Campground was very convenient to the National Park as well as clean and pleasant. My teenage grandaughters didn't think there was quite enough to do, but Grandma disagrees! We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Had a nice back-in site in the trees which was nice. Electric & water with a dump station on site. Men's room was out of toilet paper two days in a row. Tried to take a shower once but the water never did get hot - perhaps too many people took showers in a short period of time. Tour bus into Denali picked us up from the campground which was very nice. Some sites allow campfires, some didn't. A couple of nice hiking trails close by. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Considering the area, I'd give this park a very good rating. The sites were nicely spaced out and clean, the staff was engaged and friendly, and the park was only 6 miles south of the Denali main entrance. There are two closer RV parks to the entrance, but I'd consider them way too tight and over crowded. If you're doing a drive through (one or two days), this is the place you want to be. If you're going to stay longer, take a closer look at the state-ran camp grounds inside the park. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
July 2006
$27
We enjoyed our stay, the back-in sites were a little small and we were not in a big rig, but they were nicely separated from their neighbors by trees. There was a bit of highway noise, but not bothersome to us. I think the previous reviewer made a typo when giving the distance from Denali National Park entrance. It is 6 miles rather than 26. The office includes a small gift shop area, limited grocery items and liquor. The laundry was clean, but only available in afternoon and evening to guests. At the other times it is used by staff. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 5 / 10 ]
June 2005
$27
We had to stay here a couple of days until we could get into the National Park campground. This park is about 26 miles down the road from the National Park. Its nothing special, very busy, sites are close together and its very dusty and close to the main road though it sits down in a valley. The employees are very nice and helpful and will do just about anything to help. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Good access to shopping boardwalk. Water quality not good. Water curdled the cream in my morning coffee. Didn't use the showers as they require guests to pay for shower use. Good access for large RV's. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I should have read the previous Reviews! The park is a parking lot behind stores on the Parks Highway. The views consist of garbage cans, retail store backs, and cars driving through the area thinking that they can get access to either the stores or the gas station at the south end of the "campground." There is no security and we found the water to be distasteful. A better choice would be 2 miles north to the Denali RV Park which sits right on the river. This has been an EXPENSIVE lesson teaching us to check this site before committing to a long stay. We camped here in a Motorhome.
A conveniently located park, but the setting is unimpressive; it is located on an open patch of dirt directly behind shops and restaurants. After paying more than $40 per night, we were quite surprised to find out that we had to pay extra for showers ($2 for one 7-minute token). The potable water was very, very hard and was periodically very tinted with iron (rust), so we didn't drink it. There are other parks in the area that may not be as close to "downtown" Denali, but are much better rated. We would not plan to stay at this park again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed at this park for two weeks. We chose this park as it was the closest to Denali National Park. We where given a back in site which was large enough for our large 5er and MDT (water & Electric) . The problem is the Denali Raft Adventures is located to the north end of the RV park. This company tends to use the RV sites for their customer parking, and their large buses with raft trailers block in the RV sites. We asked the personnel working in the RV park office for help and they did nothing about it. If you stay at this RV park don't let them put anywhere near the Denali Raft Adventure company. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Had to use our water pump as the water pressure was so very low. Sites are not big enough for a big rig and they are so close together you can just about touch the rig next to you, and your tow vehicle sits out so far we were afraid of being hit. I would not recommend this to anyone. The Denali National Park has very nice sites but no hook ups but we wished we had dry camped rather than staying here and paying the outrageous price. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Take note of previous reviews. If you usually go for full hook-ups at this park it is advisable to forsake that option and go for water and electricity only. The "deluxe" sites offered are at the back of the shops. Sites too small for a 34ft motorhome and impossible for big-rigs. Also employees from the shops use this area at night to congregate after work to chat. I had to go out at midnight and ask them to be quiet as I couldn't sleep. Were booked in for 4 nights but left after two and wouldn't go back. Office staff unhelpful, had no information on area and when I asked if Fairbanks was a nice town was told "well, they've got a Wal-Mart"!!! There are no stores to speak of between Anchorage and Fairbanks so stock up. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Best feature is closest to Denali Park. Right in the middle of the Denali Commercial District. One mile from Park entrance. Walkable in good weather or via free shuttle from hotel across highway. Park is all gravel. Showers are pay type with tokens. Hard to operate and each token was of short duration. Average shower probable would cost $3. I would think twice before returning. We camped here in a Motorhome.
If you don't mind parking really close to another rv, then this is the park for you. The only thing this park has going for it is location and cable. Walk out your door and into the back door of the gift shops. The employees could be more customer friendly. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This was a very crowded campground, they managed to squeeze us in but we felt like sardines. Overall the location of the park was good, the showers however were not. At $3 for a 6 minute cold shower, the value was not apparent. The lack of abundant bathroom facilities and the overflowing dumpsters are the main reasons I would not return to this park. We camped here in a Tent.
We were here with a big-rig rally - 27 of us. We all fit in, barely, around the huge boulders protecting the utility posts. All pull-thrus in our area, but we had to unhook first. Glad we had a parking committee! All side-by-side hookups, no 50 amp, nor water, nor sewer in our area. Close to walk to shops & tours. Our internet satellite worked, but the park has wireless. Showers cost $2; there were water hookups near the coaches, but one guy said there was no water. We like this type of open, graveled camp better than one tucked under the trees, but it wasn't great. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very poorly maintained. Our slide almost touched the slide of the motorhome beside us. Signs were misleading and most big rigs had to back up after going into the office to check in. Generally, it looked liked management just did't care. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This park is nothing but a construction site behind a mini mall! It was very noisy and we did not feel safe. People(construction workers, mall customers, etc)walked agmonst the RVs at all hours. There was hardly room to extend a slide out and no room for awnings, steps, etc. You shared a table and fire ring (tire rim) if there happen to be one at the your site. No place to walk your pet. Hose, wiring were on top of the ground, and trash put with construction debris. We reserved 2 nights, but left early after only 1 night. This park was the most expensive of 2 months trip! Don't waste your time or money! We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed here in our 33 foot 5th wheel and it was very easy in and out, plus our pull-through site was long enough to easily accomodate both the truck and trailer. The big problem here was the water: because of the iron in the water we were advised to run the hose for 15 seconds before hooking up but even after running it much longer it never ran clear and tasted bad. Two of the three nights: the highway traffic was loud most of the night. Our site was level, Wi-Fi worked but was very slow, and there was cable TV. The park wasn't very full and sites appeared to be assigned with an empty next to most people which was very nice. We'd made a reservation the first of the year and had to pay in full at that time. Upon check-in we were told even with the end of the season rates ours was $3 per night less and the extra night we were requesting would be at that lower rate we'd been charged. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
All-gravel interior roads and sites with a mix of pull-through and back-in sites. Tight for big rigs, which will only fit in the pull-throughs. Electric (30 amp) and water sites are available, and a dump station is located behind the office. The overall terrain slopes up away from the road, so leveling can be an adventure. Friendly and helpful office staff. Popular with caravans, but we were able to get two big rigs without reservations in for several days to do Denali. Free Wi-Fi. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Clean, things worked as expected, while the pull-through we used did not have sewer the dump was in a convenient location. As mentioned some road noise from the highway but not overwhelming, but we were reasonably far back. Good location away from the tourist area yet close. We would camp here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a good campground to use as a base to see Denali. It's located about 7 miles north of the Denali entrance. The interior roads are gravel and in good shape. Our pull-thru site was gravel, level and almost long enough for us to park our truck. It's an easy in and out and there is adequate space between sites that is mainly bushes. No trees and very pretty views of the surrounding hills. The entire campground is well maintained with a friendly and helpful staff. The bathrooms were very clean. Water pressure at our site was a little low. Good Wi-Fi reception and cable TV got about 8 clear channels. We also had no mosquitoes here. We would stay here again. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We were here for 2 nights. The sites were large enough for most rigs to park plus park their pull vehicle beside them. Gravel interior roads and sites with some grass at some sites. Combo restroom and shower rooms were very clean. They did require tokens (purchased at the office) for showers. Staffers were friendly and very knowledgeable about the area. Cable TV and WiFi worked very well. The truck noise from the highway did get loud at times but didn't keep us awake at night. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Very friendly staff, and very helpful with information on Denali. We had a full hook up site that was a back in. The site was level, but short. We had to park our truck across the road. The roads and sites are gravel. Great views and about 7 miles outside the Denali. A good base to visit Denali. They offer no discounts. If you need hook ups, this is the place to stay. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Campground is approximately 8 miles north of the Denali Park entrance after passing through small unincorporated town. Sites were level and unshaded. Showers were very clean and private. $3 for 5 minutes and hot water was plentiful. Staff were friendly and helpful. As this is early in the season, some maintenance was underway, such as sign repairs. Store / gift shop was not open as stock was not on-hand. We stayed two nights and I would stay again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Gravel sites with some grass. Very friendly and helpful staff. Dog walking service for fee, if you go on long tours of Denali. We got satellite reception. We would return We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Attractive location a few miles outside the park; reasonably level sites, although the pull-throughs are a bit narrow. We had no room for chairs or grill outside because of the bushes used to separate the sites. The pull-throughs are electric and water only, and the water pressure was low enough that we had to use our water pump to be able to take a shower. Campground showers are $3 for 5 minutes -- very expensive. Dump station is awkwardly located and can block some sites if there is a line. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
It rained while we were here, and the site had deep puddles all over. A couple of loads of gravel would have made the park much nicer to stay at. The buildings were run down and poorly maintained. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Gravel sites and area. But very quiet and wifi worked in coach. Pay extra for showers. Easy to get around in campground. Looked like best in area for big rigs. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Great campground, close to Denali and still remote and quiet. Dog watcher available onsite. Nice touch. Can leave dog alone all day while you visit park. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Great park for where you are. 7 miles north of the park entrance. A wonderful little restaurant about 2 miles north of the rv park-great bumbleberry pie. Everybody was very friendly and went out of their way to help us. Would stay there again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We stayed 3 nights and were pleased with the staff, clean restrooms and showers. There was satellite TV at our site (limited channels) and WiFi was free and worked well. We would stay again and recommend to anyone. They offered a pet walk service while we toured the park ($10.00). We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 6 / 10 ]
2000
$20
Clean restrooms & showers(metered). Gift shop. Would use again. We camped here in a camper.
If there was electric and water I'd give this campground a 10! A lovely campground, with spacious sites, trees and shrubs to offer privacy and very quiet and clean. I thought $4 for a shower was steep but since the site was only $12, I can't complain. Enjoyed our stay very much. I highly recommend. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This campground is at the entrance to the park. Sites are very limited for big rigs. Our 40' motorhome and car would fit into about 15 sites which are all in the "Bear" loop. The sites are well separated with vegetation and this was a great place for a base camp to do the many entrance area hikes and ranger programs. We kept busy for 4 days and then moved to Mile 29, Teklanika campground for 5 days. There are flush and vault toilets and coin showers and laundry are available next door at the Mercantile. There are no hookups but there is a dump station with water fill. The campground is ope all year but limited facilities Sept-May. Sites are $14 for tents, $22 for RVs up to 30' and $28 for RVs up to 40'. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice quiet family campground. Strict rules about what can be left outside, generator hours are very limited - 8-10am, and 4-8pm I believe. Rules are enforced, CG is toured often by hosts and NPS rangers. Makes for a very quiet, very clean campground. Sites are very wide, easily accommodate big rigs and slide-outs on both sides. Sites are divided into A, B, C - denoting length/type of site. If you reserve an A site for a long rig, you will get an A site, they have dramatically improved their reservation system. Reservations do not guarantee a specific site, nor do they mean you will get 2 sites side-by-side if you are traveling in a group. Be there early for prime spots, and remember you can pick up and move to another spot during your stay if a better one becomes available. And if you think your 34' rig will fit on a B spot near your buddy's site, just talk to the front desk in the Mercantile, and they'll let you move to a B spot. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We stayed there for five nights. The park is a little dusty from the RVs driving around looking for a camp site. Other than that is was a nice campground. The sites were rock, large and easy to back in a large RV. We had a 34 foot RV. There was is free shuttle service to various other locations within the park. The free WIFI was available at the mercantile. There was laundry, shower and food supplies at mercantile store also. I have a Golden Eagle National parks pass so we paid the $14 per night otherwise it would have been $28 for the A size camp site. We liked the camp ground and would stay there again We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
The price reflects the Golden Pass Discount. We reserved a site for our 35' motorhome however when we arrived mid afternoon we found most of the longer sites were once again occupied by smaller rigs that could easily have fit in sites not as long. On the plus side the campground was very clean and quiet and the Wi-Fi reception at the office worked well. The Riley Creek mercantile is very expensive. It seemed everything was twice the normal price so bring what you feel you will need for food. We are self contained but I did look at the shower prices and felt they were expensive. Overall we enjoyed our camping experience. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a very nice no hook-up CG near the entrance of Denali NP. We had site #32 (we reserved a site for 31+ ft RV's) it was double wide so we could park our toad next to the RV. Bear loop had more longer sites and we thought they looked a bit more level than the other loops. This was a terrific campground near trails, the visitor center, the wilderness access center, the restaurants and the shops just outside the park. Price reflects Inter-agency Senior Pass. We camped here in a Motorhome.
While more civilized and closer to park activities than Savage River, Riley Creek still offers a great wilderness setting. Sites are designated as 30 ft or less and 30 ft or more, you must choose a size when making reservations. Site selection, within size category, is first-come first-served, so arrive early. Several of the 31 ft plus sites looked awfully short to me and no one was policing site selection to prevent someone with a 30 ft or less reservation from snagging a 31 ft plus site. The nearby Mercantile offered showers, internet, groceries, and supplies, but the prices were outrageous; try to bring whatever you need. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Despite the lack of hookups, and no access to running water or dump station for a few days due to camping there right as they opened for 2006 in mid-May (pipes were still frozen), this was probably the nicest place we stayed in Alaska. You pick your own spot based on whatever's available as you drive around. Nice level sites, each with a picnic table. Quiet. Restrictions on use of generator were just fine (mornings and evenings for a few hours each). We had a moose sighting right outside the campground. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice large level sites. This is one of three loops for camping right in the park. This campground is kept very clean and its quiet. We stayed for 8 days. Within walking distance to the store, laundry,post office,trails. Just a real nice campground. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We loved the short walk to the river and the nearby hiking trails. Of course, none of the campgrounds in Denali have power or water, but the scenery more than makes up for the inconvenience. We saw beautiful sunsets, and there was almost no sky brightness and plenty of wildlife. We saw snowshoe hairs and a vole near the river. The campsites were closer together than I liked but still private. They had back-in sites for shorter rigs and a series of arc-shaped pull-through slots for longer rigs. Our pull-through was not very level, but it was easy enough to get in and out of. The flush toilets were rustic but clean. Bear-proof trash cans were located at the sites, and there was water available nearby. It was not really wilderness camping, but you did feel as though you were out in the middle of the wild. Our campground host was very friendly and helpful, and a ranger gave a lecture two out of the three nights we were there. The one downside of our location was that it was a long drive to everywhere. The only showers and the dump station were at Denali’s Riley Creek Campground at the bottom of the mountain (15-20 minutes away). The laundry room at Riley Creek looked excellent, but we didn’t use it. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Sites of varying size,and levelness. One loop (half?) are pull-thru and the only ones that would accomodate bigger rigs. About 30 min from services - visitor center, store, dump, etc. While because of the smaller number of sites, the 'activity' level may be less than Riley. I really didn't see much of a difference..you're parked in the trees at either. You can catch the shuttle every 30 minutes, after departure, you have 30 minutes to access any services - arrange/change shuttle etc...you might even get cell service at the entrance (Riley)...can't remember. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Difficult to get reservations, but well worth the effort. Outstanding wilderness setting. Site selection is first-come first-served. We arrived early so no problems finding a site for our 29 ft 5th wheel. If you are big and arrive late you could have problems. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
A three night minimum stay is required so plan ahead. Be sure to purchase one shuttle bus ticket for each person in your group before going to the campground. Have the shuttle ticket(s) stamped as a Tek Pass so that you will be able to ride the shuttle buses on subsequent days at no additional charge. The campground is beautiful and we would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Denali National Park. There is a campground host available with radio access in case of emergency. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Big rigs can fit into many sites. There are only 4 pull-thru sites & are not for big RVs. There are "semi" flush toilets - a glorified vault toilet, but were not kept clean. There is a 3-day minimum stay with no driving your vehicle after you're parked at the campsite. Towed vehicles are not allowed but can be left in the park's long-term parking lot. Dogs are allowed but definitely cannot be left unattended or you'll be asked to leave, so keep in mind if you plan to take the shuttle bus for critter-seeing. There are water spigots but no dump station or water fill. The dump is at Riley campground at the park's entrance. Come fully prepared as you will be at the remote Mile 29 with no facilities. The campground is open approximately mid-May to mid-Sept., weather dependent. The convenience of hopping on the shuttle bus whenever you want to explore the inner park is an added perk. You do need to purchase one daily bus ticket but then additional days of riding is free. We would definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We really enjoyed our stay in this campground. It was nice and quite, and had wonderful hiking opportunities. There is a Forest ranger presentation every night which was informative and interesting. Right now they are working on fixing the plumbing for the toilets since it was messed up with an ice flow this winter. They did have portapotties available. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
No hook up campground at about mile 30 on the road into the park. The CG was noisier than you'd think it would be given it's remoteness but I guess there's no outrunning noisy neighbors this time of year. It looked like they were allowing tent campers again in this CG. The very best thing about this CG is the drive to and from it on the park road. We loved being able to drive our RV at our own pace, we took it very slowly and had terrific wildlife sightings without being crammed into a bus with 50 other people. Loved it. Price reflects Inter-agency Senior Pass. We camped here in a Motorhome.
You have to get special permission to stay in this campground and you have to stay the minimum of 3 nights. Its very nice but this is boondocking at best. There are streams and flowers and wild life. Very beautiful. Worth the special rules and regulations to stay there. We camped here in a Motorhome.