time and there were lots of pull offs where you could overnight. We would stop and by morning there would be several other rigs there.

[vermilye]

We made this trip to Alaska in June & July & the only reservations we made were for Denali at Teklanika CG. We did sometimes call to check availability during the morning for that night's stay. Only had one night where we had to find an alternate & it was only 1/2 mile down the road...

[Tarheel_2]

4X4Dodger wrote:
I am in Alaska now. I have been so far in Skagway, Valdez, Seward, Anchorage, Homer, Kenai, and Soldatna. We are now headed back toward Anchorage and on to Denali.

Virtually everyone of the parks, RV, City or state that we have been in have been almost virtually empty. Homer which is busy with Anchorage weekenders still had plenty of spots available on the weekend.

The ONLY place I have made reservations is in Denali at Teklanika CG.

If you will be here over the 4th of July, that may be a time just to get to a spot BEFORE the holiday starts and grab a spot and stay until the madness is over.

It's really not that busy up here.

I've been on the same route, but am still in Homer headed north in the morning, and have found the same situation in all the areas I've visited. Likewise I have made reservations at a private park in the Denali area over the 4th. Only reservations I have or probably will make while in Alaska or on our way home.

[4X4Dodger]

I am in Alaska now. I have been so far in Skagway, Valdez, Seward, Anchorage, Homer, Kenai, and Soldatna. We are now headed back toward Anchorage and on to Denali.

Virtually everyone of the parks, RV, City or state that we have been in have been almost virtually empty. Homer which is busy with Anchorage weekenders still had plenty of spots available on the weekend.

The ONLY place I have made reservations is in Denali at Teklanika CG.

If you will be here over the 4th of July, that may be a time just to get to a spot BEFORE the holiday starts and grab a spot and stay until the madness is over.

It's really not that busy up here.

[fanrgs]

RandMJacobs wrote:
We will be entering: Osoyoos BC - Oroville Washington Highway 97, Osoyoos, British Columbia - U.S. Route 97, Oroville, Washington.

We did the same route on our way to Alaska. We stayed at River Oaks RV Park in Oroville so we could cross into Canada early in the morning. Great park on the river in a tiny town. And we loved the Okanagan Valley so much that we are planning to go back there and stay much longer.

However, we would never go back to the Kamloops RV Park again as it was of the worst places we stayed on the entire 3-month trip. Too crowded with long-term residents and extremely noisy from both the Trans-Canada Highway and the railroad. They also put us in a very tight space that was too short for our truck and trailer. But, like you, we were traveling without reservations and took what we could get (for one night only).

And, if you are going all the way up to the Yellowhead Highway on CA Route 97 and then over to the Cassiar Highway, we highly recommend the little city-owned campground in Burns Lake, BC. Free, quiet, tree-shaded campground on the lakeshore; water and a free sanidump two blocks away; free WiFi at several nearby fast-food places; and reasonably-priced fuel. Can't beat it at twice the price!

[Veebyes]

The internet is full of camping imformation. RV park reviews, Allstays, the state parks sites, it goes on & on.

[2gypsies1]

The locals like to came as we do but they mainly go on weekends so place yourself in a campground by Wednesday and plan to stay through the weekend. That's how we always managed weekends.

[PA12DRVR]

Anecdotally, informally, and empirically, (i.e. just my gut impression from driving around that past few weeks), it appears that more locals may be camping than has been the norm.

I could be all wrong on this. However, might want to consider booking a spot ahead of time (a few days at most) if you want to stay in some of the CG's or parks near to either Los Anchorage or Squarebanks on the weekends.

"Might"...certainly not as critical as July 4 or for Denali.

[Veebyes]

Wing it. The only reservations needed might be Denali (Teklaneka), July 4th (Alaskans like to camp too) & July 1st if in Canada on that date (Canada day).

Canadian provincial parks are real gems. Alaskan state parks are pretty good too. The private parks are much the same as anywhere else. Camp Cram Em Inn for most of them.

[accsys]

I would definitely make reservations for wherever you plan to spend July 4! When we went in 2009, we were in Seward for that holiday and very glad we had made reservations at Stoney Creek RV Park in March of that year as there were no vacancies anywhere and the whole town was a madhouse! The only other reservations we made for the whole Alaska stay was Denali which you have already made. We have noticed more rigs on the road this year than in years past (better economy and cheaper fuel) so RV sites may be a little harder to come by.

[c_traveler2]

RandMJacobs wrote:

c.traveler2 wrote:

Summer of 2015 we travel in a TC through Canada into Alaska, we never made reservations for any RV park and the RV parks that we did stay at rigs of your size made, very few of them made any reservations. There are some unusual places to stay overnite in both Canada and Alaska Where do you plan on entering Canada? If I can be of some help..PM me.

We will be entering: Osoyoos BC - Oroville Washington
Highway 97, Osoyoos, British Columbia - U.S. Route 97, Oroville, Washington. I think we will be fine. We are prior military, which means we are used to traveling, being flexible, rolling with the punches...and accepting less than ideal conditions LOL. Mostly, just wondered if we stood a reasonable chance to find decent stops along the way, and from what everyone has said, we should be ok. I like the idea of moving as the mood strikes on any given day...so, THANKS TO ALL who responded.

We had entered Canada at the Sumas border port, taking Trans-Canada 1 to Canada 97 to Yellowhead 16 to the 37 then on the ALCAN to Tok border port. We had made a stop in Steward, Canada and Hyder, AK to see the Salmon Glacier, a well worth sight.

[RandMJacobs]

c.traveler2 wrote:

Summer of 2015 we travel in a TC through Canada into Alaska, we never made reservations for any RV park and the RV parks that we did stay at rigs of your size made, very few of them made any reservations. There are some unusual places to stay overnite in both Canada and Alaska Where do you plan on entering Canada? If I can be of some help..PM me.

We will be entering: Osoyoos BC - Oroville Washington
Highway 97, Osoyoos, British Columbia - U.S. Route 97, Oroville, Washington. I think we will be fine. We are prior military, which means we are used to traveling, being flexible, rolling with the punches...and accepting less than ideal conditions LOL. Mostly, just wondered if we stood a reasonable chance to find decent stops along the way, and from what everyone has said, we should be ok. I like the idea of moving as the mood strikes on any given day...so, THANKS TO ALL who responded.