State Parks near Wasilla, AK

Most folks are aware of the awesome national parks covering Alaska’s wild landscape, but that doesn't mean there aren’t equally impressive state parks. In fact, one of the largest state parks in the United States borders the city of Anchorage. Chugach State Park covers just shy of 500,000 acres, with a vast complement of mountains, bays, rivers, and glaciers. Popular activities within the park include RV camping, hiking, surfing, and snowmobiling.Chugach State Park was originally inhabited by Native Americans and was later explored by Captain Cook in the late 18th century. Its origins as a state park are much more recent, when rapid urban expansion threatened to take over. The area was already notable for the diversity of …

Denali National Park spans more than six million acres of Alaskan, wild country. The park is situated in the south-central part of the state, in a very rural, very rugged region. The nearest community that is inhabited year-round is Healy, which is located around 10 miles northeast of the park boundaries. The much larger towns of Fairbanks and Anchorage are more than 100 miles and close to 250 miles, to the north and south, respectively.This part of Alaska is forested, rural, and mountainous, so you are likely to find more animals here than people. There is also only one road into Denali National Park, and that is Alaska Route 3 that runs along the park's eastern border. The …

Wild, rugged, and untamed, Denali National Park and Preserve transports you to a six-million-acre wilderness of snow-capped granite peaks, lush boreal forest, and windswept tundra. An RV camping getaway to Denali National Park and Preserve promises all kinds of magical experiences, from gazing up at the tallest mountain in the United States to watching the Northern Lights dancing in the sky. As you explore the park, you'll get an authentic taste of the Last Frontier, with the chance to spot grizzly bears, moose, wolves, and other iconic Alaskan wildlife.Planning an adventure in the Land of the Midnight Sun? Book an RV in Anchorage and you'll unlock the freedom to explore Denali National Park and Preserve at your own pace. …

This magnificent Alaska state park resides next to the east side Denali National Park and covers over 300,000 acres. Created in 1970, the park’s name comes from the Tanana Indian word meaning “The High One."The park lies next to the Talkeetna Mountains and is part of the Parks Highway, a road that runs over 323 miles long and will take campers and their motorhomes to Anchorage. Along with the nearby mountains, Denali State Park also features a mixture of streams and alpine tundra. The climate here is very chilly, especially during the winter. However, it does warm up a bit during the middle of summer to the mid-60s.

Johnson Lake State Recreation Area sits on the picturesque Kenai Peninsula in Southern Alaska. With direct connections from Anchorage, it's one of the more accessible motorhome camping spots in the state and offers an abundance of hiking, fishing, boating, and wildlife spotting opportunities for both travelers and locals alike during the summer months. Sitting between Soldotna and Homer, there's plenty of cultural attractions and quaint Alaskan towns to explore in the local area too.Encompassing 322 acres of woodland and an 85-acre lake, it's no wonder that camping at Johnson Lake State Recreation Area has become the place to go in recent years. With a scenic campground to base yourself in for the weekend, there's no reason not …

Kenai Fjords National Park is situated on the Kenai Peninsula, in far southern Alaska. This large finger of land juts into the Gulf of Alaska and, from there, the North Pacific Ocean. The national park is in a very remote area with the small town of Seward, which sits just east of the park's boundaries, being the only larger, local community. The nearest larger town is Kenai, which is around 100 miles to the northwest, while the nearest large city is Anchorage, at around 120 miles to the north.A fjord is defined as a narrow inlet of the sea that travels between steep cliffs. This perfectly describes the landscape where Kenai Fjords National Park is situated. …

Surrounded by rugged peaks, Lake Louise State Recreation Area immerses you in the natural beauty of Alaska's Copper Valley. The park is a year-round outdoor playground, with 90 acres of scenic paddling routes and picturesque waterscapes to discover. In summer, locals flock to relax on the beach, paddle around the lake, and fish for trout. In the winter, Lake Louise State Recreation Area transforms into a snow-dusted playground with cross-country skiing, skating, ice fishing, hunting, and snowmobiling. Winter is also one of the best times to view the elusive Aurora Borealis.An easy day trip from Anchorage, Lake Louise State Recreation Area is popular with weekend warriors in search of a nature fix. The park is also a popular …