The Best 12-Day Alaska RV Itinerary (from a local)

I’m so excited to write this post. I love RV travel, especially in Alaska, and am so excited to share all my insider tips and locations to help you plan your perfect trip.

I’m a born and raised Alaskan who’s spent over 25 years in Alaska (and many out of the state). I have a fondness for RV / motorhome travel in Alaska as that’s how we vacationed growing up. And in my opinion, it’s one of the best ways to see the state.

While there are only so many towns and accommodations in Alaska, there are tons of campgrounds and boondock options all across the state.

RV or Motorhome? Just as a heads up, when I refer to RV, I mean motorhome, camper, camper van, etc. It’s just easier to use the term RV.

What Does this Itinerary Cover?

This itinerary will cover some ground, going to Denali and down through the Kenai Peninsula and staying at incredible locations along the way.

How is This Itinerary Unique?

I grew up camping around Alaska, so I know a thing or two about the best places to stay. Most of the locations I recommend are campgrounds with facilities, but I also added a few options if you want to go off-the-beaten-path.

Many of these places are away from towns and not so easy to find with a simple Google search. And that is why I think it’s incredibly unique and one of the best on the internet.

Main RV Rental Companies in Alaska

Great Alaskan Holidays

This is the largest RV company in the state. They have a great reputation and have been in business for over 40 years.

There are many perks to choosing this company and honestly it’s too many to list on this blog so I’ll just link to them here. As one example, they don’t require you to clean your motorhome or even dump it before you return it. And they always have a newer fleet and RV’s are no more than 2-3 years old.

GoNorth Alaska

This is a newer but growing rental company that has a huge advantage – they allow driving on gravel roads. So if you want to add in Skilak Lake Road or try the Denali Highway (not in Denali NP), you can with this company.

RV Share

This is essentially the Turo of motorhomes. Here you can snag a good deal and you’ll have access to more variety than the larger companies. However, you won’t have all the security of renting through a larger company. You can see reviews and what’s included in the price.

Common Questions about RV’ing in Alaska

1. Do you need to have experience to rent an RV? The simple answer to this is no, you do not need prior experience to rent an RV. All of the rental companies will show you everything you need to know to get started. Some of the biggest hesitations for people is the general driving and parking situation. Luckily in Alaska, parking spots are typically generous as well as the roads.
2. Can you reserve campgrounds? Yes but it depends on the campsite. Many take reservations but some are first-come, first-served.
3. How much does it cost to park? This again depends on the site, but generally it’s cheaper to park without hookups vs with hookups. Prices range from $20-60 a night with some going as high as $100 a night.
4. Can you boondock or camp for free? Luckily in Alaska, boondocking or camping outside of a campground is completely legal. And perhaps the best part is it’s free! As long as there isn’t a sign stating you can’t camp there (or it’s not listed as private property), you’re free to stay. Popular boondocking sites include riverbeds and pull offs that don’t post restrictions.
5. How and where can you dump waste? Many campgrounds have dump stations but you can easily check on Google Maps or use sites like this one.
6. What size RV is best for Alaska? I think the sweet spot is 22-26 feet for ease of getting around and parking, but rentals are available up to 40 feet.
7. What happens if something goes wrong? The companies either provide insurance or have you purchase separate insurance in the event something happens.

Itinerary Overview and Map

I recommend taking ~10 minutes to read through this itinerary. Take notes and mark the locations you are most interested in. Check the websites of the campgrounds I recommend and build your own itinerary from there.

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Anchorage & Explore

Today you’ll arrive in Anchorage and either 1. enjoy the sights or 2. rent your RV and hit the road!

If you want to explore the town on foot, take a taxi downtown and stay at either the Hotel Captain Cook or the new Wildbirch Hotel. There’s plenty to do downtown and a few shuttle options too. For a full guide on my recommendations while in Anchorage, please visit this guide to exploring Anchorage in a day.

If you want to grab your RV and head out, I recommend staying at Eklutna Lake or even heading up to the Nancy Lake area if you don’t mind a longer drive.

Overnight Recommendations

If you’re staying in Anchorage, I recommend either the Hotel Captain Cook or the new Wildbirch Hotel by Hyatt downtown. If you grabbed your RV, here aremy recommendations on where to camp.

Eklutna Lake

Eklutna Lake is my top pick for today. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Anchorage and is a beautiful area with the large 13-mile Eklutna Lake. It’s a glacier fed lake that supplies about 90% of the Anchorage drinking water.

Here you can rent bikes and take the gravel trail that skirts one side of the lake or even rent kayaks. Both are available through Lifetime Adventures, located just down the trail from the main parking area.

There are also some great hiking trails here like Twin Peaks Trail if you want a moderate hike.

What I love about Eklutna is the large private campground areas. There’s trees/woods between each camping spot along with tables and fire pits. It’s a local favorite.

The biggest downside, and a reason I provide multiple options, is that it’s on a first-come, first-served basis. So if you’re traveling on a weekday and arrive early, you have a good chance of getting a spot, but if it’s Friday afternoon they might already be full.

Eagle River Campground

If it’s full, you can either head back about 20 minutes to the Eagle River Campground which is just off the highway and quite beautiful (and along a big river), or..

Willow Area

You can continue a few hours north toward Denali and camp up at the Nancy Lake and Willow area. I personally like Nancy Lake (reservation required), Willow Creek State Campground (FCFS), or Montana Creek.

Nancy Lake is a large area with the main lake and many small lakes and ponds. There is a beautiful campground called South Rolly Lake Campground. It’s on a first-come, first-served basis.

Montana Creek Campground is large and has a small general store. Fishing is popular here and it’s close to Talkeetna.

Speaking of, there are also some options in Talkeetna as well. And if you camp in the town, you have the added perk of exploring Talkeetna in the evening. More on Talkeetna in Day 5.

Day 2: Denali

Good morning! Before you head out, make sure you are stocked up on everything you’ll need for the next few days. You can either do this on day 1 or this morning before you go.

DENALI TIP! There was a large landslide called the Pretty Rocks Landslide that occurred at Mile 45.4, and the furthest you can go by bus is to Mile Marker 43. The closure will remain through 2026. Even though you won’t be able to go as far into the park, there’s still plenty to see and do.

Stock your Fridge Before you Go!

With the exception of Costco, I would recommend getting out of Anchorage to stock up. Fred Meyer and Three Bears are my top recommendations to get groceries and necessities.

About 20 minutes north of Anchorage is the town of Eagle River that has a large Fred Meyer just off the highway. Then a bit further down the highway is Three Bears, also just off the highway. Three Bears carries more local Alaskan grown items (mostly vegetables and some local goodies) and also carries some Kirkland Products. Just type in either one for locations.

If you’re not familiar with Fred Meyer, it’s a large grocery store chain owned by Kroger. I recommend signing up for their free loyalty card to get steep discounts on nearly everything at the store. Carrs and Safeway are other options but are more costly, and there’s also a few Costco’s in Anchorage (including a business one) if you have a membership.

Talkeetna Stop

Now you’ll start to make your way north toward Denali National Park. I recommend stopping in Talkeetna for a few hours.

You can grab some local beer at Denali Brewing Company (they have a huge gravel parking area) and try the famous Spinach Bread in town. It’s a cute historic town and you can see it all in an hour or so. There is a large parking area to the right as you’re entering town (just as you turn left at the bend). Otherwise you can check for spots at the end of the road.

If you want to spend a night here, you can stay at one of the many RV parks such as Talkeetna Camper Park (can walk to town from here) or for something more secluded, you could stay at Talkeetna Lake Retreat. Veterans and active duty can stay for $20 at parking lot of the local VFW.

After that, continue on toward Denali National Park. Stop at the lookout point at mile marker 134.8. It’ll be to your left and has viewing scopes and a breathtaking view of Denali on a clear day.

Where to Stay in Denali

There are quite a few campground options inside the park.

Teklanika Campground

This campground is located the furthest inside the park. It’s located at mile marker 29.1 along a gravel road and has a minimum stay requirement of 3 days. There are 53 campsites here. And once you go in, you can’t drive out until you leave. However, this doesn’t mean you’re stuck. Instead, you can use the transit buses that frequent the road daily.

This is a great option for people who love the great outdoors, want the best chance at seeing wildlife (well theoretically anyway), and want to hike or spend time exploring the park on foot and bus.

There are no showers here but there are toilets. There also aren’t any hookups but generators are allowed at certain times during the day. So with this option you’re definitely roughing it more than at other places I’ll mention.

If you want to do some of the excursions and hike on well established trails, I would not recommend staying here.

Riley Creek Campground

I really loved staying at this campground a few years ago. It’s right at the entry to the park so you don’t need to drive far off the highway (but don’t worry, you’re still secluded). There are 142 spots with a mix of options for tent campers and RV’s up to 40 feet. The sites are wooded and private with a table and fire pit. There are also amenities such as laundry, wi-fi, and showers.

Savage River Campground

This is another beautiful campground that books up quickly. Savage River is located at Mile 13 inside the park. Many people enjoy this park for the more secluded campsites and that it’s further into the park. There are only 32 sites here and the only amenities are trash cans, potable water, and restrooms (no shower).

Day 3: Denali – Hiking, Rafting, and Exploring

Today is a choose your own adventure day. These are the top things to do while at Denali National Park.

If you stayed at Teklenika, your options will be a bit different because you won’t be able to easily drive out. This location is perfect to hop on the green buses and go hiking and wildlife viewing.

If you stayed at one of the campgrounds closer to the entrance, there are more options for you.

Option 1: Whitewater Rafting

This is the most adventurous option of the day. I recommend going with New Wave Adventures as that’s who we used and we had a great time. This was the tour we did and loved it! And don’t worry, they provide everything you’ll need (gear, instructions, etc).

Option 2: Day Hike

If you want to do some exploring on foot, I recommend one of the day hike.

There are guided hike options such as this 5-hour option with a naturalist guide.

There are also some popular DIY hikes near the entrance to the park. I recommend Horseshoe Lake Trail or Savage River Loop Trail.

If you want to hike into the park but don’t want to go alone or face high tour fees, consider a hike with a park ranger. These hikes are free and educational (but you will need to purchase a bus ticket). There’s also a free sled dog demonstration and ranger talks. You can find all of the ranger programs at Denali NP at this link. (Please note that for the hikes you need to provide at least a day notice, so be sure to stop by the day you arrive or call and secure your spot).

Day 4: Denali Bus Tour

Today you’ll set out on one of the famous Denali bus tours.

This is the only way to get past mile marker 15 of the park. There is a narrated and a non-narrated option. The narrated bus is the more popular option but costs quite a bit more. The non-narrated option won’t provide as much history or stop as long for wildlife, but it’s about a quarter of the cost and is more of a hop-on hop-off type of bus.

It’s encouraged to get out and explore. Denali NP is one of the only national parks in the country that encourages hiking and exploring everywhere, not just on trails. With the bus system you can hop on and hop off and explore as you please.

Bus Tip: We did a bus tour a few years ago, and I want to set you up with some realistic expectations. Inside the park, they use old school buses with not so comfy seats (in my opinion). I’m not a big person but I found them to be small considering the time we’d be spending on the bus. So just don’t expect the large more luxury buses that you might get elsewhere.

Day 5: Nancy Lake, Talkeetna, or Eklutna Lake

Today you’ll pack up and make your way south toward the Kenai Peninsula. Before you get there, though, you’ll head to a beautiful campground of your choice. Refer to Day 1 for campsites at Nancy Lake and Eklutna Lake.

For Talkeetna, you can either stay in town or look at one of the private campgrounds a few miles out of town. The perks of being right in town mean more amenities like restaurants and shops, but if you want the more remote camping experience there are great options outside of town.

Campgrounds in Talkeetna

Talkeetna Camper Park

This is a full service RV campground just outside the town of Talkeetna (about a half mile walk from the historic town). Link here.

Talkeetna RV Park and Boat Launch

Don’t let the name mislead you. This is a pretty wooded area about .8-miles past the town. So it’s private enough that you are completely in nature but close enough to town to walk there for dinner and a drink. Nightly rates are also really reasonable too at $25 per night. Link here.

This place is on a first come first served basis and is a dry campground without hookups.

VFW

If you are active duty or a veteran, you can stay at the large gravel parking area at the VFW. I believe they still go off of a donation basis and we’ve paid $20 per night in the past. There are a few VFW’s and many military campgrounds around the state (Valdez, Seward, etc) so if you are a Veteran be sure to see if you are able to stay at one of these locations. Eagle River also has has a large gravel parking area and allows overnight parking.

Campgrounds Near Talkeetna

Nancy Lake and Montana Creek are near Willow and south of Talkeetna (listed in Day 1). Here are a few other options I can recommend.

K’esugi Ken Campground

This is a large and well organized campground with 32 RV sites. This is further north than Talkeetna, though, so you would need to backtrack a bit if you wanted to stay here. These can be reserved through Reserve America (link here).

Byers Lake

This is another option. It’s a quiet area set among trees with Byers Lake as well. There are 73 campsites here and public toilets as well. There are a few hiking trails and it’s quite secluded (booking link).

Day 6: Hope

Today you’ll head south to the small and quirky town of Hope. I included Hope in the itinerary because I wanted to provide a unique option that also has some nice campgrounds. If you would prefer to plant yourself somewhere for a few days, you can skip Hope and continue on to Cooper Landing. But, I think an overnight in Hope is a fun experience and a unique place to go as it’s not a big tourist spot.

So why Hope? This little town is at the end of the road along the large Cook Inlet, locally known as Turnagain Arm. It’s about a 30 minute detour off the Seward Highway and is at the end of a road.

It has some interesting history. In 1895 Hope was established as the site of the first gold rush, but didn’t last long once word caught on of the Klondike Gold Rush. Most of the original log buildings are still here today and there’s even a museum called the Hope & Sunrise Historical Mining Museum.

There’s a few cafes and restaurants, and on weekends you can often find live music too.

Campgrounds in Hope

The best campground is Porcupine Campground. It’s a stunning area at the end of the road with private wooded lots. There’s also a few private campgrounds in town and also boondocking available

Day 7: Cooper Landing & Soldotna

Today you’ll continue making your way down the Kenai Peninsula toward Soldotna. Along this route are multiple camping options that I’ll outline below.

The Cooper Landing and Soldotna area are fantastic locations for fishing. Cooper Landing has the beautiful Kenai and Russian Rivers. Here you’ll find world class fishing as well as some leisurely rafting. The Soldotna area is a pass through town with beautiful areas around it.

Campgrounds

Quartz Creek Campground

Near Cooper Landing I recommend Quartz Creek Campground. Some of the sites butt up to the massive Kenai Lake and most are wooded. At the entrance is the Cooper Landing Brewery which also serves food.

Russian River Campground

Another good option is the Russian River Campground. This is a popular place for camping, hiking, and fishing. When the fish are running you may spot bears along the river. There’s also a ferry that takes people across the large river to fish on the other side too. There are 83 campsites and 130 day use parking spots.

Soldotna Campgrounds

Continuing on down the road you could instead head further to Soldotna. The Kenai River winds it’s way through here and there’s more amenities and large grocery stores. So if you want to be closer to stores and restaurants while still having the Alaska experience, this is a good place to go.

Soldotna is also a huge fishing town. The town nearly connects to Kenai, and the long Kenai beach overlooking Mt Iliamna and Mt Redoubt are just a few minutes away. There are boon docking spots all around this area.

In Soldotna you can go to Google Maps and simply type in ‘RV Park’ and many places will show up. Diamond M Ranch Resort is a large RV park with 77 RV sites and many built in activities (including fishing). Otherwise I would look at RV Parks along the Kenai River with fishing gear. If you simply want a beautiful area you can check out Harborside RV Park right on the Cook Inlet.

Day 8: Fishing & Exploring Homer

Today I recommend going on a fishing trip. Fishing on the Kenai River is fun and very different than simply fishing at a lake. I am by no means a fisher person but I tried it out one year with my dad who is an avid fisherman and loved it.

People line up all along the shore in their waders and catch fish (no snagging allowed) as the head down the river. I find fishing in stagnant waters a bit boring but loved fishing here and would do it again!

If you want to do some exploring, you could instead head to Homer for the day. There’s a large parking area on Outer Dock Road at the harbor toward the end of the Spit just for RV’s. I have a complete guide on things to do in Homer here.

Day 9: Seward

Today you’ll head to the beautiful fishing town of Seward. This little fishing town sits in a fjord with snow capped mountains surrounding it. There are some great campsites right along the waterfront in town. There are also campgrounds further away from town.

Seward is a fantastic fishing and cruise port town set in a deep fjord. It’s typically people’s favorite part of their visit as this area is simply gorgeous. Use this guide on what to do while you’re here.

Here are my favorite campgrounds.

Campgrounds in Seward

Around Seward

Miller’s Landing – This is my hands down top choice in Seward (you can read why here). No you can’t just walk up to a restaurant. But, what you get instead is the feeling of complete seclusion while just being a few miles down the road. Many sites are set in the woods among the massive Sitka Spruce trees and there is a large annex area that’s a large gravel parking lot.

Miller’s Landing is located at an area called Lowell Point, just past the town of Seward along a dirt road.

I love it here for so many reasons. There’s a long stretch of beach with all sorts of jellyfish and critters that wash ashore during low tide. You also get better views and can see the mouth of the bay from here. You can build a fire anywhere along the beach. There’s a small cafe that serves food and now drinks, and this is where boats launch for fishing trips, where popular kayaking trips start, and where you can watch sea lions and sea otters and even whales in the water.

Riptide RV Resort – This is a brand new RV park that opened along the other side of the bay. Here you’ll find fishing access, hot showers, and even a luxury spa. The sites are lined up next to each other on compact gravel, so you won’t have trees or privacy.

Seward KOA – This is part of the massive KOA system across the US and Canada. This campground is not in Seward but people like it because of the amenities such as playgrounds, mini golf, a cafe, dog park, fire rings at every site, laundry, and bathrooms with showers. The actual sites sit on a large open gravel parking lot which isn’t everyone’s idea of camping, but the sites are large.

Day 10: Seward

Today you’ll head out on the water for an epic wildlife and glacier cruise. This 6-hour tour with Major Marine is my favorite. If you want to maximize your time on the water, they also have a longer 8.5 hour option and a shorter 5 hour option (which in my opinion is best with smaller children).

This tour is typically considered a highlight of a bucket list Alaska trip.

Day 11: Seward or Portage Valley

Today you have the option of another free day in Seward or instead heading to Portage Valley to try out one more campground before heading out. If you think you’ll be tired from the trip, there’s enough to do here to keep you busy, but if you like to explore and see more then I recommend hitting the road!

If you stay, I recommend heading to Seavey’s dog mushing kennel or going on an kayaking tour. Here are all my recommendations in Seward.

Portage Valley

If you’re heading to Portage, I recommend packing up early and hitting the road. Be sure to fill up before you go and stop by Safeway for any food you may need (this is the only large store on your drive today).

Portage Valley is located in the Chugach National Forest and about 50 miles southeast of Anchorage. Portage is before Whittier and near both Byron Glacier and Portage Glacier.

This area is beautiful – there’s a gorgeous turquoise glacial river that feeds into Portage Lake. There’s forests and glaciers and mountains too. There is a 5 mile trail called the Trail of Blue Ice. This area is also just a few miles off the main highway while feeling completely tucked away.

Campgrounds in Portage

Williwaw – This is best campground here. Most of the sites are treed, there’s fishing nearby, and it sits along the Trail of Blue Ice.

Day 12: Anchorage Fly Out

Today you’ll make your way back to Anchorage to return your RV and head out. Give yourself plenty of time to get back and return your vehicle. If you have extra time you can head downtown and do some last minute shopping.

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