Childs Glacier Recreation Area and Campground

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. Eleven maintained campsites are available at $10 per night. Payment can be made at a self-serve fee box located at the main pavilion.

Visitors to Childs Glacier Campground and Recreation Area are instantly captivated by spectacular views of Childs Glacier, famous for its calving icebergs that once put on a great show. Other must-do activities in the area include hiking along the river and fishing for salmon. 

Childs Glacier was once accessible by road. In 2011 the dynamic nature of the Copper River washed out a section of highway at mile 36. Additional road damage occurred in 2018, washing out part of the road at Mile 44. Outfitters now provide tours and transport to the site. 

Recreation

The Copper River boasts plenty of salmon. Wildlife watching opportunities include moose, grizzly and black bears. Lucky campers may spot bears fishing on the opposite side of the river.

Recommended trails include Copper River and Childs Glacier North. Copper River Trail connects Childs Glacier Recreation Area to the historic Million Dollar Bridge following the shores of the Copper River. Childs Glacier North Trail begins north of the Million Dollar Bridge and leads hikers to the face of Childs Glacier.

Facilities

The campground is now suited for tents only. A portion of the campground and associated recreation area continues to be maintained, though trash must be packed out. There is a large covered viewing platform and covered pavilion, information boards, picnic tables, vault toilets, and a hiking trail. Drinking water is provided at hand pumps.

Recreation Sites

• Standard Nonelectric

• Tent Only Nonelectric

• Overnight

Natural Features

Childs Glacier Campground is nestled in the Chugach Mountains on the south coast of Alaska. Alder, willow, devil's club and fern make up much of the campground understory. Tall cottonwoods dominate overhead. The campground is about 300 feet from the Copper River, a wide, glacier fed river that creates the extensive Copper River Delta and flows into the Gulf of Alaska.

Contact Info

Nearby Attractions

The historic Million Dollar Bridge, constructed in 1910, is nearby. The bridge over the Copper River was used to transport copper from the old mining town of Kennicott to the port of Cordova.

From Cordova, the campground is 48 miles east on the Copper River Highway just before the Million Dollar Bridge. Two sections of the highway at mile 36 and mile 44 are washed out, and access to the site now requires a boat ride or travel by air. Several outfitters provide transportation to the campground.