RV Parks In Haines, Alaska

Yes. Haines has two private full-hookup RV parks. Haines Hitch-Up RV Park runs 90 sites with 50-amp power and cable TV, and it has the only pull-thru sites in town, which makes it easy to settle a big rig without unhitching. Oceanside RV Park offers full-hookup back-in sites with 30 and 50 amp power, water, and sewer, and every site faces the Lynn Canal from Front Street. Both take reservations online or by phone. The two state campgrounds, Chilkat State Park and Chilkoot Lake, do not have hookups, so if you need power and sewer at the site, stick with the private parks downtown.

It depends on which campground. The private parks, Haines Hitch-Up and Oceanside, both take reservations and we strongly recommend booking ahead for July when the town fills with anglers and eagle-watchers. Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site requires a reservation through ReserveAmerica made at least one day before arrival, bookable up to seven months out. Chilkat State Park is the exception: it is entirely first come, first served, with no advance booking, so you find an open site and pay at the electronic fee station in the campground. Arriving earlier in the day improves your odds at the state sites during peak summer.

Haines is one of the few southeast Alaska towns you can reach by road, which is a big part of its appeal for RVers. The Haines Highway, also called AK-7, runs north from town to Haines Junction in the Yukon, where it connects to the Alaska Highway. It is paved and well-traveled, but it crosses the Canadian border, so carry passports and check customs hours. The other option is the Alaska Marine Highway vehicle ferry, which carries RVs between Haines and ports along the Lynn Canal such as Skagway. Plan your route around the ferry schedule, since it generally sails only about once a day.

Mid-May through mid-September is the practical RV season in Haines. The Alaska State Park campgrounds open around mid-May, and the private parks open about May 1 and close in mid-September. Summer brings the most daylight and the busiest crowds, with July the warmest month at highs near 57 degrees. The famous bald eagle gathering peaks in October and November, but by then most camping infrastructure has closed for the season, so a fall eagle trip usually means staying in town lodging rather than camping in the rig. We aim for June through August for the best balance of open campgrounds, daylight, and reasonable weather along the canal.

Yes, and it is the single biggest draw to the area. The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve covers 48,000 acres along the river bottomlands a few miles north of town and hosts the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world each fall. Between roughly October and November, thousands of eagles arrive to feed on late salmon runs. The main viewing area runs along the Haines Highway between Mile 18 and 24, and the Council Grounds pullout at Mile 19 has a boardwalk, viewing scopes, and a river-side trail. You can spot eagles in summer too, just not in the same record numbers as the fall congregation.

Fishing is a major reason RVers come to Haines. The Chilkoot River, near the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site north of town, runs thick with salmon and Dolly Varden in season and is one of the most productive and accessible spots in the area. Camping at Chilkoot Lake puts you right at the action. The same salmon runs that draw anglers also draw bears, so fish with awareness and store food and cleaning gear properly. Check current Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulations and licensing before you cast, since seasons and limits change by species and by year, and carry bear spray and know how to use it.

If you can run on your batteries and tanks for a few nights, the two public state campgrounds are worth it for the setting. Chilkat State Park sits about seven miles south of town with glacier and Lynn Canal views, a boat launch, picnic area, and trails. Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site sits north of town amid a stand of Sitka spruce at the Chilkoot River outlet, prime for fishing and bear viewing. Neither has electric, water, or sewer at the site, so fill your fresh tank and charge up at a private park first. The trade is no hookups for far better scenery and wildlife access.

Haines Hitch-Up RV Park is the most big-rig friendly option, with 90 full-hookup sites and the only pull-thru sites in town, so larger motorhomes and long trailers can pull in and out without much fuss. Oceanside RV Park has back-in sites only, which works for most rigs but takes a little more maneuvering. The state campgrounds at Chilkat and Chilkoot were built for a range of sizes but are more rustic, so very large rigs should scout site dimensions and access before committing. When in doubt, call the private parks directly to confirm a site that fits your length and slide-outs.

Haines has cool, wet summers and freezing, snowy winters, and it stays overcast much of the year. Temperatures across the year typically range from about 19 to 65 degrees, rarely dropping below zero or above 75. July is the warmest month with highs near 57 and lows in the mid-40s. Rain is frequent, with over 100 inches of precipitation a year, so pack good rain gear and expect damp days even in summer. Winters bring heavy snow, averaging around 262 inches, which is why the campgrounds close for the season. For comfortable RV camping, summer is really your only window, so pack layers and don't bank on dry skies.

Yes, but only on the right ferry. The Alaska Marine Highway System operates a vehicle ferry that carries RVs and other roll-on, roll-off conveyances between Haines and Skagway and other Lynn Canal ports. It generally sails about once a day, so you need to plan around the published schedule rather than showing up and expecting to roll on. There is also a separate fast passenger ferry that makes the Haines to Skagway run in about 45 minutes, but it cannot carry vehicles, so it is no help for the rig. Reserve your vehicle ferry spot ahead, especially in peak summer.

Beyond the eagle preserve and the fishing, there is plenty to fill a few days. The Kroschel Films Wildlife Center, about 28 miles out of town, offers up-close encounters with rescued Alaskan wildlife and is open May through September. Chilkat State Park south of town has glacier views and coastal trails, and the Battery Point Trail near town gives you a quick scenic coastal hike. Downtown, the Sheldon Museum covers Chilkat Valley history and Tlingit art. Rafting and jet boat tours run on the Chilkat River in summer for wildlife viewing. It is an easy place to slow down for several nights rather than treat as a one-night stop.

Yes, Haines is a full small town with the basics an RVer needs, though prices run high because supplies are barged or trucked in. The private RV parks provide hookups and the place to dump and refill water, since the state campgrounds have none. You will find groceries, fuel, and the usual services downtown, all within easy reach of the Haines Hitch-Up park, which sits in walking distance of shops and restaurants. We recommend stocking up on groceries and topping off fuel and propane before you arrive or before heading out the Haines Highway, since options thin out quickly once you leave town toward the Yukon.

Haines is one of the better jumping-off points in southeast Alaska for a bigger road trip. Because the Haines Highway connects to Haines Junction in the Yukon, you can drive from here into Canada and then loop back into Alaska on the Alaska Highway, which is a classic RV route. Combine that with the Alaska Marine Highway ferry to Skagway and you have flexible options for a multi-stop trip that mixes road and water travel. We like setting up a few nights in Haines for the eagles, fishing, and quiet, then using it as the launch point for the Yukon leg rather than rushing straight through.

Yes. Haines has two private full-hookup RV parks. Haines Hitch-Up RV Park runs 90 sites with 50-amp power and cable TV, and it has the only pull-thru sites in town, which makes it easy to settle a big rig without unhitching. Oceanside RV Park offers full-hookup back-in sites with 30 and 50 amp power, water, and sewer, and every site faces the Lynn Canal from Front Street. Both take reservations online or by phone. The two state campgrounds, Chilkat State Park and Chilkoot Lake, do not have hookups, so if you need power and sewer at the site, stick with the private parks downtown.

It depends on which campground. The private parks, Haines Hitch-Up and Oceanside, both take reservations and we strongly recommend booking ahead for July when the town fills with anglers and eagle-watchers. Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site requires a reservation through ReserveAmerica made at least one day before arrival, bookable up to seven months out. Chilkat State Park is the exception: it is entirely first come, first served, with no advance booking, so you find an open site and pay at the electronic fee station in the campground. Arriving earlier in the day improves your odds at the state sites during peak summer.

Haines is one of the few southeast Alaska towns you can reach by road, which is a big part of its appeal for RVers. The Haines Highway, also called AK-7, runs north from town to Haines Junction in the Yukon, where it connects to the Alaska Highway. It is paved and well-traveled, but it crosses the Canadian border, so carry passports and check customs hours. The other option is the Alaska Marine Highway vehicle ferry, which carries RVs between Haines and ports along the Lynn Canal such as Skagway. Plan your route around the ferry schedule, since it generally sails only about once a day.

Mid-May through mid-September is the practical RV season in Haines. The Alaska State Park campgrounds open around mid-May, and the private parks open about May 1 and close in mid-September. Summer brings the most daylight and the busiest crowds, with July the warmest month at highs near 57 degrees. The famous bald eagle gathering peaks in October and November, but by then most camping infrastructure has closed for the season, so a fall eagle trip usually means staying in town lodging rather than camping in the rig. We aim for June through August for the best balance of open campgrounds, daylight, and reasonable weather along the canal.

Yes, and it is the single biggest draw to the area. The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve covers 48,000 acres along the river bottomlands a few miles north of town and hosts the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world each fall. Between roughly October and November, thousands of eagles arrive to feed on late salmon runs. The main viewing area runs along the Haines Highway between Mile 18 and 24, and the Council Grounds pullout at Mile 19 has a boardwalk, viewing scopes, and a river-side trail. You can spot eagles in summer too, just not in the same record numbers as the fall congregation.

Fishing is a major reason RVers come to Haines. The Chilkoot River, near the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site north of town, runs thick with salmon and Dolly Varden in season and is one of the most productive and accessible spots in the area. Camping at Chilkoot Lake puts you right at the action. The same salmon runs that draw anglers also draw bears, so fish with awareness and store food and cleaning gear properly. Check current Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulations and licensing before you cast, since seasons and limits change by species and by year, and carry bear spray and know how to use it.

If you can run on your batteries and tanks for a few nights, the two public state campgrounds are worth it for the setting. Chilkat State Park sits about seven miles south of town with glacier and Lynn Canal views, a boat launch, picnic area, and trails. Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site sits north of town amid a stand of Sitka spruce at the Chilkoot River outlet, prime for fishing and bear viewing. Neither has electric, water, or sewer at the site, so fill your fresh tank and charge up at a private park first. The trade is no hookups for far better scenery and wildlife access.

Haines Hitch-Up RV Park is the most big-rig friendly option, with 90 full-hookup sites and the only pull-thru sites in town, so larger motorhomes and long trailers can pull in and out without much fuss. Oceanside RV Park has back-in sites only, which works for most rigs but takes a little more maneuvering. The state campgrounds at Chilkat and Chilkoot were built for a range of sizes but are more rustic, so very large rigs should scout site dimensions and access before committing. When in doubt, call the private parks directly to confirm a site that fits your length and slide-outs.

Haines has cool, wet summers and freezing, snowy winters, and it stays overcast much of the year. Temperatures across the year typically range from about 19 to 65 degrees, rarely dropping below zero or above 75. July is the warmest month with highs near 57 and lows in the mid-40s. Rain is frequent, with over 100 inches of precipitation a year, so pack good rain gear and expect damp days even in summer. Winters bring heavy snow, averaging around 262 inches, which is why the campgrounds close for the season. For comfortable RV camping, summer is really your only window, so pack layers and don't bank on dry skies.

Yes, but only on the right ferry. The Alaska Marine Highway System operates a vehicle ferry that carries RVs and other roll-on, roll-off conveyances between Haines and Skagway and other Lynn Canal ports. It generally sails about once a day, so you need to plan around the published schedule rather than showing up and expecting to roll on. There is also a separate fast passenger ferry that makes the Haines to Skagway run in about 45 minutes, but it cannot carry vehicles, so it is no help for the rig. Reserve your vehicle ferry spot ahead, especially in peak summer.

Beyond the eagle preserve and the fishing, there is plenty to fill a few days. The Kroschel Films Wildlife Center, about 28 miles out of town, offers up-close encounters with rescued Alaskan wildlife and is open May through September. Chilkat State Park south of town has glacier views and coastal trails, and the Battery Point Trail near town gives you a quick scenic coastal hike. Downtown, the Sheldon Museum covers Chilkat Valley history and Tlingit art. Rafting and jet boat tours run on the Chilkat River in summer for wildlife viewing. It is an easy place to slow down for several nights rather than treat as a one-night stop.

Yes, Haines is a full small town with the basics an RVer needs, though prices run high because supplies are barged or trucked in. The private RV parks provide hookups and the place to dump and refill water, since the state campgrounds have none. You will find groceries, fuel, and the usual services downtown, all within easy reach of the Haines Hitch-Up park, which sits in walking distance of shops and restaurants. We recommend stocking up on groceries and topping off fuel and propane before you arrive or before heading out the Haines Highway, since options thin out quickly once you leave town toward the Yukon.

Haines is one of the better jumping-off points in southeast Alaska for a bigger road trip. Because the Haines Highway connects to Haines Junction in the Yukon, you can drive from here into Canada and then loop back into Alaska on the Alaska Highway, which is a classic RV route. Combine that with the Alaska Marine Highway ferry to Skagway and you have flexible options for a multi-stop trip that mixes road and water travel. We like setting up a few nights in Haines for the eagles, fishing, and quiet, then using it as the launch point for the Yukon leg rather than rushing straight through.

The highest-rated station is Skagway Mountain View RV Park with a rating of 3.8/5 stars.

Yes — there are free RV waste disposal options available near Haines.