Bird Creek Campground

We stayed for a couple of days between Homer and Valdez. It's a pretty campground between the highway and the railway, but lots of trees and bushes and the Turnagain Arm is just a few feet from the railway. It's dry camping and an Alaskan public campground so both basic and inexpensive. Picnic table at the sites.

I would not really call this a campground. I would consider a place to park your camper and transit to your next destination. it is quiet and it's safe but it is just a parking lot in front of a hotel. There is however a campground across the street called Bird Creek which is a state run facility. The bird Creek hotel is a nice 1950s motel and we had a wonderful stay. I would highly recommend it.

The campground is ideally placed beside the Bird to Gird bike trail. It would be nice if it had more sites(I drove arrived Friday at 2:50 and all the sites were taken! Thankfully someone was having lunch and when they finished they left. But I was shocked that so early in a Friday the first weekend of May it was PACKED out. It is very windy right now, I recommend wind breakers if you’re on the right side of campsites. The left side seemed better protected with the trees. The lookouts were not very clear, but that may be addressed later into the season. The bathroom closest to the Bike trail entrance in the campground area was out of toilet paper and had no trashbag or can in the bathroom.

Great location just outside of Anchorage. Has RV or tent camping sites that have a picnic table and fire ring. Ties into the bike trail running from Indian River to Girdwood. Bring water as the waterpump water is not good to drink.

Loved out weekend stay in the Boretide Cabin. Was clean and warm for us, so hardly used any firewood at all. There was a separate pit toilet for us to use, separate from the day use spots. They were also building a new cabin just ahead of this cabin, so maybe there might be 3 cabins available next year 🤞🏽 Campground was full, probably because of peak season, fishing and good weather. But we somehow got to book this cabin! Highly recommend this campground. We've stayed at the other cabin (Beluga) last year and even that experience was amazing 🙌🏽 Looking forward to return sooner!

Maybe the worst campsite in four months. Garbage in the campsite, food waste and cans in the fire ring, and human waste an toilet paper in the bushes

A wonderful place to stay. We were here for three nights. We really enjoyed the bike trail that was right behind our campsite about 12 miles of a beautiful pathway with many views of the Turnagain arm. The reason for the rating of four is that the noise from the highway was a little bit rough at times.

Beautiful place to stay. Loved the convenience while on our way to Seward. It was a quick overnight but nice, neat place. There was a nice walking path from the day use area all behind the campsites.

Whether you like this campground or not depends on what you're looking for. If proximity to Anchorage, easy access to salmon fishing and easy trails, and safety in numbers are important to you, then this is a winner. Relative to a lot of other campsites with fishing access, the likelihood of bear encounters is SOMEWHAT less due to its direct proximity to the highway, and nominal greenway for bears to hide in. There's a small buffer of trees between the highway and the campground, so bears have adequate space to sneak up if they're so inclined (this is Alaska, after all) so the highway noise is noticeable from all of the campsites. (I did a very thorough walk through of the campground and the perimeter and found evidence of one black bear who appeared to be "passing through"). The only site you may not notice the sound of the highway would be the Beluga cabin, which backs up against the train tracks. Some campers may find trainsounds bothersome. I happen to like train noises, (I grew up 2 blocks from train tracks), but if the honking bothers you DO NOT CAMP HERE since the tracks are REALLY CLOSE. They have to honk to warm idiots that walk on the tracks. Alaskans and tourists alike seem to like to tempt fate and play chicken with the train. A few points to note- there's only one bear box for the whole campground. I find this REALLY IRRITATING, but a common theme at a lot of Alaskan campgrounds, despite the pleas to keep our campsites food and fragrance free. (Grrrr please supply more flipping bear boxes!!!!) There are 3 pit toilets; one dumpster ; you can pay with cash, check or credit card (there's an electronic pay station); the 2 cabins have to be paid for in advance on line; the campsite is within cell/internet service; in 2022 there is NO camp host which means the toilets are getting minimal servicing so BRING YOUR OWN TOILET PAPER (ans SANITIZER if you're a germiphobe like me), so be sure you have the firewood you need prior to arrival. You should bring your own drinking and washing water as well; the handpump here is the worst I've ever used and is need if some serious maintenance. It requires the strength if two men to get going- I think it needs to be oiled??? The water is gross anyway- better to get your washing water from a creek before arrival and brink bottle or tap water for drinking. Some of the sites do NOT accommodate tents due to the gravel and lack of trees. All the RV spots are back in, none are pull-through. The campground has a nice nature trail and connects with a paved bike trail. You can walk to the salmon fishing site down the street. There is also a village gas station, bar, motel, and two small restaurants within plus or minus a mile of the campground. For me, this campground is convenient given its proximity to Anchorage, although I think 20 bucks a night is a little steep given there's no host. I saw a lot of other Anchoragites of the same mind. We'll probably be back.

Very clean and well maintained campground! Outhouses are frequently cleaned and restocked, trash service on site, camp spots are nice big graveled pads with a large picnic table, big fire ring and small cleared areas for tents. 2 vehicle limit per spot. There are trees throughout the grounds, so there is a feeling of privacy. Great for both tent or RV camping. Location is beautiful with lots of site seeing close by. I saw beluga whales! It is easy to locate from the highway as it's the turn at the only overhead light in any direction for a LONG ways. Directly across the street is a gas station to pop in for ice or snacks or fuel.

I can really only comment on this as a fishing spot / walking area because we didn't camp here. We stopped to stretch our legs and use the facilities on a drive from anchorage down the Seward highway to homer. It's outhouses, but they were clean enough as far as outhouses go. The walking paths and area down by the bridge and along the river were just GORGEOUS though and absolutely worth a stop. Great informational signs up at the little overlook platform by the bridge, and man, did it look like a great little fishing spot! We saw lots of moose tracks and all kinds of birds, so wildlife is all around. I'll just have to let the pictures speak for themselves. This is a wonderful little area to stretch your legs, enjoy nature, and explore.

Situated along the Seward highway at Bird Creek just 20 miles south of Anchorage, this campground is first come first serve. No reservations here. You can easily walk to Bird Creek from the campground for some salmon fishing and there is also a paved costal trail passing through the campground for biking or hiking. No hookups here, outhouses and a well had pump are available. This campground is best for tent to small RV camping. Large rigs will not have sufficient room. They have had bear problems at this campground in the past so beware of your food and any noises coming from the bushes.

It's not that Bird Creek isn't a nice campground; the problem is that it's just right on the very busy Seward Highway so you really can't avoid the noise. But, if this isn't a problem for you, I do recommend it for the beautiful trail along the Turnagain Arm which goes for miles and miles. The campground is first come first serve, and will accommodate RVs. There are 2 public use cabins and one was very large. Last time I was there, sites were $20. They do have toilets and water (not sure if it's potable). Also, Bird Creek is right there for fishing, but you must have knee waders at a minimum to get in there as it is very muddy.