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

Forest Service campground

Ptarmigan Creek

Forest Service campground in Chugach National Forest, Kenai Peninsula County, Alaska. 470 feet. 19.6 miles from Seward.

Managed by
Forest Service Chugach National Forest
Elevation
470 ft As the Forest Service states
Sites
13 13 standard non-electric
Longest rig
35 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Ptarmigan Creek is a small, peaceful campground with incredible views of the Chugach Mountains. Nestled beside Ptarmigan Creek and a short walk from Kenai Lake, the campground creates an ideal location for avid wildlife enthusiasts, hikers and anglers.

Miles of hiking and biking trails weave throughout the area, and moose, brown and black bear, sheep and goats can be found across a large part of the forest.

Recreation

From late August to early September campers can view red salmon spawning in the creek from Ptarmigan Creek's fish viewing platform.

Fishing is a popular pastime, and Dolly Varden and rainbow trout are frequent catches.

The Ptarmigan Lake Trail takes hikers along the shore of the turquoise lake and inclines up through meadows, brush and forest.

Facilities

Campground amenities include drinking water, vault toilets, picnic tables, campfire rings and dumpsters. No RV hookups are available but firewood is sold on-site. Parking aprons are gravel.

Natural Features

The campground sits in a wooded area at 470 feet elevation along Ptarmigan Creek. Campsites are shaded by spruce and paper birch, and mountain views are all around.

The campground is part of the Kenai Peninsula in the western part of Chugach National Forest. A largely alpine region with miles of fishing streams and remote mountain peaks, Chugach extends across more than 5 million acres of arid tundra wilderness, rugged mountains, deep fjords and the Prince William Sound.

Nearby Attractions

National Historic Iditarod Trail.

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

What people do here

  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Ptarmigan Creek

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 February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.