Guide to Juneau Alaska Campgrounds and the RV Parks in Juneau Alaska is designed to assist you in enjoying the Capitol of Alaska from the comforts of your private RV. Find the best RV Parks in Juneau Alaska to suit your needs in the list of campgrounds in Juneau, AK.
Welcome to camping in Juneau Alaska.
Guide to Juneau Alaska Campgrounds & RV Parks.
Camping in Juneau Alaska
Juneau offers a wide range of camping opportunities to satisfy all types of travelers. There are campgrounds that you can simply drive up to, trails in which you can carry your own gear and set camp anywhere, as well as many US Forest Service cabins a few miles along well-maintained trail.
Juneau is situated perfectly between mountains and coastline, so as a result the city is not connected to the greater road system. Rather, the city is only accessible by boat or airplane. Due to the remoteness of many towns in Southeast, the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system has been created to connect these places by seaway rather than roadway. You can walk, bike or drive onto the ferries. Juneau is composed of only forty miles of road running north to south. The city of 30,000 has far more Sitka spruce trees than people, if you're in the proper place.
If you arrive to Juneau via the ferry along with your RV, you can head straight to Spruce Meadow RV Park. The park is located between Auke Bay (where the ferry terminal is located) and the Mendenhall Glacier. Located off the Back Loop, the park is in a relatively green location, but don't expect to be completely free of neighbors and traffic. You must venture a bit further from the road system for absolute solitude.
The US Forest Service also runs two campgrounds in Juneau. The Mendenhall Lake Campground is located alongside the lake in which the Mendenhall Glacier melts. It is a scenic and prime camping spot. The other, Auke Village Campground, is situated on the coast, offering spectacular views of the Chilkat mountain range on a long and clear Alaskan night.
The third organized campground in Juneau is Eagle Beach State Recreation Area. The campground is located about thirty miles north of downtown. This is probably the quietest of all organized campgrounds because it is the farthest removed from town. Eagle Beach is a popular getaway for locals when the sun comes out. Keep in mind when camping that Juneau is tucked amidst a temperature rainforest, so rain is more common than sun. Make sure you have rain gear and tents suitable for the wet environment.
If you really want to immerse yourself into nature, there are a number of wonderful trails in Juneau that can make for a great camping escape. When camping in Juneau, rather in any part of Alaska, be prepared for the possibility of bears. Hike with bear spray, a bear bell and stash your food far from camp. Either keep your food high in a tree or secure it in a bear proof container (perhaps both is the best idea). While black bears are most common in Juneau, brown bears are spotted every year, emerging from densely forested areas.
Some great hiking trails in Juneau include Perseverance, a trailhead which begins downtown and brings one deep into a valley where there used to be a gold mine. The tracks and mine openings still remain. In addition to great exploring, the scenery is exceptional. Perseverance connects with many other trails to allow for either a short or long hike. Tents can be pitched anywhere along the way for a night in the woods. Trail Mix, a local nonprofit, has Juneau trail maps available for download on their website.
Another highly recommended hike is the West Glacier Trail which wraps around the western side of the Mendenhall Glacier. This trail is a local favorite because it brings you directly to the great glacier so that you can touch, walk upon, and even inside of it. The trail is difficult, so a guide is recommended unless you are an experienced mountaineer. Both Above and Beyond Alaska and Gastineau Guiding offer guided day hikes on this trail.
One
of the reasons for the popularity of this hike are the glacial ice caves that often form throughout
the summer months. The caves migrate from year to year, so they can be difficult to find without
a guide. As the glacier melts and retreats, openings that bring you inside the ice flow provide
stunning, unearthly surroundings. One can camp along this trail, but be sure not to lose the
path. People who stray from West Glacier trail end up lost in the wooded mountains every year.
Porcupines are common along this trail!
If you'd like to become sealed by the greenery of Juneau, but don't particularly enjoy tent camping, there are numerous US Forest Service cabins that can be rented at any time of the year. Bookings go fast, as locals love these cabins for weekend escapes. Be sure to book early, up to months in advance. Cabin rentals cost between $35.00-$45.00 and can sleep up to a dozen people. Wooden beds are typically built into the cabins, but bring both sleeping pads and bags along with you.
Two highly recommended hikes and cabin stays include Eagle Glacier cabin and Windfall Lake cabin. Eagle Glacier cabin is located 5.5 miles along Amalga trail, and two miles short of the glacier itself. It is a great place to stay, as venturing to the glacier after a night's stay may provide a wonderful glacier view to yourself. Windfall Lake cabin is another great spot located 3.3 miles up Windfall Lake trail. The cabin is built beside Windfall lake and a canoe rental is included when you book for the night. All of the cabins contain a heater, making them popular winter snowshoe and ski getaways. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources also rents cabins, including a few at the very end of the road at Point Bridger State Park.
Wherever you choose to make your Juneau stay, you will certainly be awed by the area's towering spruce trees, immense glaciers, and fluctuating ocean currents.
Campgrounds in Juneau Alaska
- Benjamin Island, located about 25 miles north of Juneau, is a part of the Channel Islands State Marine Park; the island is popular with local residents for both picnics and for camping throughout the warmer months of the summer.
- Auke Bay RV Park - 11930 Glacier Hwy, Juneau, AK 99801 – 907-789-9467
- Spruce Meadow RV Park - 10200 Mendenhall Loop Rd. Juneau, AK 99801 - 907-789-1990
Boondocking Camping in Juneau Alaska.
- Eagle Beach State Recreation Area — Mile 29 Glacier Hwy, Juneau AK. — No Services.
Juneau AK Services and Information Links
- Above and Beyond Alaska — guided day hikes in Juneau AK.
- Gastineau Guiding — guided day hikes in Juneau AK.
Cabins for rent in Juneau Alaska.
- US Forest Service — USFS Cabins in Juneau, AK
- Eagle Glacier cabin — USFS Cabins in Juneau, AK
- Windfall Lake cabin — USFS Cabins in Juneau, AK
- Alaska Department of Natural Resources — DNR Wilderness Cabins in Juneau, AK.