Base Camp Anchorage Hostel

Perfectly located! Easy to arrive from the airport, to walk downtown or take a bike around. The website and emails received have all the information one needs starting with how to take the bus from the airport to arrive at the hostel. It's clean, secure, and organized. The staff is friendly and helpful. The hikes organized for the afternoon are great. It's so nice to meet other travelers and hear their stories.

Unfortunately hostels in America are very few and far between. I love staying in hostels as a way to dive into a new city. Base Camp Anchorage Hostel is the perfect place to do that. They have everything you could ever want available for free or a fee. They have daily hikes, tons of recommendation and are staffed by very friendly and competent people. I did find it a bit of a bummer that there was a charge for washing laundry (I travel very light and arrived in my last pair of clean clothes). Laundry is only available from something like 2-9pm and I arrived just before 11pm. Further laundry is $10. That was double what a nearby laundromat ended up costing. The washers sat unused until at least 9am at which case hostel linens were being washed. Anyway, I will 100% come to stay here again anytime I am in Anchorage. This is the best hostel I have seen in the United States and was full of world travelers from all over!

I have only good things to say! Don't be intimidated by the thought of staying at a hostel. It is just what you need while on the road: a safe, warm, clean space to sleep without it costing an arm and a leg. It is close to the airport. Read the email sent after booking, as it has everything you need to know about checking in and the services offered. Tents, sleeping bags, and bear spray are rented out to travelers for a reasonable price. There is a stash of donated items other travelers did not use or use all the way; just ask. The privacy curtain around each bunk was very appreciated and blocks out the light while the midnight sun is up in the summer. There are 6 bathrooms, and guests come and go as their individual travel schedules demand, so the bathrooms stay available. The beds are clean, and the overall feeling is pleasant and homey. There is a security pin pad at the front door and at each room, so only those in the room have access, and it adds to the feeling of security while sleeping.

We had such a great evening! Walking distance to a Saturday market, the ocean trail, several parks and eateries. They provide breakfast and the bed is so comfy! The host was super sweet and so helpful. We loved the backyard and the amenities like a sense deprivation tub, hot sauna, bicycle rentals, camping rentals and more. Super affordable, great location!

Base camp is phenomenal! It is close to downtown Anchorage as well as the airport. The staff is incredibly flexible, accommodating, kind, and has lots of knowledge of the area with tips and tricks they’re happy to share. The vibes were incredible; there were interesting but non intrusive people to chat with and the common spaces are nice and the kitchen too. There’s even outdoor space with picnic tables etc. I think they’re bathrooms and laundry is some of the cleaner that I’ve seen at hostels. Furthermore, the beds were comfortable and rooms spacious. I would definitely recommend!!!

Very cozy hostel in a great location you walking to different restaurants and outdoor outfitters. Also a great bookstore nearby. Got in the sauna and sensory deprivation tank and met some great friends along the way. Definitely a little noise as you would expect in a hostel but brown noise helped me sleep great. Also recommend the greenway trail to the coast which is walkable.

Such a lovely hostel! The location is perfect, the staff are super friendly, and I really enjoyed the daily hikes they organize. The garden is beautiful too - and I loved seeing the chickens there! Definitely a place I’d recommend.

I had a great experience at this place. It’s clean and tidy, has more services than a motel like a sauna and bike rental, services is amazing the people super friendly and the vibe of the place is very cozy. |The only thing I would I would ask is to offer towels to people that don’t travel with one but other than that all great.

I stayed at Base Camp Anchorage before and after my NOLS Alaska Talkeetna expedition in July 2024. The staff was polite and helpful, and most importantly the hostel is well run and organized. Hostel expectations for travelers were clearly defined and all travelers were respectful to one another, and I felt secure staying there. The cots were comfortable too. Great place to stay!

I went with a bunch of friends to anchorage for the first time and stayed at Base Camp! As a first timer in Alaska I had a great time- along with the amenities and lodging being clean and well maintained Ole and his team were amazing, organized and very efficient. The best part was meeting all of the other travelers and listening to their backpacking adventures and experiences. Alaska is beautiful and Ole and his team answered all of our questions and gave us tons of recommendations and things to do! I know my friends and I will all be back!

I stayed at the Base Camp a few nights before and after my trip in the Alaska range this spring. The staff and accomodations were incredible! There is a huge backyard with a wonderful teepee, wood fire sauna, a beautiful garden, and bikes for exploring Anchorage. This is a wonderful place to a few nights while in Anchorage for anyone that is traveling on a budget and wants to meet some wonderful people. Make sure to ask about the sensory deprivation pod, it is an amazing experience and a great relaxing space after a big trip in Alaska. I cannot recommend this place enough and will definitely be visiting in years to come! Thank you Base Camp!

By far, this Anchorage's finest hostel. In all my 37 years staying at hostels, this ranks the top five. It has been my fourth stay here. Basecamp has a very caring staff with a strong home-like atmosphere. A sauna is offered which is rare for any hostel. Please consider leaving a tip to show appreciation to staff for their dedicated work and efforts. I shall return!

I pulled in after a 2 week motorcycle trip from California, and I was exhausted. I was treated extremely well by my hosts, Jake and Brittany. I stayed in the queen bed for the first 2 nights, and it was clean, comfortable, and relaxing. I also got laundry done and the bus to the airport is a block away. People staying there were so nice too, from recent college grads to Denali climbers. I loved the fire sessions in the teepee, and there is also a sauna and a float tank which others enjoyed. I donated my half full propane canister and I got back an almost new pair of sneakers. Several hostlers and I rented a car for a day excursion. I am definitely staying there again on my next Alaska visit.

I recently moved to Anchorage. The whole move was sort of ad-hoc and minimally planned. And, since we all know moving in general sucks (let alone moving from the lower 48!), there were many snags along the way. For a couple weeks, off and on, Base Camp Anchorage was my home. I'm not sure why I initially booked this hostel given all the options in town, I think I was attracted to the name. I'm really into mountaineering, alpinism, ice/snow/rock climbing, whatever you call it, and the name of this place spoke to me. Also: one of my favorite breweries back in Portland shares this name, so that didn't hurt! Anyway, this place was great. If I could sum it up in one word it would be: "accommodating". The guys that work here have a wealth of local knowledge, stuff that you definitely cannot get from some boring guidebook and that would take a while to gather from the internet. Want to know where to stay in Denali/Seward/Homer? They got you covered. Want to do a local hike? They'll probably take you with them. Want to know where the good beer is? Easy. Have NO IDEA what you want to do with your time in Alaska? Tell them how much time you have and they'll give you some ideas. The owner, Ole, is very friendly and was a great help to me in moving to the Great White North. Every idea I ran by him he elegantly fine-tuned with his wealth of local knowledge. It's nice to be able to do the "cool" stuff in a new place and not get trapped into the "touristy" stuff. Also, the location is pretty great. This isn't downtown, but it's only about a 15 minute walk. And only a couple blocks from the Hostel are some of the greatest eats and drinks in Anchorage (Spendard Roadhouse, Taproot, Bear Tooth, etc.) It's also close to the infamous Chilkoot Charlie's (known quasi-affectionately to locals as "Koot's")...if that's your kinda thing. I also met many great and interesting guests while here, including many, many Denali climbers. I plan on getting up that hill sooner rather than later so it was great to chat with some sun burnt souls with fresh, inside knowledge. Definitely check this place out, you won't be disappointed.

I enjoyed my short stay here. The staff emailed me late arrival instructions that were clear and concise . I actually arrived earlier and was able to get checked in smoothly. Standard bunk bed in the room I stayed in with plenty of closet space. Plenty of space in common areas. There's a bathroom on every level(3)which helpful with am/pm foot traffic. The staff were so nice and transparent about suggesting things. 10 min drive to downtown. Definitely recommend.

The Base Camp is a lovely, clean and quiet hostel that was the perfect place for us to start our little Alaskan adventure. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and happy to share their wisdom on where to go and what to do. Also very useful to us was the fact that they have lots of equipment (ex. bear spray, tent) available for rent so that we didn't have to buy as much stuff as we were originally expecting for our 10 day driving tour of the region. Some good restaurants, brewery, nice used bookstore and an REI all within a couple of blocks. The Base Camp is really the place you should be to kick off your AK experience.

Very cool hostel with awesome employees. Unfortunately, I wasn't around on a day when the sauna was used but its supposed to be really awesome. Great vibes from this place and strongly enforced quiet hours which is appreciated. Comfortable bed, clean facility and lots of great resources for planning your adventures around Alaska (and finding rideshare options). I really liked my time there, wish I was around longer.

Sweet and friendly staff. I arrived at 2:30 in the morning and although there was some confusion around late night checkin, they recieved me with a smiling face. The slept in the female dorm room and sadly as female dorm room goes i kept waking up and waking up other people as well. Which is unavoidable in hostels. In the morning a group gathered around breakfast and we exchanged notes. As I was leaving the hostel, an middle-aged/older indian man walks in with a passport and talking with an Indian accent that I recognize (I am indian). He told me that his daughter is 13 years old and is summitting denali and will be the youngest to break some sort of mountain climbing record. So def I was impressed that such hard core people chose basecamp to stay for the night. PROS: Downtown anchorage Friendly staff Basic but clean facilities No breakfast is provided (for a lot of people this is a con, but for me it is, I like to control what I eat) CONS: A little overcrowced over july 4th weekend. At one point of time all 3 bathrooms were taken and that was a little rough

I had a great experience at Base Camp Anchorage in May 2014! The owner was kind and hospitable. Guests were a mix of people from all over the world who came to Alaska for adventures of all kinds. The price was right, too, at $25 per bed per night. I came in late at night, but called in advance to get information and make a reservation. At first, I found some of the policies strange, though not unreasonable. I later learned the policies are intended to ensure the hostel attracts the right vibe - namely, travelers passing through or visiting Anchorage - and weeds out the squatters. Bunk rooms have about 4 beds per room, which keeps noise, security and safety a little more under control. Private accommodations are an option, as available. I found the hostel to be clean, safe and comfortable. They were just getting established under new ownership and had done much to renovate and revitalize the hostel from top to bottom. I'm sure it will get better and better with time. On-site laundry, bike rental, complimentary oatmeal breakfast and proximity to REI, Wal-mart and local attractions (like the Bear Tooth Theater pub) make BCA convenient for those with or without transportation. Getting here from the airport is about a $15 taxi ride or a short $2-3 ride on one of the #7 buses. Parking at the hostel currently accommodates about 6 cars (dont park on the street if you dont want to be towed!). The owner loves the outdoors and people. He has a wealth of knowledge about what to do in the area and is happy to share it. Hope to adventure out that way again someday and if I do, I'll definitely make a stop at BCA!

Great hostel, great staff, great stay. They keep the facilities clean, and they have bed bug covers on the mattresses and pillows. A+ for those. Nate checked me in and recommended some good local food. The building is secure, and Spenard is a great location for the typical hostel dweller. Walking distance to bars, entertainment, Walgreens, etc. Not really sure what could have made my 3-night stay any better. Big thanks, Base Camp.

"I found a gold nugget in Anchorage" If you are looking for inexpensive, clean, friendly, and international, this is the place! Great helpful staff, big communal kitchen with very nice multinational clientele. A paradise for campers and backpackers, as it is very close to REI, Hoarding Marmot and Play it Again Sports. Take the bus to the hostel from the airport for $2, or $1 for seniors like me. Great for single travelers of all ages. I stayed one night then did a week long trip and it was only $10 for a day fee, including shower, breakfast and gear storage on my return while I toured Anchorage before my flight home. Can't be beat and I will return on my next trip!

When James owned & ran this place it was awesome warm, comfy and friendly. Became my go to low budget place when passing thru. Once the new owner took over, I felt like I was in a prison, no one was friendly, someone stole my labeled food from the community fridge both days/nights I stayed. I got bed bugs, the bathroom was filthy...I mentioned this to the new owner in the nicest way. When I left the following morning the bastard told me I was not welcome to return, I wont write what I told him. I dont drink or use, tho i see that is very much tolerated here now. I would not return for free. What a shame the new owner is wierd, I am a commercial fisherman, since I wasn't a hippie or a hiker or on a spiritual quest, it was made clear to me by the owner I was about as welcome as a homeless....I kid you not.

One of the greatest hostels I've ever stayed at! This was my first hostel in America, but compared to all the ones I've stayed at internationally, Base Camp Anchorage really did an outstanding job! The staff are all SO helpful and nice. Before I even made a reservation, I called and asked a bunch of questions about what I should do & about Alaska. Corey & another guy (I forgot his name) were so helpful and informative! I also love how they have binders of very helpful info at the hostel: what to do in Anchorage, what to do in Alaska, etc. They have a float pod ($30!!), a TP, and a sauna!! They also have a mini-concert every once in awhile too. They have lockers in the rooms which was awesome! The hostel was always clean & had strong Wi-Fi. The only downsides were: there was always a wait for the bathrooms (it'd be nice if they had separate bathroom with just a toilet & a separate bathroom with a shower so it's more available/useful), the beds were kind of uncomfortable, and I booked an all female dorm, but they put males in there... I was a little surprised but I didn't really care. Just a heads up if you do plan on booking an all female dorm... there might be guys in there. There's a lot of electrical outlets & extension cords (huge plus for top bunkers). There's laundry machines, games, blackboard with ride sharing, huge backyard, bike rentals, kitchen, free breakfast (pancakes & oatmeal- yummy! And amazing they provide that), and a great atmosphere! It's a small hostel so everyone hangs out in the common spaces- great vibe. Location is a little far from downtown Anchorage. There's a lot of restaurants nearby the hostel though. Overall, amazing experience and I definitely recommend staying here!!

Base Camp is a good place to get some sleep, use wifi and cook something. They have a big backyard and you can aslo rent bicycles. The staff is friendly, but I would't recommend it for more than a few nights.

Great place to stay if you're looking for a social place to hang out for a day or so before or after your flight. They have this big chalkboard where you can ask if anyone else in the hostel wants to go visit somewhere and split gas, etc. I didn't get to take advantage of it, but I will make sure I have time to try it out next time. I was only here for one night, but I met so many people who just wanted to hang out and meet new people. Great stay with some really nice people.

I have stayed at this hostel for many years. Ole,Johnathon,Dan where the best hosts ever. The place was clean,well run. They did a great job with all the guests. It was a great mix of people. Can't wait till next year. GREAT JOB!!!!! Mahalo Stan :)

As stated in other reviews, this is hands-down the best hostel for backpackers! It was our first time in Anchorage, and the entire staff was great (especially Tim- who let us borrow a tarp for our tent). We stayed for a total of two nights, 1 night before our 30 mile backpacking trek in Denali State park, and 1 night after. For our first night, we checked-in in the afternoon, and rented bikes from the hostel for only $10/each! We were able to cruise around Anchorage and see the entire city. We had overpacked a little for our trek, and since we were going to be returning guests, the hostel let us keep some of our stuff in a locked area for when we returned. After 4 days (of mostly rain) in Denali, we were tired and couldn't wait to be back at Base Camp. We had rented the private room with a nice queen bed. Our clothes were dirty and soaking wet. Luckily, the hostel has washer machines and dryers in the basement, and we were able to clean our clothes before our roadtrip the next day. They also keep the bathrooms/showers very clean. Aside from the hospitality, we met a lot of great travelers at the hostel. We shared stories over dinner and connected with people we hope to stay in touch with. Sidenote: Free coffee and oatmeal in the morning (with a full kitchen to cook your own meals). You won't be disappointed with Base Camp!

my first hostel! this was a great introduction to the hostel life as I watched other travelers interacting and being totally awesome. the place was clean, beds were about as comfortable as can be expected. and it really was like a home. the folks that work there were pretty great too. everyone was nice and welcoming. good location too, it's really is perfect as a "base camp".

Best. Place. Ever. The manager there is absolutely AMAZING! My friend and I have been traveling around Alaska for the past month and a half and this was the third hostel we stayed at. If we ever come back to anchorage this is the only place we would ever stay. Here are the reasons: 1) Ole the manager. He is probably the coolest dude ever. He was so helpful and we sat talking to him for about an hour. He even offered to drop us off at a good place to hitchhike to Denali! He's really welcoming and really I can't say enough good stuff about him. 2) it's so clean!!!! 3) that was the comfiest hostel bed I've ever slept in. 4) it's cheaper than any other hostel we've stayed in (only $25 a night) 5) located next to so much! There's a fair trade/organic strip mall down the street right next to an REI for any last minute buys (or returns), move theater if you want to do something city like (we've been away for month it was really nice) and a 4 minute walk to the bus stop. 6) the place is huge. He has computers you can use, books, full living room and dining room and kitchen with some community food. All in all, I had an awesome time. You should NEVER stay anywhere else.