Cripple Creek Campground

White Mountains National Recreation Area — riverside, fishing, hiking

Location: Fairbanks, AK, AK

Price: From $6 per night

Price range: $6–$12 per night

Rating: 4 out of 5 (0 reviews)

Season: May through October

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.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Drinking Water, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/cripple-creek-campground to be notified when sites open up.

riverside campground with 18 sites located on the Steese Highway northeast of Fairbanks offering fishing access along the Chatanika River and an interpretive trail through white spruce forest. Google reviewers consistently praise the beautiful setting with birch and pine trees and ample spacing between sites.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, North American Porcupine, Red Fox, Snowshoe Hare, American Beaver present within 8km; also Belted Kingfisher and White-crowned Sparrow documented

Insider tips for Cripple Creek Campground: Book early — federal campground with 12 first-come first-served sites and 6 walk-in sites Blacktop highway accessible at mile 60 on Steese Highway Riverside day use area with fishing access and short interpretive trail available

Skip Cripple Creek Campground if: Requiring hookups — no hookups available at campground. Visiting outside May-October — seasonal operations only. Needing guaranteed reservations — 12 of 18 sites are first-come first-served.

Best time to visit Cripple Creek Campground: May-October — Campground operates seasonally during these months only.

Nearby campgrounds: Mount Prindle Campground (Fairbanks, AK), Ophir Creek Campground (Fairbanks, AK), White Mountains National Recreation Area - Alaska Cabins (Fairbanks, AK).

Cell Phone Coverage at Cripple Creek Campground

Cell signal at Cripple Creek Campground (Fairbanks, AK): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch›AK›Cripple Creek Campground
Cripple Creek Campground — photo 1
White Mountains National Recreation Area — riverside, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Cripple Creek Campground

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Fairbanks, AK, AK★ 4 (0 reviews)From $6/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

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.

Best for:AnglersHikersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsFishing
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Drinking Water

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ Requiring hookups — no hookups available at campground✕ Visiting outside May-October — seasonal operations only✕ Needing guaranteed reservations — 12 of 18 sites are first-come first-served

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

federal campground with 12 first-come first-served sites and 6 walk-in sites

Blacktop highway accessible at mile 60 on Steese Highway

Riverside day use area with fishing access and short interpretive trail available

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally during these months only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: American Black Bear, North American Porcupine, Red Fox, Snowshoe Hare, American Beaver present within 8km; also Belted Kingfisher and White-crowned Sparrow documented

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
907-474-2200· White Mountains National Recreation Area
Getting there →

Directions- Blacktop highway accessible. Campground is at mile 60 on the Steese Highway, northeast of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — White Mountains National Recreation Area fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at White Mountains National Recreation Area before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Cripple Creek Campground cost per night?+
Cripple Creek Campground costs $6–$12 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Cripple Creek Campground open?+
Cripple Creek Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Cripple Creek Campground have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Cripple Creek Campground?+
Cripple Creek Campground is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Cripple Creek Campground?+
Cripple Creek Campground is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Cripple Creek Campground?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Cripple Creek Campground is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Cripple Creek Campground open, and what are check-in times?+
Cripple Creek Campground is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$6 /night★ 4 (0)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Cripple Creek Campground cost per night?+
What season is Cripple Creek Campground open?+
Does Cripple Creek Campground have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

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