Bird Creek Campground - Chugach State Park

This is a great little campground between Anchorage and Girdwood, right along the Turnagain Arm inlet and Seward Hwy.  While the road noise from the nearby (and busy highway), could be loud at times, things mostly quieted down during the nighttime hours.  This first come-first served campground is popular on weekends because of the proximity to Anchorage, where folks usually rent RV’s to explore the Kenai Peninsula – so plan ahead. 

The campsites are spacious, but only about half of the sites can accommodate larger RV’s; the rest can only manage a small van or travel trailer.  There is plenty of space in each site to set up a tent, if that’s how you’re going to roll. The sites were clean, as were the vault toilets.  Water is available in a few spigots distributed throughout the park, but they recommended boiling the water to be safe.  Bring your solar panels, as these sites don't have electrical hookups!

There is a beautiful nature trail leading to the Bird to Gird (biking/walking path) for the young and old alike. Biking the path along the old railroad line is a great way to spend the afternoon.  Bike all the way to Girdwood and reward yourself with some of their famous Blueberry fritters at Alpine Cafe and Bakery, which is right off the path at the intersection of the Seward and Alyeska Hwy.  

Two other awesome natural features of the area are Byron Glacier (easy hike) and the bore tide. During certain times of the month, the incoming tide creates an incoming wave of water that is large enough to surf.  Be sure to look for the tidal information online or in park's posted materials.  Warning!  Do not wade out into the water, the tidal mud is like quicksand and many a casual visitor has become entrapped. Heed the warnings of the locals, don’t wade out into the mud flats!

Girdwood has many services, including gas, the aforementioned fritters, laundry and showers, groceries, bakeries, restaurants, golf course, and a ski mountain. Might we also recommend the Girdwood Brewery with its food trucks!

Love this campground, camped here a few times 18-20 years ago. Take a day trip to Portage Glacier, ride the tram at Alyeska, take the tunnel to Whittier. Or venture further to Homer or Seward. Whales frequent Turnagain Arm as the Tide comes in. Beautiful area.

We stopped here on our way to kenai and we really enjoyed it. Saw some bald eagles and enjoyed a short hike nearby with a great view!

This campground has 22 sites and 2 public use cabins. There’s bathrooms but no showers. Each campsite has a fire ring and picnic table and there are trails within walking distance of your campsite.

We stayed during the off season so we ended up in the camp host site accidentally since it was one of the few that wasn’t still covered in snow. You definitely get some noise from Highway traffic but it’s not terrible. There’s a gas station right across the street for fuel and maybe some other last minute supplies you may need?

The RV park was full so we parked at the overflow lot. Gorgeous view but loud from traffic. We made it work.

A nice campground a short trip away from anchorage. Lots of road noise at some camp spots but it’s bearable. Good well kept grounds with lots of cute spots. Awesome bike/hike trail right through the campgrounds. Spotty cell service but good 4G coverage.

Great views of the mountains. Hiking trail is great. Cell coverage not good

Situated right along Bird Creek bike path this is a great place to stay if you love to ride your bike. Whale watching and fishing are also two things to help pass the time, if you need it. Each site is nicely level, close to bathrooms and camp host on site. 28 dry campsites and 2 cabins for rent. 7 night stay limit but a great spot for if you want to stay close to Anchorage.

All spots are close to one bathroom or another. Train does run by at 6 am so it makes a great alarm clock. Quiet time ends at 6 am. Half the camp sites are next to the bike path so watch your dogs. Dry camping and you can reserve cabins but have to do way in advance.

Can fill up quickly during the summer, so will probably be full if arriving later in the day. Nice, simple campground. A very short walk from the beautiful bird creek. And despite close to the rail road, trains were very infrequent during our stay and not a bother.

It is close to Anchorage and has good fishing close. The view are to die for.

You are close to Bird Creek to go fishing. The campsites are really nice with nice bathrooms, fire pits, and tables. In the aspen trees and with amazing views of the Cook Inlet. This is one of the most beautiful places to camp. It can be hard to find a camp site on busy weekend because it is so close to Anchorage.

My wife and I stayed at the beluga cabin for a couple nights last July and had quite the memorable experience. The surrounding area of the campground is beautiful and located right on the Turnagain Arm. There is a nice bike path that connects through the campground that you can take advantage of for a nice bike ride or hike but be aware of wildlife. My wife and I ran into a large juvenile brown bear on the trail leading from the restrooms to our cabin. He gave us one hell of a scare as he came out of the brush 10 yards away from us and reared up on his hind legs to check us out.

We stayed one night at Bird Creek and were unable to get a site when we came back through the area. It sits just south of Anchorage but you would hardly know it! Great to watch the fishing, along a nice trail, and a convenient walk to a small store. We had some grizzly visitors and a moose pass right by our site.

This campground is great for being out of town a little. The views are amazing. Amazing access to many trails! Waterfalls galore nearby.

Bird Creek camp/ RV/ Cabin site is a beautiful 25 minute journey south of Anchorage. Far enough away but close enough to town if you feel the need to get back to the city.

We rented a cabin 95$ a night and took aprox 12 young ladies in the chilly month of November! Daring, I know! But state restrooms made sharing a bathroom easy :)

there is a small wood stove and wood supplied for each cabin which was amazing! A lil kitchen area is built in for your food prep pleasure- must bring stoves and water. No electricity so bring your choice of lighting. Also I recommend headlamps for winter months as bathrooms are a small treck from the secluded wooded cabins.

Bunks are built in and a loft makes for plenty of room.

There was a beautiful table with a map in the top- pretty awesome!

There is a walking trail and it's close to the inlet for beluga whale watching and if your lucky a bore tide!

Rv sites and tents sites available as well- plus table and fire pits at each site.

We arrived late Friday night. Through the generosity of the Bahama mamas we shared their campsite for Questival. Perfect site close to Anchorage. Well appointed campsites great fire rings and tent pads. A bit close to the road but there's no other options with the mountains in the water so close.

Our campsite was Llamazing. Great space with fire pit and picnic table. Easy to reserve day of. We were able to easy walk down to the inlet for sunset. Gorgeous!

Great to have a place so close to town just to stop for an overnight. Get there early for a spot on the weekends. Sites are small for the most part, better for RVs or a small tent. Some traffic noise throughout

Stayed there after going to Brown Bear Saloon earlier in the night.

A short drive from Anchorage, this campground is on the Turnagain Arm side of the Seward Highway. It's tucked into the woods - and while you'll hear highway traffic, you won't see it. This area underwent some upgrades a few years back and the facilities are much improved. You're right along the water and the opportunities for whale watching are high. Or catch a glimpse of the bore tide, or wind/kite surfers. Silver salmon are running in July and August so walk over to Bird Creek to see the combat fisherman. Bears are looking for meals too so be aware.

We've brought our bicycles along to ride along the paved route - the "Bird to Gird(wood)" trail. It's 12 mile (one way) or 24 round trip, and a fairly flat elevation. If you make it all the way up to Alyeska Resort, treat yourself at the famous Bake Shop! It can get a little windy so make sure you're properly clothed, especially kiddos. Helmets and sunglasses are a must.

This campground is only a short drive from Anchorage, but far enough so you feel like you are away from the hustle and bustle of town. There are great trails for hiking. Biggest downside is that it is close to the highway. The turnagain arm is beautiful, and if you are lucky, you might see beluga whales. Portage glacier and Girdwood are just a little farther south and worth exploring as well.

The wildlife is amazing. You can see eagles, sheep, moose, and bears (if you are lucky). Don't camp or hike without either bear spray or a gun.

Perfect place to stay if you’re looking for belugas, as it’s right along the water among the trees. There are now reservations and it’s a small site, so plan your schedule around snagging a site. The campground was renovated recently (maybe 2013), which according to our neighbors improved the roads and site flatness considerably. There’s water and vault toilets but no bear boxes or much else---great simple rustic site just outside Anchorage.

Stayed at Bird Creek for 2 nights while car camping/traveling through Alaska. Very clean faculties, lots of space between sites and countless activities. We spent most of our time hiking in and around the area. Many cool and unique hikes including one where you have to use a manual pulley thing to get across a huge river. We also went looking for Beluga whales in Turnagian Arm which is just across the way from the campground. If you didn't bring binoculars, don't worry. The state has many of them posted up along the side of the road.

We stayed in the beluga state cabin that is located at the front of the bird creek campground. First coming in to the campground it was a nice road and well signed. The cabin was located on the left town the bike trail and on the left. It was present look and well kept on the outside. We Spent 3 day 2 night. I have 4 kids myself and grandpa and we all fit in the cabin great. The heater was hard to start but we got it and it work like a boss! There was no trash and no graffiti on the walls it was refreshing to see a state cabin so well taken care of we will return most definitely!

Beautiful views quiet and good people