A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Forest Service campground

Bertha Creek Campground

Forest Service campground in Chugach National Forest, Kenai Peninsula County, Alaska. 768 feet. 20.1 miles from Whittier.

Managed by
Forest Service Chugach National Forest
Elevation
768 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
12 12 standard non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

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. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.

If this option is available, you will need to first download the free Recreation.gov mobile app https://www.recreation.gov/mobile-app prior to your arrival as some remote areas have limited or no cellular service.

Recreation

Bertha Creek campground makes a convenient base for berry picking, hiking, biking and exploring the area. The family can try out gold panning on unvegetated gravels along Bertha Creek.

Facilities

Bertha Creek Campground is a small loop campground with 12 sites suitable for vehicle camping, small RV's and tents. Each campsite has a fire ring and a picnic table. There are also vault toilets, a water spigot, and trash services durring the summer months.

Natural Features

Bertha Creek Campground is located just south of Turnagain Pass on the Seward Highway in the Kenai Mountains. The campground is tucked into an open forest beside the confluence of Bertha and Granite creeks at the base of steep mountains.

Nearby Attractions

Explorers can travel 1.5 miles south on the Seward Highway to the Johnston Pass Trailhead. From this trailhead you can hike or bike either the trail or the paved bike path that stretches roughly seven miles south to the wayside near the intersect of the Hope and Seward Highways. One can also head north on the Seward Highway 3 miles and reach Turnagain Pass. The parking area on the south side of the Highway offers access to the Turnagain Pass Trail to hike or bike and has ample opportunites to see wildlife and wildflowers in bloom.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • camping
  • hiking
  • mountain biking
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Bertha Creek Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated May 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.