National Park Service
Near McCarthy, Alaska: Free, tent sites only, no RV pads. Open Mid-June through August. Free backcountry permits — first-come at McCarthy Ranger Station.
National Park Service
Managing authority
Near McCarthy, Alaska
How much does camping at Kennicott Glacier Backcountry (Wrangell-St. Elias NP) cost, and when is it open?
Kennicott Glacier Backcountry (Wrangell-St. Elias NP) near McCarthy, Alaska (National Park Service) — camping fee Free, season Mid-June through August, RV size limit Tent-only. Reservations: Free backcountry permits — first-come at McCarthy Ranger Station — book direct through the official channel.
The numbers
Fee range
Free
Season open
Mid-June through August
RV size limit
Tent-only
Reservation window
Free backcountry permits — first-come at McCarthy Ranger Station
The insider read
McCarthy Road footbridge ends the road for vehicles — you walk in. Free permit is mandatory; rangers brief you on bear-canister rentals and the unstable moraine zones. The Root Glacier toe sits 1.5 miles past Kennicott town; pitch above the lateral moraine, not on it.
Original analysis from PickRV — synthesised from public sources you can verify, pulling the operational details competitor guides typically skip.
Verify at nps.govOn site
Book it right
PickRV doesn't handle campground bookings — reserve direct through the official channel so policies and cancellations flow through one record.
Opens nps.gov
Every fact above is sourced from the managing agency's canonical page. Cross-check fee, season, and size limit before you depend on them.
Match the campground's size limit and hookup level to a vehicle category, then plan the rest of the trip.
Keep exploring
Near Fairbanks
StateInsider tip · Closest paved-loop camp to Chena Hot Springs — 40-min drive east. Aurora viewing late August/early September from the open meadow at the day-use area; no light pollution after midnight when the Hot Springs traffic dies down.
Near Seward
NPSInsider tip · 12 walk-in tent sites — no RVs, no fees, free firewood from the ranger station. Bear lockers mandatory (electric fence around the loop). Closest legal car camp to the Harding Icefield trailhead; start hiking at 6am to beat the helicopter-tour noise window 10am-3pm.
Near Seward
PrivateInsider tip · Resurrection Bay on one side, mountain wall on the other. The 'Marathon' loop fills first for the 4th-of-July weekend (Mount Marathon Race day). The full-hookup spots face east — sea-otters surface 6am within feet of your hookup post.
Near Homer
PrivateInsider tip · The Spit is a 4.5-mile gravel sandbar — sites at the very end face Kachemak Bay glaciers. Bald-eagle scrum 4-5pm when the cannery cleans tables; the city campground host kayak rentals at the Fishing Hole loop.
Nearby & related
Sourced costs, campground directories, and the places worth a detour — the next layer of Alaska trip planning.
Before you go
Alaska rules
Verified 2026-05-10