Chilkoot Lake Campground
 This is a beautiful campground far from civilization, but
not so far that you can’t drive fifteen minutes back to Haines for supplies.
When we visited we were disappointed because we were not allowed to stay. There were bears in the area and the grounds were closed to
tenters and soft-sided campers. The
salmon were beginning their spawning run up the river to Chilkoot Lake, and
bears were coming to take advantage of the food supply.
Chilkoot Lake sparkles before the backdrop of the surrounding mountains
that seem to rise straight up out of the water.
To find this campground from the Haines highway, turn left
when the Highway terminates into Front Street/Beach Road.
Follow the road past the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry terminal.
The road comes to a bridge and crosses the water where Chilkoot river
meets the Lutak Inlet. Turn left
into the campground just before the bridge crossing.
There are 32 campsites, each with a picnic table and fire
ring. There are toilets and a
fresh water pump. There is also a
covered picnic area in case it rains. A
small boat ramp allows easy access to drop in watercraft. Whether or not the lake was restricted to non-motorized boats we are not
sure. Camping costs $10 per night.
 We spotted plenty of eagles along the river between the
lake and the canal. They had begun
to gather in anticipation of the salmon run, too.
One eagle was eating from a salmon carcass on a rock in the river about
ten feet from the shore.
Nearby the campground, on the left side of the road when
returning from the campground back to town is a place of significance to the
Tlingit people of the region. Deer
Rock or Peace Rock was a place that warriors came to try to mediate disputes
arising between tribes. Using
peaceful negotiation techniques, the native peoples of the area were able to
avoid war on many occasions through discussions that took place on this rock.
Last Visited: July 2000
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