There is no better place to boondock than in Alaska, in my opinion. So it was time to write a boondocking in Alaska post!
If you want to read absolutely everything I’ve written about our summer adventure RVing Alaska, check out my Alaska post.
What Makes Boondocking in Alaska So Special?
Here are the reasons why I think boondocking in Alaska is the best:
- It is plentiful. You can pull off and park literally anywhere it doesn’t say you can’t camp.
- The views are absolutely bananas. Like overlooking a glacier right from a roadside pulloff. How can you beat that?
- Alaska RV parks are lovely, but *very* expensive and booked out months in advance. You can skip the cost and booking drama by boondocking.
- Boondocking often gets you a lot closer to all of the outdoorsy action than camping in town, saving lots of driving time.
Boondocking definitely requires more gear, though. If you’re interested in what we consider our boondocking essentials, check out my list here.
If you’re planning a trip to Alaska, you can’t miss our insider guide to everything I wish I’d known about RVing Alaska before we went!
RV Alaska with Kids Travel Guide
If you’re looking for Alaska vacation ideas, you’ve come to the right place! This guide features 20+ pages of what we learned throughout a summer RVing Alaska with Kids.
Now, on to the boondocking in Alaska spots!
Boondocking in Alaska: Interior Alaska
Portage Boondocking
Portage is a great base for nearby hiking and paddling (and even day tripping through the tunnel into Whittier!). I even recommend it as a stop on my 7 day Alaska itinerary. There are two nice spots here. The first can be found on Portage Glacier Road at N 60°47’33.30″, W 148°54’1.38″. This spot is right on a pond and has room for a few rigs. It does fill up though, and we weren’t able to fit. There’s also zero cell service here. Our backup spot was Portage Valley Parking at N 60°51’12.36″, W 149°0’23.46″. This spot is a big parking lot right off of the Seward Highway. It’s noisy during the day, but plenty quiet at night. Super level and good cell service. We stayed for several days and loved the views and easy parking!
Eagle River Boondocking
Eagle River is a great boondocking location if you’re looking to be convenient to Anchorage. This location is the North Fork Eagle River boat launch and a big highway pullout on the way to the Eagle River Nature Center at N 61°16’6.54″, W 149°20’54.06″. Cell service on this road is not good.
Palmer Boondocking
Palmer is a place we returned to several times for its pastoral prettiness and convenient location. We stayed at several spots here, including an RV park (if you want info on the best RV park, it’s in my Alaska ebook!). Here are two Palmer boondocking sites I’d recommend. The first is just outside Palmer called Slipper Lake at N 61°43’57.00″, W 148°55’19.98″. The location is convenient and the lake is pretty with swans swimming on it. The cell service is two bars, the road in is rough for .25 miles, and there is shooting range noise during the day. The second spot is on the Matanuska River at N 61°30’12.30″, W 149°1’40.32″. It’s a very pretty spot with decent cell service, but scout ahead. If the river is running too high, there isn’t enough sandbar to camp on.
Glacier View Boondocking
This was one of my favorite parking spots in all of Alaska. We stayed here twice for the gorgeous glacier view and ease of parking. It’s a highway pulloff on the Glenn highway at N 61°56’51.00″, W 147°8’49.98″. It would make a good base for a Matanuska Glacier tour, but it’s not near much else. Luckily the view is an experience in itself.
Talkeetna / Denali State Park Boondocking
This spot is between Talkeetna and Denali State Park, and it made a great jumping off point for visiting both. It’s the old East West Express Trail at N 62°24’43.20″, W 150°15’21.12″. It’s an overgrown scenic viewpoint with plenty of room for big rigs. We also were basically alone back there in the woods for a few days with usable cell service.
Outside Denali National Park Boondocking
This spot is an excellent spot for boondocking just outside of Denali National Park. It’s a pullout on the Parks highway at N 63°32’25.50″, W 148°48’21.72″. With how far in advance the park camping books up, this can be a great spot for last-minute planners.
Valdez Boondocking
Valdez is a stunning destination that shouldn’t be missed (I’ve written about what to do there!). The city has cracked down on boondocking recently, but I have two spots to recommend. The first is right outside of town on the riverbed at N 61°4’37.86″, W 146°10’45.30″. Scout ahead because the road in is rough and water levels make a big difference in accessibility, but cell service is good. It’s gorgeous, too. The second location is half an hour outside of town in Thompson Pass at N 61°9’6.60″, W 145°43’37.26″. It’s got gorgeous glacier and mountain views, plus plenty of room. No cell service, though.
Boondocking in Alaska: Kenai Peninsula
Moose Pass Boondocking
Moose Pass was such a favorite boondocking spot that it topped our list of favorite camping spots in Alaska! This Trail Lake dirt parking lot is at N 60°30’10.74″, W 149°22’6.78″. Cell service is decent here and lots of room. Its biggest perk is being able to kayak right from the yard and watch float planes landing. It also makes a decent base for Seward if you don’t mind driving in.
Exit Glacier Road Boondocking
The closest boondocking to Seward is on Exit Glacier Road. There are various spots on the riverbed for smaller rigs, but big rigs are best served by the roadside pullout at N 60°10’12.60″, W 149°30’47.28″. Exit Glacier Road is the perfect jumping off point for hiking to the Harding Icefields, but there’s no cell service on the road.
Skilak Lake Boondocking
Lower Skilak Lake has a state park style dry campground that’s free at N 60°28’15.84″, W 150°28’5.94″. It’s absolutely stunning, and you can launch a kayak right from your site. Full disclosure: most sites are not sized for big rigs, but it was empty enough that we could shove our 37′ fifth wheel halfway into a spot and not be in anyone’s way. No cell service and a bumpy road to get here, but a great place to break up the trip between Homer and Seward.
Outside Homer Boondocking
Homer has also made boondocking in town impossible, but you can camp directly on the beach at Whiskey Gulch at N 59°49’52.02″, W 151°49’19.80″. Scout ahead to see if you’re comfortable with the steep hill coming out. If you are, it’s a beautiful spot and accessible to Homer sightseeing.
Boondocking in Alaska: Southcentral Alaska
Haines Boondocking
We fell in love with this sweet little boondocking spot right outside of Haines. It’s just a roadside pulloff, but with views from the couch of the ocean! It’s at N 59°15’30.72″, W 135°26’26.22″. We had slow cell service here, but could drive quickly into town or walk right down to the beach. It was also right near the ferry so we had easy access when we ferried to Skagway! Catching the northern lights here multiple nights didn’t hurt either.
Skagway Boondocking
There’s no big rig accessible boondocking in Skagway, BUT you can stay at Garden City RV with no hookups for just $10 a night. Its easy location made this a no-brainer for us. Bonus for super cheap, hot showers.
Carcross Boondocking
Okay, Carcross is not technically Alaska. But if you drive into or out of Skagway, you’ll come through Carcross. Don’t be like me and leave little time to stop. Carcross is unbelievably beautiful. Stop at Big Thing Creek at N 60°3’30.18″, W 134°34’1.38″ and take your time exploring this amazing area.
Road to Haines Boondocking
This also is in Canada, but you’ll drive through on the way to or from Haines. This area of British Columbia is also absolutely stunning, and I recommend a stop. The gravel area at N 59°43’10.50″, W 136°36’8.52″ is big rig friendly and surrounded by gorgeous views. No cell service, though!
I hope this list of boondocking in Alaska spots for big rigs was helpful! Please let me know in the comments if you try any of them.
If you’re overwhelmed by learning to boondock, but you want to take advantage of these amazing Alaska boondocking spots, I can relate! We learned to boondock in Alaska because of these places, and I write a boondocking 101 guide that’s packed full of everything I wish I’d known when we started:
Boondocking 101 Guide
This 10-page guide will assist RVers in learning the basics of boondocking, or camping off-grid! We share everything we’ve learned as a family living off-grid and boondocking in our RV.
And if you need help itinerary planning, don’t forget to check out my RV Alaska ebook!
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For more about our adventures in Alaska, check out these posts:
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5 responses to “Boondocking in Alaska: 17 Enchanting Spots for Big Rigs”
Live in Alaska for 40yrs, lots of places I haven’t been, this site is very informative. We will be discovering all these places this summer. We actually been to quite a few places up here however we need to site see the interior of Alaska, such us Ketchikan, Sitka, Haines, Dutch and many more, the village living is an eye opener I’ve been to a few villages. Very expensive to fly there, no road to get to some villages.
I’m so glad it’s helpful! We were on a budget this trip, but I’d LOVE to go back and fly in to more of the villages next time.
Huge thanks for sharing this!! It is so helpful
I’m so glad to help!
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