Tenderfoot Creek
Campground · Alaska · 36 bookable sites ·
Managed by the USDA Forest Service
Kenai Mountains-Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area (National Heritage Area) · Restricted Access
- 36
- Bookable sites
- 100 ft
- Max rig length
- up to 8
- People per site
- 1,313 ft
- Elevation
Overview
Tenderfoot Creek Campground unveils views of the surrounding mountains from every direction and offers campsites that face the edge of a glistening lake.Perched along Summit Lake on the Eastern Kenai Peninsula of Alaska, Tenderfoot Creek provides an ideal destination for fishing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking and wildlife watching.
Campers may experience morning wakeup calls from loons or view bald eagles fishing in the clear waters. Impressive wildlife inhabitants include moose, brown and black bears, mountain goats, lynx and wolves. Campsites are nicely spaced along the eastern shores of Summit Lake. Tenderfoot Creek passes through the campground and surrounding forest includes spruce and hemlock.
Recreation
The Summit Lake Trail heads south of Summit Lake and connects with the Resurrection Pass Trail, a wonderful 39-mile hiking and biking trail that climbs 2,100 feet of elevation, providing excellent views of the area. The lake is stocked with Dolly Varden and Rainbow trout.Winter recreation includes backcountry skiing, snow-boarding and snowshoeing.
Facilities
Tenderfoot Creek campers enjoy amenities such as drinking water, vault toilets, picnic tables, trash collection, fire pits and a boat ramp. The majority of campsites are pull-through and parking aprons are gravel. Firewood can be purchased onsite.Natural Features
Summit Lake is a small cirque lake, or tarn, reaching a depth of 20 feet. This cirque was the beginning of a long-gone, alpine glacier. The surrounding terrain and unique mountain landscape is all glacially carved.Contact Info
For local information, please call (907) 522-8368 or call (907) 288-3178 for general information.Nearby Attractions
Visit Portage Glacier in the Portage Valley, a 14-mile isthmus that connects the Kenai Peninsula to mainland Alaska. Glacial remnants that can be seen today are Explorer, Middle, Byron, Burns and Shakespeare glaciers.The facts
- 36 bookable sites
- Vehicles up to 100 ft
- Up to 8 people per site
- Loops: AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK
Site types
- 28 Standard Nonelectric
- 8 Tent Only Nonelectric
Amenities
- Picnic tables
- Grills
- Shade
Not recorded upstream: electric hookups, water hookups, sewer hookups, campfires allowed, fire pits, pets allowed.
36 campsites at Tenderfoot Creek
Check-in 2:00 PM · Check-out 12:00 PM
| Site | Loop | Type | Entry | Surface | Max rig | People | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 001 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Pull Through | Gravel | 42 ft | 8 | |
| 002 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 40 ft | 8 | |
| 003 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Pull Through | Gravel | 72 ft | 8 | |
| 004 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 66 ft | 8 | |
| 005 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 52 ft | 8 | |
| 006 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 45 ft | 8 | |
| 007 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Pull Through | Gravel | 80 ft | 8 | |
| 008 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 42 ft | 8 | |
| 009 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 34 ft | 8 | |
| 010 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 40 ft | 8 | |
| 011 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 38 ft | 8 | |
| 012 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 40 ft | 8 | |
| 013 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Pull Through | Gravel | 100 ft | 8 | |
| 014 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 45 ft | 8 | |
| 015 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Tent Only Nonelectric | — | Gravel | — | 8 | |
| 016 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Tent Only Nonelectric | — | Gravel | — | 8 | |
| 017 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Tent Only Nonelectric | — | Gravel | — | 8 | |
| 018 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Tent Only Nonelectric | — | Gravel | — | 8 | |
| 019 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Tent Only Nonelectric | — | Gravel | — | 8 | |
| 020 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Tent Only Nonelectric | — | Gravel | — | 8 | |
| 021 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Tent Only Nonelectric | — | Gravel | — | 8 | |
| 022 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Tent Only Nonelectric | — | Gravel | — | 8 | |
| 023 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 65 ft | 8 | |
| 024 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Pull Through | Gravel | 92 ft | 8 | |
| 025 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 28 ft | 8 | |
| 026 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 58 ft | 8 | |
| 027 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Pull Through | Gravel | 38 ft | 8 | |
| 028 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 42 ft | 8 | |
| 029 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Pull Through | Gravel | 60 ft | 8 | |
| 030 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 30 ft | 8 | |
| 031 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 35 ft | 8 | |
| 032 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 40 ft | 8 | |
| 033 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 48 ft | 8 | |
| 034 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 27 ft | 8 | |
| 035 | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 48 ft | 8 | |
| HOST | AREA TENDERFOOT CREEK | Standard Nonelectric | Back In | Gravel | 86 ft | 8 |
Getting there
From Anchorage, go south on Seward Highway approximately 81 miles to Summit
Lake. Turn at milepost 46 before Summit Lake Lodge.
60.63639, -149.49722 · 60°38'11.0"N 149°29'50.0"W
Typical weather
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Low °F | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Precip in | 2.3 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 3.4 |
1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 1.6 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.
Map
More photos
Member photos
Common questions about Tenderfoot Creek
- Can you reserve a site at Tenderfoot Creek?
- Yes, Tenderfoot Creek is reservable through Recreation.gov.
- How many campsites does Tenderfoot Creek have?
- 36 sites.
- What is the maximum RV length at Tenderfoot Creek?
- 100 ft. That is the longest vehicle the sites here are recorded as taking; individual sites may be shorter.
Camping near Tenderfoot Creek
- Devils Pass Cabin 8.7 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Granite Creek 9.2 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Fox Creek Cabin (Ak) 9.6 mi · Campground · we watch it
- East Creek Cabin 9.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Crescent Lake Cabin 11.3 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Bertha Creek Campground 11.4 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Swan Lake Cabin Seward 11.8 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Caribou Creek Cabin 11.9 mi · Campground · we watch it
- West Swan Lake Cabin 13.2 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Tern Lake Day Use Area 7.6 mi · Facility
- Bertha Creek Campground 11.4 mi · Campground
- Crescent Creek Campground 11.5 mi · Campground
Contact
- Phone (907)288-3178
- Book Recreation.gov
Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.
Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.
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