Hidden Lake Campground

Hidden Lake Campground sits within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, on the western Kenai Peninsula. The Dena'ina people call this special place Yaghanen, "the good land." From ice fields and glaciers to tundra, forests, and coastal wetlands, the refuge is often called "Alaska in miniature." Biodiversity here is unusually high for this latitude due to the meeting of two distinct biomes: the Sitka spruce-dominated coastal rainforest and the westernmost reach of North America's boreal forest. The refuge is home to moose, brown and black bears, lynx and wolves, and is nesting ground for trumpeter swans and various waterfowl; the famed Kenai River originates within it and is world-renowned for sockeye and coho salmon as well as Dolly Varden and rainbow trout. The campground has 44 campsites across three loops, with no electric or water hookups. Hand pumps are located in each camp loop and near the boat launch, but the water is not guaranteed potable, so boil it for at least 1 minute or treat it before drinking. There is an on-site RV dump station and a free boat launch with adjacent parking for vehicles towing boat trailers. Two day-use pavilions with raised charcoal grills and picnic tables are available first-come, first-served. Maximum stay is 7 days in Hidden Lake Campground and 14 days elsewhere on the refuge, and groups larger than 20 people require a Special Use Permit issued at refuge headquarters. Hidden Lake is open to motorized and non-motorized boats, though personal watercraft such as jet skis are not permitted, and no summertime landing of aircraft is allowed on the lake. The campground sits in the refuge's Skilak Wildlife Recreation Area, a destination featuring 100 miles of hiking trails, scenic overlooks, a 19-mile scenic drive, and multiple lakes for boating. Burney's Trail, across from Skyview Loop site #7, connects to the Hideout Trail for a continuous thru hike ending at Mile 1.9 of Skilak Lake Road. It is short and relatively easy, with a moderately steep section near the end as it winds through aspen and spruce forest; the upper portion follows the burn edge of the 2019 Swan Lake Fire and offers sweeping views of Hidden Lake, Skilak Lake, and the Kenai Mountains. Spanning 1.9 million acres, the refuge is a dramatic expanse of Alaskan wilderness. The landscape sweeps from the rugged western slopes of the Kenai Mountains across forested lowlands, rivers, lakes, and coastal wetlands along Cook Inlet. Positioned at the heart of the peninsula, the refuge borders Chugach National Forest to the east and Kenai Fjords National Park to the southeast.