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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Activities powered by Viator. Prices and availability come from each provider and are confirmed when you book with them.

Near the lake · 426 m from the Kenai Lake shoreline · access not confirmedRV parks near Kenai Lake →
  1. Home
  2. Alaska
  3. Trail River

Camping at Trail River near Seward

Public campground · Seward · 91 campsites · 1 group

A forested campground near trout fishing, hiking, and mountain biking. Most campsites have no hookups, and RV fit varies by site.

About this campground

Trail River is a practical base for a wide range of activities: shoreline trout fishing right from the beach can be productive for Dolly Varden, rainbow and lake trout (anglers must carry a State of Alaska fishing license and follow regulations; special restrictions apply within a quarter-mile of inlet streams, and Kenai Lake is closed to salmon fishing). Miles of hiking and biking trails ring the campground; within about a mile of the entrance you'll find Falls Creek Trail, Crown Point Mine Road, Ptarmigan Creek Trail and Vagt Lake Trail, all of which tie into portions of the Iditarod National Historic Trail and allow for several loop hikes where bridges and connections exist.

5.0 on Recreation.gov · 96 reviewsBook on Recreation.gov
View all 6 photos

At a glance

  • RV sites up to 75 ft

    Length limits vary by campsite.

  • No hookups
  • Pets not allowed
  • Public land
OverviewCampsitesAmenities & locationReviewsPlan your stay

0 available sites

0 open of 91 sites
No sites offered for these dates.

We checked every night of your stay on Recreation.gov: no site is open for all 2 nights. Some sites are open on some nights.

Flexible dates

View the next available two-night stay.

Looking for the next open dates…
Fixed dates

Compare nearby campgrounds open for these dates. Your camping setup, rig size, hookups and dates stay applied.

Nearby campgrounds open for these dates
Check Recreation.gov directly ↗
View full availability calendar · night-by-night from Recreation.gov

Check dates on Recreation.gov. Showing 40 of 92 sites.

SiteFr
13
Sa
14
Price
038
rv nonelectric
––$23
018
rv nonelectric
––$23
048
rv nonelectric
––$23
024
rv nonelectric
––$23
047
rv nonelectric
––$23
080
rv nonelectric
––$23
085
tent only nonelectric
––$23
089
tent only nonelectric
––$23
045
rv nonelectric
––$23
073
rv nonelectric
No site is open for every night of your stay

You book directly on Recreation.gov. Rates and availability can change until reserved. Campground page on Recreation.gov ↗

No sites offered for these dates
Book on Recreation.gov

Amenities & location

Check-in
2:00 PM
Checkout
12:00 PM
Pets
Pets not allowed
Maximum stay
14 nights

Hookups (individual campsites): 91 no-hookup individual sites · group site listed separately (1 no-hookup).

Location

Seward Ranger District, 33599 Ranger Station Spur
Open in Google Maps ↗

Trail River: questions answered

What is the maximum RV length at Trail River?
Longest RV site listed: 75 ft (46 of 51 RV sites list a length) (per the listing)
Does Trail River have RV hookups?
91 no-hookup individual sites · group site listed separately (1 no-hookup) (per the listing)
How do I reserve a site at Trail River?
Reservable on Recreation.gov (per the listing)
Sources and details

At a glance

Official facts link to their source; “Listing” facts come from the Recreation.gov listing. Anything we can't source says so.

Max rig length
Listing Longest RV site listed: 75 ft (46 of 51 RV sites list a length)
Hookups & power
Listing 91 no-hookup individual sites · group site listed separately (1 no-hookup)
Pull-through / back-in
Listing 7 pull-through, 47 back-in
Road & site access
Listing 54 gravel site driveways
Cell signal
Listing Visitor-reported signal on Recreation.gov (higher is better): AT&T 0 (54 reports), Verizon 0 (10 reports)
Booking
Listing Reservable on Recreation.gov
Price
Listing Lowest listed rate $23/night (live price once you pick dates)
Stay limits
Listing 14 nights max
Getting there
Listing Seward Ranger District, 33599 Ranger Station Spur (map in Location below)
Pets · Generators · Quiet hours · Starlink / satellite · Water · Shade
Not listed — check with campground

Reviews

Themes from recent written reviews on Recreation.gov. Quotes are verbatim.

Quiet, wooded sites · 2 reviews

“It was a quiet few days, weather was good, some family joined us and camped nearby.”

Joyce T · Sep 2025

Selected reviews

Verbatim from guest reviews on Recreation.gov ↗ (96 reviews, ★ 5.0). Not written or edited by us.

“We chose mid-September to go camping here. The park was not filled to capacity, which was nice! It was a quiet few days, weather was good, some family joined us and camped nearby. Overall, we really like this campground. ”

Joyce T 5 · Sep 2025 · Recreation.gov

“Roomy sites with a various degrees of seclusion feel. Day sites along the lake can be busy, but very nice to have the access. ”

Joseph K 5 · Aug 2025 · Recreation.gov
Nearby

Campgrounds to compare

Prefer a roof?

Prefer a roof over your head

All glamping →
  • Nauti Otter Inn and Yurt Village16.6 mi · Seward
  • Seward KOA Holiday17.9 mi · Seward
  • Nash Bayfront Campground19.9 mi · Seward
  • Scenic Camping, Cabins, Fishing19.9 mi · Seward

Explore nearby

  • Campgrounds near Crown Point
  • RV rentals near Crown Point
  • Glamping & cabins near Crown Point
  • RV rentals in Alaska
  • Glamping in Alaska

Guides for this trip

  • How much does it cost to rent an RV?
  • Camping with dogs
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights11 sites open for every night

Float-n-Fish Campground

17.2 mi from Trail River (straight-line)
Sites from $26/night
$52 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Available Nov 13–15 · 2 nights4 sites open for every night

Seward Camping

18 mi from Trail River (straight-line)
Sites from $35/night
$70 total for Nov 13–15 · before taxes & fees
Rates & availability from Hipcamp · you book on their site
View Campsites
Check dates on Spot2Nite

Creek View Campground

17.6 mi from Trail River (straight-line)
Spot2Nite didn't list open sites in the next month; it may be booked or not on sale yet.
Rates & availability from Spot2Nite · you book on their site
View Campsites
–
–
$23
015
rv nonelectric
––$23
030
rv nonelectric
––$23
011
rv nonelectric
––$23
017
rv nonelectric
––$23
062
rv nonelectric
––$23
078
rv nonelectric
––$23
013
rv nonelectric
––$23
083
rv nonelectric
––$23
088
tent only nonelectric
––$23
070
rv nonelectric
––$23
067
rv nonelectric
––$23
010
rv nonelectric
––$23
077
rv nonelectric
––$23
005
tent only nonelectric
––$23
008
rv nonelectric
––$23
026
rv nonelectric
––$23
049
rv nonelectric
––$23
033
rv nonelectric
––$23
007
rv nonelectric
––$23
065
tent only nonelectric
––$23
031
rv nonelectric
––$23
054
tent only nonelectric
––$23
074
rv nonelectric
––$23
066
rv nonelectric
––$23
060
rv nonelectric
––$23
044
rv nonelectric
––$23
003
rv nonelectric
––$23
009
rv nonelectric
––$23
090
tent only nonelectric
––$23
091
rv nonelectric
––$23

✓ available · R reserved · X not available · C closed · W first come, first served · N not yet released

Compare site types

91 individual reservable campsites from Recreation.gov, checked Nov 7 · 1 group site listed separately. Rates are the listed nightly rates.

Rv nonelectric

75 sites · $23/night

Loops: River Terrace loop (27), Spruce Wood loop (26), Eagle Point loop (22)

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Tent-only sites

Tents only, no power

16 sites · $23/night

Loops: Eagle Point loop (8), Spruce Wood loop (6), River Terrace loop (2)

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Group shelter nonelectric (group)

1 site · $200/night

Loops: Group Site loop (1)

0 open Nov 13–Nov 15

Trip idea

Ideas for your stay

An idea to start from, built from this campground's listing and real tours nearby. Times, openings and prices change, so check each before you go.

  1. Day 1 · Arrive and settle in

    • Check in and set up camp.
    • fish for trout (per the campground listing)
  2. Day 2 · Get out and explore

    • Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier & Wildlife Cruise Seward area · 6 hr · from $287/person
    • Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay Half Day Wildlife Cruise Seward area · 4 hr · from $177/person
  3. Optional full-day extension

    Longer tours — plan travel time before and after.

    • Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier and Wildlife Tour from Seward Seward area · 6 hr · from $230/person
Ways to stay

Bring a tent or have an RV waiting

  • Tent camping here: 16 sites take tents. See open sites ↑

Need an RV for your stay?

Rentals that may deliver here and whose listed length fits sites up to 75 ft. Delivery may be available — confirm fees and dates with the owner before you book.

2022 Winnebago Solis - Denali Dreamer
2022 Winnebago Solis - Denali Dreamer

Camper van · 19 ft · sleeps 4 · 54 mi from campground

$319/night listed · RVshare · Delivery may be available

View rental
2004 Fleetwood Tioga Alaskan Explorer (The Moho)
2004 Fleetwood Tioga Alaskan Explorer (The Moho)

Class C motorhome · 29 ft · sleeps 6 · 57 mi from campground

$195/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
2013 Winnebago Chalet
2013 Winnebago Chalet

Class C motorhome · 31 ft · sleeps 8 · 57 mi from campground

$225/night listed · Outdoorsy · Delivery may be available

View rental
Things to do

Activities near Trail River

Bookable tours nearby

Paid experiences on Viator. Distances are from this campground when the tour lists its own start point.

Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier & Wildlife Cruise
Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier & Wildlife Cruise

Seward area · 6 hr · from $287/person

Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay Half Day Wildlife Cruise
Kenai Fjords and Resurrection Bay Half Day Wildlife Cruise

Seward area · 4 hr · from $177/person

Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier and Wildlife Tour from Seward
Kenai Fjords National Park Glacier and Wildlife Tour from Seward

Seward area · 6 hr · from $230/person

See 6 more bookable tours
Full-Day Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise
Full-Day Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise

Seward area · 7.5 hr · from $319/person

Best time to go

Seasons, rates and how booked it gets

  • Peak season May 21–Sep 13: Tent $23–$200, RV $23 per night
Plan your stay

How far ahead to book Trail River

For May weekends, book about 174 days ahead. Three in four May Friday and Saturday arrivals were booked later than that, and half were booked 140 days or less before arrival. Past timing is guidance, not a guarantee of what is open now.

See booking patterns
Arrival monthFri/Sat arrivals: half booked at leastA quarter at leastOther days: half booked at leastA quarter at least
May140 days ahead174 days ahead119 days ahead160 days ahead
June123 days ahead163 days ahead85 days ahead155 days ahead
July91 days ahead162 days ahead78 days ahead163 days ahead
August51 days ahead139 days ahead50 days ahead140 days ahead
September27 days ahead91 days ahead57 days ahead166 days ahead

Months with fewer than 30 reservations of that kind are left blank. Sites where nearly every booking was made the day of arrival (pay on arrival) are left out. Closed seasons, windows not yet released for booking, and currently unavailable nights are separate from this history.

Based on Recreation.gov reservations, FY2015–2025 (11,536 reservations in the years scored). Counts reservations made, not nights actually camped: cancellations aren't in the data, and nights a site was closed count as not booked. FY2020–21 (COVID) are left out of the scores.

Full Day Kenai Fjords National Park Northwestern Cruise
Full Day Kenai Fjords National Park Northwestern Cruise

Seward area · 8.5 hr · from $362/person

Wilderness Dog Sled Ride and Tour in Seward
Wilderness Dog Sled Ride and Tour in Seward

Seward area · 1.5 hr · from $126/person

Helicopter Glacier & Dog Sledding Adventure Tour
Helicopter Glacier & Dog Sledding Adventure Tour

Seward area · 1.5 hr · from $679/person

Half-day Resurrection Bay & Wildlife Tour from Seward
Half-day Resurrection Bay & Wildlife Tour from Seward

Seward area · 4 hr · from $150/person

Full day Northwestern Glacier & Wildlife Tour from Seward
Full day Northwestern Glacier & Wildlife Tour from Seward

Seward area · 8 hr · from $288/person