Best Campgrounds of 2024 and 2025 Plans
Spending 6 months on our Alaska trip was amazing! I wasn't sure how to do this blog as it really wasn't fair to try to pick my Top 10 Campsites as almost EVERY place we stayed in Alaksa was incredible. Not to mention there were some great places we stayed January - April before we left. I also wasn't sure if I wanted to combine my trip stats or keep them separate as I wanted stats just for Alaksa since the trip itself was totally different than regular years trips. Since we spent so little time before and after Alaska, I really only have a Top 3 (US) since I decided to leave out the repeats.
When looking for campsites, we prefer privacy, easy access, gorgeous views, on or very near water for fishing and kayaking, nearby hiking and biking trails, not too far from towns for amenities, entertainment, good food and water/dump. We love areas with history, breweries and other fun things. We also love to boondock and love FREE camping. If we have to pay, anything in the Twenties is what we shoot for. Anything above $30 makes me cringe a bit but sometimes that's what it is.
Here are our favorite camping spots of 2024 (in no particular order):
BEFORE our Alaska Trip
1. Red Rock Canyon - Las Vegas, NV (HERE)
It was $25 to camp at this BLM run campground with a colorful view of the mountains behind us. There are no Utilites but there are fire pits, bathrooms, water and nearby dump in town.
It was $25 to camp at this BLM run campground with a colorful view of the mountains behind us. There are no Utilites but there are fire pits, bathrooms, water and nearby dump in town.
Pretty campsites and kayaking the crystal-clear lake.
3. Signal Rd. - Wikieup, AZ (HERE)
A nice free boondocking site on BLM land. We've driven past this lonely road over the years but never stayed here. It's easy to get to and turn around. It's a pretty area and very quiet. There are some ghost towns out in the mountains if you have a razor or jeep. Plenty of donkeys too.
Easy to get to and so quiet!
DURING our ALASKA TRIP
Our Favorite Camping Spots during our Alaska Trip may include Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon Territory, Alaska, Northwest Territories, Idaho & Nevada. Again, in no particular order. I have to say that it was almost impossible to even pick favorites. The criteria was so different on this trip. Almost every place we stayed was drop dead gorgeous. Almost everyone was on a lake, river or ocean. There is SO much water in Alaska. It's hard to say if they'd be on this list if the weather was bad or we couldn't hike, kayak or fish. Sometimes there was so much to do and other times we just chilled. Sometimes we loved the campsite but there really wasn't anything to do so it was just an overnighter, but the scenery was so stunning we added it to the favorites list. Sometimes the campsite wasn't the most spectacular and even though there were tons of things to do, it didn't make the list. So don't really judge our trip itself on this list. It's best to read the blog on the individual posts (once I get them all done!) to see why we added them. Again, we stayed at almost 100 different places during these 6 months. Many of these places are hundreds of miles apart and they were just overnighters on our way to the next stop. Prices are listed in US or CN (British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon or NWT) prices without conversion.
$18/CN. We arrived at this Provincial Park in very early May and the ice had just melted. It's a very small campground with sites that line one side of the lake. Most sites fit only very small rigs/tents but have nice table/patio areas with firepits. There is water available but only during warmer months. No dump. The fishing is fantastic and there is a waterfall on the opposite side you can kayak and hike to. No cell reception.
Small sites right on the lake. Waterfalls and fishing!
2. Bear Paw 2 - Valdez, Alaska
$60/US a night at this private park right on the bay/marina entrance. Another very small park with maybe 20 sites, FHU, laundry and showers. We backed right up to the water and watched all the fishing and pleasure boats of all kinds motoring back and forth. A nice campground within walking distance of restaurants, museums, the marina & pier, shopping etc. Very clean and well-kept with some trees and landscaping. One of the very few private parks we stayed at for 4 days. This campground was all about the location. We took a glacier/iceberg/whale boat tour here. Great cell reception.
We backed right up to the inlet of the marina.
3. Boya Lake PP- Stikine Region, British Columbia
$20/CN. Boya Lake was one of our very favorite campgrounds on the entire trip. A good-sized campground. Dry camping with spring-fed water at the entrance. There was a restriction to use it conservatively. It came out so slow we didn't use it too often. There are bathrooms, fire rings, picnic tables, hiking out of the campground, boat ramp, playground, kayak rentals and a covered picnic area with wood stove. Mostly lake side campsites. No cell reception or dump.
Our lakeside site with us in the center Plenty of beautiful lake to paddle on. Nice hiking trails.
4. Fishing Hole Campground - Homer, Alaska
$30/US. We spent a week at the Fishing Hole Municipal Campground. There is central water/dump and sits toward the end of the spit. Some sites, ours included, sit right along the Kachemak Bay where you can watch the tide go in and out. There is fishing, firepits, tables, fish cleaning station, bathrooms and it's within walking distance along the spit. The spit has the harbor, tours, restaurants and touristy stuff. We took a Halibut fishing tour from here. Plenty of shopping and services back in town.
Our campsite backed up to the water. You can walk to the marina, restaurants and shops.
5. Million Dollar Falls Campground - Haines Junction, Alaska
$20/CN. This was another top campground. Dry camping, some riverside, bathrooms, garbage, fire rings, picnic table and FREE firewood. Got to LOVE the government campgrounds (similar to USFS campgrounds in the US) in the Yukon! There is a wonderful platform hike along the river. Other than some relaxation, there really isn't anything to do here. A nice stopover on the way to Haines. No cell or dump.
We had the best campsite with this view of the river right behind us. Waterfall hike.
6. Chilkoot Lake SRA Campground - Haines, Alaska
$20/CN. Dry camping, boat ramp, picnic tables, fire rings, bathrooms, trash, central water. This campground is under a heavy canopy of trees. Beautiful, but difficult with solar. It can be quite rainy here. The huge draw is the bears that feed in the river during the salmon run. We saw so many up close. The town is also very cute. No cell or dump but you can find both in town.
7. Muncho Lake PP - Northern Rockies, British Columbia
$20/CN. Dry camping, boat ramp, picnic tables, fire rings, bathrooms, trash, central water. This campground is one of two provincial parks that sits on the turquoise waters of Muncho Lake. The campsites are on the smaller side and have trees and plants separating them. You are right on the water with most sites with easy access to fish, kayak or just stare at the mountains on the other side. There is hiking nearby and a wonderful lodge to visit with fantastic food. No cell or dump.
One of the prettiest lakes in BC! Fishing, kayaking and hiking nearby.
8. Slocum Creek Dispersed - Jordan Valley, Oregon
Free boondocking on Lake Owyhee (a wide spot on the river) was a magical place as you drive through the Leslie Gulch Canyon. It's full of volcanic formations and meadows and crazy rocks. That is, IF, you can survive the remote, treacherous 20 or so miles on a mostly horrible dirt road. The quiet uniqueness of this place is worth it if you can get out here. No trailers should even attempt to come out here. The fishing was wonderful and we enjoyed some hiking too. No cell or dump. Come with water, gas and food!
9. Liard River Hot Springs PP - Liard River, British Columbia
$20 gets you the usual dry camping provincial park with picnic tables, fire rings, restrooms, trash and central water, although there is nothing "usual" about the hot springs. It is the second largest hot spring in Canada and is surrounded by a lush boreal forest. So beautiful it almost looks fake. There is a walkway that meanders from the campground to the spring through the marsh where we saw moose. No cell or dump.
10. Salmon Glacier - Hyder, Alaska/Stewart, British Columbia
Honorable Mentions:
Waterfront Park Campground - Seward, Alaska
$45. A large parking lot style campground but it's all about location. Right on the ocean in a protected bay. All types of amenities. We had W/E. There is a dump with water fill too. You can walk to the pier/marina. Eagles everywhere.
Smith Falls SRA - Northern Rockies, British Columbia
Free boondocking at the end of a long, narrow two-mile dirt road with some flooding. It was a gorgeous drive we did twice. The fall color was fantastic. The road dead-ends with enough room for 4 or 5 cars/campers to overnight. No amenities at all. You can view the stunning waterfall from here or hike down to it.
Barnes Lake SRA - Ashcroft, British Columbia
Free boondocking. This spot is here simply for the Bass fishing! It was a somewhat pretty lake in a nice setting and we camped right near the shore. If it weren't for the fishing we probably wouldn't recommend it. We caught them one after the other for two days in our kayak. Incredible! We stayed at the far north end of the lake but there were some nice spots along the way too. No amenities.
(This is in the US before and after our Alaska Trip)
| Stays | Nights | Total | AVG (per night cost) | |
| Private Park | 1 | 1 | $30.00 | $30.00 |
| Fairgrounds | 1 | 1 | $30.00 | $30.00 |
| BLM | 1 | 3 | $75.00 | $25.00 |
| Elks | 6 | 38 | $945.00 | $24.86 |
| State Parks | 6 | 31 | $721.00 | $23.25 |
| Nat. Rec. Area | 1 | 1 | $10.00 | $10.00 |
| Thousand Trails | 3 | 62 | $250.00 | $ 4.03 |
| Boondocking* | 6 | 52 | $0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| National Forest | 0 | 0 | $0.00 | $ 0.00 |
| TOTALS | 25 | 189 | $2,061.00 | $10.90 |
(This is from our Alaska Trip)
| Stays | Nights | Total | AVG (per night cost) | |
| Private Parks | 9 | 17 | $710.00 | $41.76 |
| City/County Parks | 9 | 22 | $587.00 | $26.68 |
| State Parks | 6 | 12 | $271.00 | $22.58 |
| Elks | 3 | 6 | $135.00 | $22.50 |
| Government CG | 4 | 5 | $96.00 | $19.20 |
| Provincial Parks | 10 | 18 | $292.00 | $16.22 |
| National Parks | 3 | 8 | $126.00 | $15.75 |
| National Forest | 4 | 6 | $86.00 | $14.33 |
| State Rec Area | 11 | 22 | $281.00 | $12.77 |
| BLM | 5 | 8 | $52.00 | $6.50 |
| Boondocking* | 23 | 38 | $0 | $0 |
| Other** | 8 | 15 | $0 | $0 |
| TOTALS | 95 | 177 | $2,636.00 | $14.89 |
* Boondocking for us is anywhere we stay for free which is not an organized campground. It can include time at family and friends (typically referred to as Moochdocking) and other areas. Usually most of our boondocking is at BLM, National Forest, etc, but I give them a separate category if they are paid locations.
** Includes stays at gravel pits, airstrip, moochdocking, gold mine, and Walmart.
We had 25 stops in 189 days averaging 7.5 days a stop before and after our Alaska Trip in CA, NV and AZ.
We had 95 stops in 177 days averaging 1.89 days a stop during our Alaska Trip.
We have 239,892 miles on the truck, driving 24,642K miles this year.
10,609 miles were driven January - April and Oct - December.
14,033 miles were driven on our Alaska Trip April - October.
Yearly Comparison
2014 - (need to add)
2015 - (need to add)
2016 - Yearly Campsite Total: $3494.50
Daily Average: $9.57
2017 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5090.50
Daily Average: $13.94
2018 - Yearly Campsite Total: $4038.00
Daily Average: $11.06
2019 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5530.00
Daily Average: $15.15
2020 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5075.50
Daily Average: $13.90
2021 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5765.96
Daily Average: $15.88
2022 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5725.96
Daily Average: $15.69
2023 - Yearly Campsite Total: $5056.00
Daily Average: $13.85
2024 - Yearly Campsite Total: $4697.00 (includes our AK trip with adjusted Canadian prices)
Daily Average: $12.83
What was different?
- Steve retired this year! So now we don't have to worry about cell signal! We go where we want.
- We got side-lined with two emergency eye surgeries for Steve in February and March which postponed our Alaska trip a couple of weeks.
- Our Alaska Trip was 6 months. Words and pictures can't really capture the true beauty. Miles upon miles of wilderness with few roads or people. We loved it. Doing this in our truck camper allowed us to get to places we never would've been able to take our 5th wheel. Definitely the way to do it if you want to get remote. We didn't feel cramped at all. Staying April - October gave us more time and less people. We had much more boondocking too. We were lucky to have mostly warm, dry days in the 60s+ and less mosquitoes. It's a loooong way to Alaska. You can boogie through Canada and get there faster but we took a month to get there and get back and thoroughly enjoyed British Columbia. The spectacular mountains in British Columbia make us want to go back just to spend more time there.
- Gas prices weren't too bad in Canada after the conversion and they were much cheaper in Alaska. Usually in the $3.50 a gallon range.
- CA gas prices dropped from the $5-$6 range down to $4.50 when we returned from Alaska.
I won't bore you with all the costs we had, but if you're curious, here are some rough costs:
Groceries - $800mo.
Eating Out - $550mo.
Diesel Gas - $850mo.
Propane - $45mo.
Laundry - $15mo.
DEF - $25mo.
Excursions - $715mo.
We spent just under $5,000mo on average for those 6 months in Alaska. That covered EVERYTHING. Once I do catch up and finish the blog posts for 2024, I'll do a special re-cap just of the Alaska Trip with all the goodies and details.
Plans for 2025:
We'll be staying in California next year with a few shorter trips to neighboring states.
We'll be staying in California next year with a few shorter trips to neighboring states.
