USDA Forest Service · Alaska
Tenderfoot Creek
USDA Forest Service · Alaska, United States
- Sites
- 36
- Hookups
- 36 no hookups
- Season
- May 29 to September 13
- Max RV length
- 100 ft
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Elevation
- 1,296 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 1
- Cell coverage
- AT&T good · Verizon good · T-Mobile none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Access road
- TENDERFOOT CAMPGROUND RD (NFSR 4000120) · crushed aggregate or gravel · suitable for passenger cars
- Lake
- Chugach National Forest
- Nearest town
- SEWARD
- Address
- Seward Ranger District, 33599 Ranger Station Spur, SEWARD, AK, 99664
- Phone
- (907)288-3178
- Activities
- Camping, Canoeing, Fishing, Hiking, Mountain Biking
35 numbered sites are mapped one by one - open the site map to pick yours.
About
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.
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 21° | -10° | 36° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 28° | 20° | -6° | 34° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 27° | 17° | -4° | 37° | 11 of 11 |
| April | 35° | 27° | -2° | 44° | 11 of 11 |
| May | 42° | 35° | 28° | 58° | 6 of 11 |
| June | 55° | 44° | 36° | 73° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 59° | 49° | 41° | 79° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 58° | 49° | 42° | 78° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 52° | 44° | 34° | 66° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 37° | 30° | 16° | 48° | 10 of 10 |
| November | 25° | 18° | -5° | 40° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 25° | 16° | -8° | 38° | 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
- Devils Pass Cabin · USDA Forest Service · 9 mi · 1 sites
- Granite Creek · USDA Forest Service · 9 mi · 19 sites
- Fox Creek Cabin (Ak) · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi · 1 sites
- East Creek Cabin · USDA Forest Service · 10 mi · 1 sites
- Crescent Lake Cabin · USDA Forest Service · 11 mi · 1 sites
All public campgrounds in Alaska · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-02-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.