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A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service campground

Williwaw Campground

Forest Service campground in Chugach National Forest, Anchorage County, Alaska. 71 feet. 7.2 miles from Whittier.

Reserve on Recreation.gov
Managed by
Forest Service Chugach National Forest
Elevation
71 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
19 13 standard non-electric, 6 rv non-electric
Longest rig
65 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov
County
Anchorage County

Overview

Williwaw Campground, an idyllic area, sits beside Williwaw Creek near the town of Girdwood, Alaska. The campground boasts prime fishing, hiking and wildlife watching all within the Portage Valley.

Next to the campground is the Williwaw Salmon Viewing Area, a top-notch spot for salmon viewing. In August, visitors can see these fish spawning in impressive numbers through the translucent waters.

The area is a great place to view numerous glaciated valleys and the Portage Glacier. Over the past 80 years, the glacier calved large icebergs into Portage Lake, located just east of the campground.

Recreation

Wildlife viewing includes moose, brown and black bears, mountain goats, lynx, bald eagles and wolves.

The Williwaw Nature Trail can be reached from the campground. It heads to the Williwaw Fish Viewing Platform, passes under the highway bridge and follows Williwaw Creek to a series of ponds.

The trail then connects to the Trail of Blue Ice, which accesses the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center. The Trail of Blue Ice is also popular among mountain bikers.

Facilities

Drinking water from hand pumps, vault toilets, picnic tables and a parking area are provided at Williwaw Campground. Campsites are nicely separated, but no electric hookups are available.

Natural Features

The campground sits in the Portage Valley of the eastern Kenai Peninsula in the Chugach National Forest. The Forest, spanning 5,361,803 acres is comprised of arid tundra wilderness, jagged mountains, deep fjords and glacier-fed rivers that surround the Prince William Sound.

Nearby Attractions

Consider visiting the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Glacier, the town of Whittier and Byron Glacier.

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

What people do here

  • biking
  • camping
  • hiking
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Williwaw 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.

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.

Nearest campgrounds

Camping near

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.

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