★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Drive-up · public land · Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK · 55.43300, -131.61383
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
A primitive, high-elevation clear area off of a forest road near Ketchikan, Alaska. Great view with clouds in the mountains all around. Lightly forested with lush greenery. Walk-in fire circle. Enough room for a single vehicle. No cell service. Not many free camping options in the area. For single vehicle, this is one of the best options. Recommended.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 1,321 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- GGrocery4 mi
- @Mail4 mi
- RxPharmacy6 mi
- +Urgent care6 mi
- FFuel6 mi
- HHardware6 mi
- WWater6 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 4 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Dump, Propane. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land · dispersed
Elevation
1,321 ft
County
Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK
Coordinates
55.43300, -131.61383
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureWhite River (river) · nearby
- Nearest townWard Cove · ~4.6 mi
- Drinking waterDrinking water · ~6.4 mi
- FuelWestside Services · ~6.3 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationnone within 31 mi
- GroceriesAlaska & Proud Market · ~6.1 mi
- PharmacyIsland Pharmacy · ~6.2 mi
- Hospital / clinicPeace Health Ketchikan Medical Ceneter · ~6.2 mi
- HardwareMetco Hardware · ~21.0 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- RestroomLast Chance Campground · ~2.8 mi W · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletWard Creek · ~3.0 mi W · USFS
- RestroomWard Lake Picnic · ~3.5 mi W · USFS
- RestroomRoadside Picnic · ~3.5 mi SW · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Last Chance Campground~2.9 mi
- Ketchikan Gateway Borough~3.8 mi · fee
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Ketchikan Gateway Borough, AK). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Finding water out here →Dumping grey & black →Cold-weather camping →Camping with a dog →All field notes →
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →