Childs Glacier Recreation Area and Campground

About this campsite

Overview

This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Eleven maintained campsites are available at $10 per night. Payment can be made at a self-serve fee box located at the main pavilion.

Visitors to Childs Glacier Campground and Recreation Area are instantly captivated by spectacular views of Childs Glacier, famous for its calving icebergs that once put on a great show. Other must-do activities in the area include hiking along the river and fishing for salmon.

Childs Glacier was once accessible by road. In 2011 the dynamic nature of the Copper River washed out a section of highway at mile 36. Additional road damage occurred in 2018, washing out part of the road at Mile 44. Outfitters now provide tours and transport to the site.

Recreation

The Copper River boasts plenty of salmon. Wildlife watching opportunities include moose, grizzly and black bears. Lucky campers may spot bears fishing on the opposite side of the river.

Recommended trails include Copper River and Childs Glacier North. Copper River Trail connects Childs Glacier Recreation Area to the historic Million Dollar Bridge following the shores of the Copper River. Childs Glacier North Trail begins north of the Million Dollar Bridge and leads hikers to the face of Childs Glacier.

Facilities

The campground is now suited for tents only. A portion of the campground and associated recreation area continues to be maintained, though trash must be packed out. There is a large covered viewing platform and covered pavilion, information boards, picnic tables, vault toilets, and a hiking trail. Drinking water is provided at hand pumps.

Recreation Sites

• Standard Nonelectric

• Tent Only Nonelectric

• Overnight

Natural Features

Childs Glacier Campground is nestled in the Chugach Mountains on the south coast of Alaska. Alder, willow, devil's club and fern make up much of the campground understory. Tall cottonwoods dominate overhead. The campground is about 300 feet from the Copper River, a wide, glacier fed river that creates the extensive Copper River Delta and flows into the Gulf of Alaska.

Contact Info

For facility specific information, please call (907) 424-7661.

Nearby Attractions

The historic Million Dollar Bridge, constructed in 1910, is nearby. The bridge over the Copper River was used to transport copper from the old mining town of Kennicott to the port of Cordova.

Location

Childs Glacier Recreation Area and Campground•AK

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Weather Forecast

via Open-Meteo

SUN🌦️

9° / 6°

💧 100%

MON🌦️

9° / 6°

💧 100%

TUE🌦️

10° / 3°

💧 47%

WED🌤️

11° / 6°

💧 4%

THU🌦️

9° / 6°

💧 62%

Nearby Campsites

within 50km

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MCKINLEY LAKE CABIN

Overview McKinley Lake Cabin offers guests recreation, relaxation and a remote lodging experience in southcentral Alaska. Located on the northwest end of McKinley Lake in the Chugach National Forest, guests will find fishing, hiking, hunting and wildlife viewing all within the vicinity. Access to the cabin is by hiking, float plane or canoe. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities. Recreation McKinley Trail provides access to both the McKinley Trail Cabin, located just 100 yards from the trailhead, and this cabin, which is about 2.25 miles from the trailhead. The trail meets the shoreline of the lake at its southern lobe and at the cove at its upper end. Hiking approximately a quarter-mile beyond the cabin, visitors will find remnants of the Lucky Strike Mine. Rusting machinery, pipes and a collapsed tunnel are the most obvious evidence of the mine site. At approximately 1.25 miles from the McKinley Trail trailhead is the junction for the Pipeline Lakes Trail, which wanders through muskeg meadows and spruce-hemlock forests below steep mountainsides. In the spring, brown bears can be seen grazing on the new grass on the south-facing slopes. Anglers will find cutthroat trout near inlet creeks and gravel shoals near the cabin, and more healthy coho and sockeye at the mouth of the lake outlet. Many anglers concentrate on the Dolly Varden that follow the sockeye to eat their eggs. Walking up the Pipeline Lakes Trail, anglers will discover a series of five small lakes with resident cutthroat trout and some Dolly Varden. Using dry flies is the best bet in these lakes. Hunters can take advantage of a long hunting season in the surrounding national forest. Bear season occurs during spring and fall, while deer season begins in late summer and lasts through late fall. Facilities The 16-by-20 cabin is equipped with wooden bunks that sleep up to six guests. The cabin is equipped with a table, benches, wood stove for heat, saw, axe, splitting maul, a rainwater catchment barrel and an outdoor pit toilet. The cabin does not have running water, electricity or cut firewood. Visitors must bring their own supply of drinking water and firewood. Visitors must bring food, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, a cook stove, matches, cooking gear, lanterns or flashlights, toilet paper, a first aid kit and garbage bags. All trash and food must be packed out, and visitors are expected to clean the cabin before leaving. Natural Features The cabin is situated on McKinley Lake and is surrounded by a dense spruce and hemlock forest. Steep mountainous terrain encircles the area. Visitors will be treated to an abundance of wildlife. Loons and other waterfowl find habitat on the lake, while sockeye salmon splash and spawn in the nearby creek. Sitka black-tailed deer, moose, black and brown bear also inhabit the forest. Learn more about bear and moose safety in Alaska.

32.6 km away

MARTIN LAKE CABIN

Overview Martin Lake Cabin offers guests a remote lodging experience in the Chugach National Forest in southcentral Alaska. Located on the northwest end of Martin Lake, 42 miles east of Cordova, the cabin offers guests year-round recreation and relaxation. Fishing, hunting and wildlife viewing are within walking distance of the cabin. Access to the cabin is by float plane only, typically 30 minutes from Cordova. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety and must bring several of their own amenities. Recreation This cabin has some of the best fishing in the Cordova District, but it is also popular and reservations for the cabin need to be made early. The outlet stream is a good place to catch salmon and trout species. The inlet streams along the shore and at the far end of the lake are good places to fish for coho salmon. Dolly Varden follow the spawning salmon to eat any stray eggs. Cutthroat and rainbow trout hybrids are in the lakes and creeks in lesser numbers. A rowboat is available for cabin users; however, visitors may wish to rent a long shaft motor in Cordova to get to the far end of the lake. Visitors are responsible for bringing and using life vests. Hunters can take advantage of a long hunting season in the surrounding national forest. Bear season occurs during spring and fall, while deer season begins in late summer and lasts through late fall. Facilities The cabin is a 12-by-14 foot rustic structure equipped with wooden bunks that sleep up to six guests. It is furnished with a table, benches, wood stove, oil stove, saw, axe, splitting maul, a rainwater catchment barrel and an outdoor pit toilet. The cabin does not have running water, electricity, cut firewood or heating oil. Visitors must bring their own supply of drinking water, firewood and #1 stove oil for the oil stove. Visitors must bring food, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, a cook stove, matches, cooking gear, lanterns or flashlights, toilet paper, a first aid kit and garbage bags. All trash and food must be packed out, and visitors are expected to clean the cabin before leaving. Natural Features The cabin is situated at the outlet of Martin Lake. At the front of the cabin, alder and willow marsh provide habitat for waterfowl. Mountain goats navigate the ridge line of steep mountains rising from behind the cabin. Sitka black-tailed deer, moose, black and brown bear are also abundant in the area. Learn more about bear and moose safety in Alaska.

35.1 km away

MCKINLEY TRAIL CABIN

Overview Located just off the Copper River Highway in the Chugach National Forest, McKinley Trail Cabin offers guests year-round recreation and relaxation. Although the cabin isn't in the remote wilderness, it makes a good base camp for exploring the Copper River Delta and the surrounding areas. Fishing, hiking, hunting and wildlife viewing are within the vicinity. Access to the cabin is by motor vehicle. The trailhead to the cabin is located at Mile 21 of the Copper River Highway. The cabin is approximately 80 yards from the road on the McKinley Lake Trail. Visitors are responsible for their own travel arrangements and safety, and must bring several of their own amenities. Recreation For hikers and anglers wanting to explore the area, McKinley Trail provides access to nearby lakes and a historical mining site. Approximately 1.25 miles from the McKinley Trail trailhead is the junction for the Pipeline Lakes Trail, which wanders through muskeg meadows and spruce-hemlock forests below steep mountainsides. In the spring, brown bears can be seen grazing on the new grass on the south-facing slopes. The trail also reaches McKinley Lake and McKinley Lake Cabin, about 2.25 miles from the trailhead. The trail meets the shoreline of the lake at both its southern end, and at the cove at its upper area. Hiking approximately a quarter-mile beyond the cabin, visitors will find remnants of the Lucky Strike Mine. Rusting machinery, pipes and a collapsed tunnel are the most obvious evidence of the mine site. The closest fishing area to the McKinley Trail Cabin is just across the highway in the upper part of Alaganik Slough. The highway is a two-lane dirt road with anywhere from 10 to 75 vehicles per day. Coho salmon move into the slough with the high tides downstream. In late August and September, they start moving up the slough to the spawning grounds, passing near the cabin. Other coho salmon fishing spots are found in the area as well. Hunters can take advantage of a long hunting season in the surrounding national forest. Bear season occurs during spring and fall, while deer season begins in late summer and lasts through late fall. Facilities The 12-by-14 log cabin is equipped with wooden bunkbeds that sleep up to six guests. The cabin is furnished with a table, a wood stove for heat and an outdoor pit toilet. The cabin does not have running water, electricity or cut firewood. Visitors must bring their own supply of drinking water and firewood. Visitors must bring food, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, a cook stove, matches, cooking gear, lanterns or flashlights, toilet paper, a first aid kit and garbage bags. All trash and food must be packed out, and visitors are expected to clean the cabin before leaving. Natural Features McKinley Trail Cabin is located at the start of the McKinley Lake Trail in a dense spruce and hemlock forest. Steep mountainous terrain surrounds the area. Guests will be treated to an abundance of wildlife near the cabin. Waterfowl, Sitka blacked-tailed deer, moose, black and brown bear find habitat in the surrounding forest and nearby lakes. Learn more about bear and moose safety in Alaska.