Black Bear Campground
Black Bear Campground is open. During the off-season there is no water, no trash service, and no fees. Please pack out all garbage. Outhouse/toilet facilities may be unavailable. A small loop campground with 12 sites suitable for vehicle camping (RV's not recommended) and tents. 12 sites. Vault toilet, hand driven water pump, dumpster, picnic tables, fire rings, bear lockers. Not included: running water, electricity, dump station, or wood. $14/night
Sites are first-come, first-served. Recreation.gov lists this campground for paying on site, and you may be able to pay with the Scan and Pay feature of its app.
More like this: first-come in Alaska · free in Alaska
Site mix
| Standard, no hookups | 12 |
Site guide
1 site. Tap a filter to narrow the list; the map follows.
| Site |
|---|
| Scan & Pay |
Per-site records as published by the managing agency on Recreation.gov. Blank cells mean the agency listed nothing for that site.
Amenities & rules
Vault toilets, picnic tables, and bear boxes are provided at Black Bear Campground. Campsites are nicely separated, but no electric hookups are available.
Individual sites vary. Confirm on Recreation.gov or with the managing office.
Season & status
| Status | Temporarily closed |
| Forest | Chugach National Forest |
| Booking | No reservations are taken for the Black Bear Campground. There is a user pay station at the entrance to the campground. |
Weather by month
Getting there
At mile post 78.9 of the Seward Highway, turn onto the Portage Highway. Drive 3.7 miles and the Black Bear Campground will be on your right.
| Nearest town | Girdwood, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 60.7885° N, 148.8888° W · Directions ↗ |
Explore
Video
Camping at Black Bear Campground at Lake James
Trails nearby
- 0.3 miWilliwaw Nature Trail ↗2.6 mi trail · hiking, bike, snowshoe, ski · national_recreation_or_other
- 0.6 miWilliwaw Nature Trail Spur0.1 mi trail · hiking
- 0.8 miInht: Trail of Blue Ice Snow ↗4.7 mi trail · snowshoe, ski · national_scenic_or_historic
- 1.6 miInht: Trail of Blue Ice ↗4.7 mi trail · hiking, bike · national_scenic_or_historic
- 1.6 miGary Williams Moraine Trail0.2 mi trail · hiking
- 1.8 miByron Glacier Trail1.4 mi trail · hiking
Trail and trailhead records are the Forest Service's. Distances are straight-line to the nearer trail end. Trail conditions are not tracked here.
Public land it sits in
This campground sits inside Chugach National Forest.
- inChugach National Forest ↗National Forest · Forest Service · 6,244,689 acres
Each unit is published as a centre point and an acreage rather than a boundary, so this section stands it in for a circle of the same area. Whether a campground is inside, and how far it is from one it is outside, are both approximate.
Other campgrounds nearby
Cabin and lookout rentals nearby
On the National Register nearby
- Alaska Central Railroad: Tunnel No. 1Structure · Seward · 10.9 mi
- Mt. Alyeska RoundhouseBuilding · Girdwood · 13.6 mi
Natural features
Black Bear campground sits in the stunning Portage Valley in the Chugach National Forest.
Recreation
Wildlife viewing includes moose, brown and black bears, mountain goats, lynx, bald eagles, and salmon. The Trail of Blue Ice that stretches almost the entire length of Portage Valley can be reached from the campground. From this trail you can acces the Williwaw Nature Trail, Williwaw Fish Viewing Platform, Moose Flats Area, Begich Boggs Visitor Center, Byron Glacier Trail, and Portage Glacier Cruises. Portage Lake, at the head of the valley, allows access for kayaking and packrafting.
Nearby
Begich Boggs Visitor Center lies at the head of Portage Valley where you can learn about glaciers and Alaska. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is located on near the intersect of the Seward Higway and Portage Highway. Here you can see all different kinds of Alaskan wildlife. Portage Glacier Cruises offers the chance to ride a boat and get up close to Portage Glacier.
Guidebooks for Alaska
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
Do I need a reservation at Black Bear Campground?
No. Black Bear Campground is first-come, first-served. No reservations are taken for the Black Bear Campground. Sites are taken on arrival and paid at the fee station.
Source: Forest Service
How much does it cost to camp at Black Bear Campground?
Nothing. Black Bear Campground is listed as free.
Source: Forest Service
Is Black Bear Campground open right now?
Temporarily closed as of Oct 16, 2026.
Source: Forest Service status
How many sites does Black Bear Campground have?
12 sites, including 12 standard sites without power.
Source: Forest Service
What is there to do at Black Bear Campground?
Wildlife viewing includes moose, brown and black bears, mountain goats, lynx, bald eagles, and salmon. The Recreation section on this page has the rest.
Source: Recreation
What is the nearest town to Black Bear Campground?
Girdwood, Alaska. Begich Boggs Visitor Center lies at the head of Portage Valley where you can learn about glaciers and Alaska.
Source: Getting there
What if Black Bear Campground is full?
The nearest public campgrounds are Williwaw Campground (0.4 mi, partly first-come), Spencer Glacier Whistle Stop Group Campground (8.1 mi), and Bertha Creek Campground (12.6 mi, first-come).
Source: Campgrounds nearby