Bureau of Land Management · Alaska
Cripple Creek Campground
Bureau of Land Management · Alaska, United States
- Sites
- 18
- Hookups
- 18 no hookups
- Season
- May 28 to September 16
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,211 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Lake
- White Mountains National Recreation Area
- Nearest town
- Fairbanks
- Address
- 222 University Ave., Fairbanks, AK, 99709
- Phone
- 907-474-2200
- Activities
- Biking, Camping, Canoeing, Day Use Area, Fishing, Gold Panning, Hiking, Kayaking, Photography, Rafting, Water Access
18 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
Overview
Cripple Creek Campground- Located at milepost 60 o f the Steese Highway, Cripple Creek Campground has 12 first come first served universal design campsites, as well as 6 walk-in campsites. The campground also has a riverside day use area with fishing access along the Chatanika River. Winding through tall white spruce trees along the river between the day use area and the campground is a short interpretive trail for visitors.
A class I-II float trip to the Upper Chatanika State Recreation Site at milepost 39 is approximately 25 miles (40 km) long. Occasional low water and log jams may require some boat dragging or portaging.
The campground is maintained during the summer season, June through mid-September. The campground has a hand pump well for non-potable water, trash cans, and outhouse style toilets. Each campsite has a parking area, picnic tables, and fire rings.
Fees- $12 per night per site (sites 1-12) on a first come basis.
$6 per night per walk in site (Walk-in-sites T1-T-6) on a first come basis.
Directions- Blacktop highway accessible. Campground is at mile 60 on the Steese Highway, northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska.
Recreation
Hiking the short interprative trail along the Chatanika River, fishing, floating, day trip into the Nome Creek Valley.
Nearby Attractions
Nome Creek Valley, Quartz Creek Trail, Table Top Trail, Pinnell Mt. Trail, Chatanika River, Nome Creek, Beaver Creek Wild and Scenic River Put-in.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5° | -1° | -37° | 35° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 11° | -2° | -29° | 45° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 8° | -4° | -24° | 42° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 35° | 21° | -20° | 44° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 55° | 37° | 25° | 70° | 5 of 11 |
| June | 66° | 51° | 37° | 78° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 67° | 54° | 46° | 82° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 60° | 49° | 38° | 75° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 52° | 41° | 34° | 62° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 29° | 18° | -4° | 46° | 10 of 10 |
| November | 10° | 0° | -21° | 36° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 8° | -4° | -30° | 41° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Cripple Creek Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 0 mi
- Mount Prindle Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 6 mi · 13 sites
- Ophir Creek Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 14 mi · 20 sites
- Ophir Creek Campground · Bureau of Land Management · 14 mi
- Upper Chatanika River State Recreation Site · Alaska State Parks · 19 mi · 24 sites
All public campgrounds in Alaska · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-03. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.