The Russian River Campground, one of the most popular recreation areas in Alaska, will close at midnight on Thursday, Aug. 15, and not reopen until, perhaps, December. The closure includes all roads, trails, parking lots and other facilities. Aspen Flats and Upper Russian Lakes Cabins will be open for reservations, accessible by the trailhead at Snug Harbor Road.
The Russian River is the most popular sockeye salmon stream in Alaska and is a favorite spot for rainbow trout and Dolly Varden fishermen. Each year, the area is visited by over 100,000 people who use the campground, ferry, boat launch, Russian Lakes Trail and associated sites. The campground consists of 83 campsites and 130 day-use parking spaces and is usually open with full service from May through September.
The U.S. Forest Service has a major construction underway, and the campground has been closed several times since 2022 to complete reconstruction of the campground road, retaining walls along the road, and other safety features.
Nearby access trails will also close, including, Russian Lakes Trail will be closed from Russian River Campground Road to the intersection of the Russian Lakes Trail Lower and Upper Parking Lot Trails. Angler’s Trail will only be accessible by boat or the Russian River Ferry.
Those darn Russians, if they’re not meddling in our elections they’re closing down our campgrounds!
Clever! – sd
The Ukrainians fished it out.
If the Russian River Campgrounds are being ‘arbitrarily’ closed, can we also expect the US Forest Service to cut staff and operating expenses in proportion? If these Public Lands are going to be locked-up with no access, then I’d think we could also trim costs to the largesse bureaucracies too.
As a person who works here. 3rd year of road rebuild. It’s on time and budget. It should be open as normal next year. Unless the FS gets another idea. PS. I’m a civilian sub contractor. Nothing to do with the FS
Going to be packed at the ferry.