Welcome to Alaska! If you are reading this guide, it means you are either planning a trip to Alaska…or you are already there! This guide is for adventurous vanlifers or RV travelers who love to skip the RV park and camp in wild places surrounded by epic scenery. You also might find our Guide to RV Travel in Alaska helpful, especially if you are open to staying in official campgrounds as well as wild camping spots.
Who Are We?
Cora & José
Howdy! We have been living in our converted school bus for four years now! We have traveled across the USA, Baja Mexico, and Canada. Wild camping is our jam, and we spent two years in Alaska. Needless to say, we have a few tricks up our sleeves!

First…What is Wild Camping?
A wild campsite is anywhere a vehicle is allowed (by law and by the local community) to park or camp for free, for a designated amount of time. For us, wild camping is where it’s at. Luckily there are a lot of places to wild camp in Alaska!
How We Find Wild Camping Spots in Alaska
How did we find all of these epic spots? One answer. iOverlander! This free app has been our secret weapon throughout the Art We There Yet project. It takes just a little getting used to, but it is a treasure trove of info on where to find campsites, dump stations, propane, laundromats, you name it!
Your go-to for finding paid campgrounds is The Dyrt. The Dyrt also lists free and wild camping spots, but you need to pro subscription for that ($36 per year). If you do not like bouncing between apps, then maybe a pro subscription to The Dyrt is for you. But if you don’t mind shuffling between apps, then use iOverlander! We love it!
This page contains product affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links. This helps us provide these guides to you for free!
WILD CAMPING ETIQUETTE NOTE: It’s sad that this needs saying, but it does. Don’t dump trash, gray water, or (shudder) black water at any of these wild camping spots. Not only is that just bad for the environment, it can tick off locals and get the whole place marked as “no camping”. In short, by being that guy, you ruin the fun for everyone and give wild campers a bad rap. So yep…don’t do it! Practice leave no trace. If you are not sure where you can find dump stations, check out our Guide for RV Travel in Alaska.
How to Use This Guide
Alright, so here’s the deal! This guide is organized so that it follows the route you are most likely to take when you enter Alaska via land.
If you drive up the Alaska Highway (totally worth it, by the way), then you will most likely enter at the Alcan Border at Beaver Creek, YT. This guide assumes that after crossing the border, you head to towards Valdez, then the Kenai Peninsula, and then up to Denali. The camping spots are organized in order along that route.
Let’s begin, shall we?
#1 Thompson Pass, Richardson Highway | View on Map
This spot is absolutely epic. 360 degree views of the Chugach Mountains, complete with glaciers just about everywhere you look. There is a large pullout on the left side of the road (if you are heading towards Valdez). Careful, the entrance is very steep. We recommend taking the second entrance, as it is a little less steep than the first. The ground is little uneven so you will need blocks. If you have a 4×4, you can even venture out onto the surrounding landscape.
What to Do | Nearby Attractions
Oh boy, how much time do you have? There is so much to do in this area. For one, go visit Worthington Glacier. Check out hikes in the Thompson Pass area. And then once you are in Valdez, visit: Solomon Gulch Hatchery, Valdez Glacier, and the Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum. Here is our episode on our top experiences in Valdez, even if it’s raining cats and dogs.
#2 Valdez: Copper Ave Training Dike | View on Map
Another epic spot. Check out what it looks like from the air! This training dike was built in 2017 to hold back the branches of Valdez Glacier Stream from threatening a nearby radio tower. It juts into the streambed plain, with a full on view of the Port of Valdez and the waters of Prince William Sound. As of September 2023, this spot was still open for wild camping. If you are here during salmon season, check the nearby stream that crosses McKinley St for running salmon!
If it has been closed, please respect the wishes of the community. Also, if you approach the camping spot via Copper Ave and there is puddle near the property at the beginning of the road, do not attempt to go around the puddle by going around the workshop there. The owner has no trespassing signs up for exactly that reason. The puddle might look deep, but it’s not. If you need to, wade in to check its depth. If you don’t have a pair of rubber boots yet, this is kind of a must for visiting Alaska!
What to Do | Nearby Attractions
Valdez is an adventurer’s paradise. There is so much to do, see, and experience here. We highly recommend you watch our episode on 8 Top Things to Do in Valdez (linked above). If you are there and it’s raining, you should definitely watch the episode. It will give you a whole new perspective of Valdez in the rain. If you want to get up close and personal with a tidewater glacier, check out this tour.
#3 Matanuska Glacier Riverside (Spot 1) | View on Map
This spot is quiet and secluded, right along the Matanuska River. To get there, you go down a steep gravel road, which might look intimidating but we promise it’s not that bad! This is sort of an unofficial campground, so there are actual designated parking spaces with fire rings. To get there, go down S Keith’s Road. Do not cross the bridge. The campsites are to the left of the bridge.
#4 Matanuska Glacier Riverside (Spot 2) | View on Map
Another beautiful spot, right where Hick’s Creek meets the Matanuska River. Matanuska Glacier is literally right around the bend. The access road is shorter and not as steep as Spot 1. If you are at all nervous about steep roads, stay at this spot, not Spot 1. The area has a wide turnaround, making it easy to get in and get out. Make sure you park in such a way that allows others enough room to use the turnaround.
What to Do & Nearby Attractions | Riverside Spot 1 & Spot 2
Visit Matanuska Glacier! The only way to get up close and personal with Matanuska Glacier is through a guided tour. This is for your safety, so please don’t attempt to access the glacier without a guide. PS – This guide contains affiliate links. We will receive a commission for booked products and services. That helps cover the time it took to pull this guide together for you!
#5 Turnagain Arm: Bore Tide Viewing Spot #5 | View on Map
There are 4-5 Bore Tide Viewing Turnouts on the Turnagain Arm. Multiple times, we have stayed multiple nights at Turnout #4. This is an incredible place to park. You are right on the water, looking out across the Turnagain Arm, with the Kenai and Chugach Mountains towering all around you. Don’t overdo your time here. Stay a few nights and move on, so that it doesn’t get marked as “no camping”. Calling the Turnagain Arm home for a few nights is…well, there’s nothing quite like it!
What to Do | Nearby Attractions
Oh man! Well, there are tons of incredible experiences along the Turnagain Arm. We highly recommend you watch our Episode on the Turnagain Arm (eblow), so that you get a solid idea of the options available for you here. From beluga whale spotting, to visiting Girdwood, to hiking and biking opportunities…this episode is your go-to! If there is one thing we would beg you to experience while you’re there, it is to check the bore tide schedule, and watch a bore tide come in. What the heck is a bore tide, you ask? Cue Episode 9!
#6 Portage: Tangle Pond | View on Map
This spot is idyllic to a T! Nestled right on Tangle Pond, just a few miles up Portage Valley Road. This pond is packed with trout, so if you are an angler you will love it here! There are a few fire rings already made, so bring firewood. There is absolutely no cell service here (hallelujah, right?) So be ready for that. We have parked here for a week, just taking in the peace of this place. The pond often becomes like a mirror, creating a perfect mirror image of the surrounding peaks.
What to Do | Nearby Attractions
Tangle Pond is the perfect home base from which to explore all the incredible things to do and see in Portage Valley. This place is positively overflowing with experiences, for all interests and hiking levels. If a pleasant stroll is your thing, check out the Moose Flats Wetland Trail. If you are up for a easy-moderate hike ending in glacial ice caves, head up Byron Trail. Take a boat tour to visit Portage Glacier. You can even check the tunnel schedule and go through Whittier Tunnel to visit Whittier. If you really want to go all out, take the Glacier Discovery Train from Whittier to Spencer Glacier. We highly recommend that experience!
#7 Hope Point Road Turnout | View on Map
Hope Point Road is a quiet, 2-lane road following the less traveled side of the Turnagain Arm. It is a beautiful drive, and it has many pullouts where wild camping is allowed. There are even some spots with access roads down to little coves right on the water. Those are more appropriate for vans and 4x4s. Our rig is 35ft long, so we stuck to the turnouts. Which is still awesome, because the turnouts are higher up and offer beautiful views of the Turnagain Arm. From here, you can watch the Turnagain’s record-breaking tides come in and out.
This page contains product affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links. This helps us provide these guides to you for free!
What to Do | Nearby Attractions
Visit the little town of Hope! Quirky, small, and local – you will love it! The three rafting trips above run out of Hope. If you are an avid hiker, then you have to take on Hope Point Trail. Do not let the name fool you. It is actually a mountain summit. It’s long and grueling and breathtakingly beautiful.
#8 Kenai Peninsula: Tern Lake | View on Map
Tern Lake is nestled in the heart of the Kenai Peninsula. An important stopover for migrating birds, as well as a nesting and breeding ground for others, this place is just gorgeous. There are parking spots for day visitors, and a pullout area for longer rigs. Just like the Bore Tide Viewing Pullouts of the Turnagain Arm, this is a spot you can stay at for a few nights, but don’t overdo it. Watch for Dall Sheep on the mountainsides, black bears in the meadows surrounding the lake, and trumpeter swans.
What to Do | Nearby Attractions
While at Tern Lake, you are only about 15 minutes from Cooper Landing and some of the best fishing in Alaska. The Kenai and Kasilof Rivers are world-famous for salmon and trout fishing, and these three guided tours take you out to try your luck. If you are not an angler, you can also hike to Russian River Falls to see the bears catching salmon!
#9 Trail Lake Viewpoint & Parking | View on Map
We love this spot and have stayed here many times. Some road construction workers park their campers here and live here all summer! Make sure you slow way down when approaching the access road, or you will miss it. The access road is a little steep, but nothing to worry about. It has lots of potholes, so go slow. The camping area is large, with plenty of space for big rigs. Some spots have campfire rings. No matter where you park, you are less than 100ft from the water. Every day you will see float planes taking off and landing.
What to Do | Nearby Attractions
You are a stone’s throw from Moose Pass, so head into town and support the local economy. Grab a burger and cold brewsky at Trail Lake Lodge. Book a float plane sightseeing tour – they are surprisingly affordable here! Or head out on a kayak adventure with Moose Pass Adventures. If you are up for a beautiful hike into the mountains, check out the Carter Lake Hike!
#10 Seward Highway Parking | View on Map
This spot offers sweeping and majestic views of the Kenai Mountains. The informational plaques at the parking area educate on the history of this area, as well as its ecological significance. This is another one of those spots that you should stay just a few nights and then move on, so that it doesn’t get marked as “no camping”. From here, it is a short and beautiful drive into lovely Seward!
#11 Seward: Exit Glacier Special Use Area | View on Map
We love this spot! Park on the gravel bars of a braided river fed by Exit Glacier. Rigs of all sizes fit out here, and 4×4 is not required. To get here, put the pin on Google Maps before you start driving Herman Leirer Road (cell service is spotty out there). You will start to see access roads to the river on the left, but they all have large boulders placed in the middle. The access everyone uses also has a boulder, but there is enough space to the right to squeeze through. Our 8-ft wide rig has done it, many times. Wild camping is allowed here at the Special Use Area for up to 8 days.
What to Do | Nearby Attractions
Hike to Exit Glacier! If you are up for an all-day, absolutely epic adventure – then hike the Harding Icefield Trail. Both start at the Exit Glacier Area of Kenai Fjords National Park. There is no entrance fee to the park. If you want to see what both hikes are like, check out our videos on hiking the Harding Icefield Trail and hiking the lower Exit Glacier trails!
While you are in the Seward area, you have to take a tour out into Kenai Fjords. If a smaller boat and more personal experience is your thing, go with Seward Ocean Excursions. If you want to go way far out and you don’t mind being on a larger vessel, take a tour . To see what you can expect on a tour like this, check out Episode 12.
Bonus Stop: Seward Waterfront Park (Paid Campgrounds) | View on Map
Here is a worthwhile Traveler’s Tip! As long as you are in the Seward area, we highly recommend you also spend a couple nights at the RV parks downtown. It costs a little money, but the views are worth it. Dry camping at the Iditarod Campground is our favorite, because it gives you a full-on, dead-ahead view of Resurrection Bay. The Iditarod is just one of the RV parks the City of Seward operates right along the waterfront. So if you need to charge your batteries, you can stay at one of their electric sights. There is a dump station right there downtown as well.
#12 Hatcher Pass | View on Map
We love Hatcher Pass! This area is home to epic scenery and a lot of rich history. A good portion of the road is gravel, but it is wide and manageable. If we could do it in our rig (35ft long and 8ft wide), then so can you! Please note that Mile 17-Mile 32 is only open from July-mid September (check this Facebook page to see if it’s open).
This spot is right next to an operations center about 26 miles up the road. There is a gravel area with space for multiple rigs. Make sure you park in a way that allows others to use the space for turning around. Leveling blocks are a must here!
What to Do | Nearby Attractions
Oh my goodness, visit Independence Mine! The history of this area is fascinating. To give yourself a deeper and more enriched experience of Hatcher Pass and Independence Mine, we really recommend watching our episode about this area. This area is also full of hiking trails. And if you are an adrenaline junkie, check out this ATV tour.
Surprise! Bonus Stop: Sunshine Creek Public Access (Free Campground) | View on Map
This is not technically wild camping, because it is an official campground. But, it is free! So it kind of counts. We love this spot. It is the perfect place to land on the long drive up towards Denali. It is also a great base camp for exploring Talkeetna. There are multiple sites at the campground, each with a nice campfire ring. If you are there during salmon season, there is a path to access the river and catch salmon! The river access is located right across the parking lot from the bathroom. In autumn, the fall colors here are magical.
To get there, follow the map pin we provide above. Turn onto South Sunshine Creek Circle. Follow the road back, it will fork (both sides of the fork lead to the same destination), then it will curve to the left. Just keep going! The campground is back there.
What to Do | Nearby Attractions
Visit Talkeetna! Float the Talkeetna River, take a jet boat tour up the Susitna, mush sled dogs and cuddle husky puppies, take a flightseeing tour to see Denali! Or just enjoy a stroll through quirky Downtown Talkeetna. We highly recommend you watch Episode 16, about the top things to do in Talkeetna – it will help you decide where to focus your time and money during your visit. Not up for visiting Talkeetna and want an absolutely Alaskan experience? Visit Wal-Mikes in Trapper Creek.
#13 Denali: Nenana River Viewpoint | View on Map
This is the ultimate wild camping hack for those wanting to visit Denali National Park. The campgrounds near Denali fill up fast! We love this spot because it is 12 minutes from the park entrance, incredibly scenic, and free. It is a paved stretch of road that can be accessed right from the Parks Highway. It is tucked right up along the Nenana River, with 360 degrees of mountain views. Fun fact: this spot is positioned right in the heart of the Alaska Range.
What to Do | Nearby Attractions
What else do when you are in this area? Visit Denali National Park! Visit Mountain Vista for an easy, interpretative hike with 360-degree mountain views. Hike the Savage River Loop for an easy hike through some of the oldest rock formations in North America. Or take the bus into the park for a chance to see wildlife and sweeping scenery along the way.
I know we sound like a broken record, but seriously, if you are going to visit Denali National Park…watch our episode about it. It will help you decide where to spend your precious time, and teach you so much about all the incredible things you are going to see!
And those are our 13 top wild camping spots in Alaska!
And there you have it! Our 13 top wild camping spots in Alaska, plus a few bonus spots thrown in there. We hope you found this helpful and that you enjoy every single minute of your time in Alaska. It will capture your heart. Just wait.