Campground Information
A Night in the Forest
The national forests of Alaska offer a variety of camping opportunities for forest visitors. Whether you prefer camping with your car, backcountry trekking, or driving a recreational vehicle, campgrounds of the Tongass National Forest are for your enjoyment and use.Forest Settings
National forest campgrounds are located in pleasant forest settings. Although they are less developed than many recreational vehicle parks, most have running water, picnic tables, pit toilets, tent sites, and parking spurs for your car or trailer. Drinking water and trash collection are provided in those campgrounds which require a fee to be paid. Many campgrounds also have nearby picnic areas; however, camping in those areas is not allowed. Several campgrounds also have recreational vehicle dump stations.Campground Fees and Use Limits
Fees for National Forest campgrounds vary from $6.00 to $24.00 per night (with most in the $8.00 to $9.00 range) depending upon available facilities. No fee is charged for campgrounds without water or for picnic areas. The Signal Creek and Last Chance campgrounds have sites that may be reserved in advance. To make reservations call the toll free number at 1-877-444-6777. A $8.65 reservation fee is charged in addition to the campground use fee. Other campgrounds may be added to the reservation system, so check with the reservation center to see if you can reserve your campsite. In nonreservation campgrounds, self-service fee stations located at campground entrances provide fee schedules and payment instructions. Fee payment is strictly enforced, so to avoid citation, it is important that campers pay their fees immediately after selecting a campsite. Campers may stay in a single campground for a maximum of 14 nights.Campfires
A campfire is always a welcome part of the camping experience, and campfire areas are provided in many campgrounds, but the Forest Service insists that live trees not be cut. Green wood makes very poor campfires and cutting down the live trees in the area destroys the appearance of the campground and surrounding area. Campfires may be prohibited in some areas where dry conditions exist. In some campgrounds a private concessionaire provides bundles of firewood for a small fee since suitable firewood is often not available. Enjoy your campfire, please help us to prevent forest fires.Keeping it Clean
Campground cleanliness will increase everyone's camping experience. Garbage dumpsters are provided in most campgrounds. Trash in the toilets increases campground operating costs, so we appreciate your consideration.Have a Safe and Enjoyable Visit!
We hope you enjoy visiting your National Forest campgrounds. For your safety the discharge of firearms is not allowed in campgrounds and we ask that you drive slowly, watching for other campers. We recommend that you drink only from approved water sources to avoid giardiasis infection.Campgrounds in the Tongass National Forest
Craig Area
- Harris River Campground (14 sites)
Thorne Bay Area
- Eagles Nest (11 sites)
- Horseshoe Hole Campsite (2 sites)
- Lake No. 3 Campsite (2 sites)
- Staney Bridge Campsite (2 sites)
Ketchikan Area
- Signal Creek* (24 sites)
- Three C's (4 sites)
- Last Chance* (19 sites)
* These campgrounds have a limited number of reservable sites. To reserve a site, call 1-877-444-6777.
Wrangell Area
- Nemo Campsites (8 sites)
- Lower Salamander Recreation Site (3 sites)
Petersburg Area
- Ohmer Creek (10 sites)
Sitka Area
- Sawmill Creek (11 sites)
- Starrigavan (35 sites)
Juneau Area
- Auke Village (12 sites)
- Mendenhall Lake (68 sites)
For additional information, please contact the
Southeast Alaska Discovery Center
50 Main Street
Ketchikan, AK 99901-6559
(907) 228-6220
FAX: (907) 228-6234
email: r10_Ketchikan_Alaska_Info@fs.fed.usUpdated: December 4, 2003
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