There are so many campgrounds in Alaska, it’s hard to know where to start. So I decided I will start with some of my favorites. First up, is South Rolly Lake Campground which is located in the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area. To access the campground, head north from Anchorage, turn west off the Parks Highway at milepost 67.3 onto Nancy Lake Parkway and travel 6.5 miles southwest to South Rolly Lake. The road is paved all the way up to the campground entrance where it turns to dirt and gravel. No guarantees, but if you drive Nancy Lake Pkwy at dawn or dusk, you are likely to see wildlife such as moose, bear, fox, porcupines, loons, grebes, sandhill cranes, etc.
This campground offers over 90 spacious, beautiful, wooded campsites for your selection. If you are lucky, you might even score one of the lakefront campsites on this (rainbow trout) stocked lake.
As you enter the campground, the lake will be on your left and there will be a turnoff on your right where the campground registration, payment box and trash bins can be found. This is one of the FEW campgrounds in the area which are NOT on a reservation system. Campsites are strictly first come, first serve with no holding allowed. Cost to overnight here is $10 per site which my contain up to two vehicles. There are NO RV hookups available in this campground and also no dump. It is strictly “dry” camping.
If you continue straight after entering the campground, you will be on campground loop A. The first 8 or so campsites on the left will be lakefront. Also, just about all the campsites on Loop A are large and have been newly renovated. About 75% of these are also pull throughs which can accommodate any size RV. They are the most popular campsites in the campground, but on weekdays you can usually snag one. On weekends, you’ll want to get there early if you require one of these highly coveted campsites. However, the other loops have equally nice sites. They are further from the lake, but still within walking distance. Many of them offer quiet and seclusion amongst the densely wooded grounds.
There is much to do in the area besides camping. The lake is stocked yearly with rainbow trout, so fishing is possible. Whitefish and Dolly Varden have also been present in the lake for many years. Fishing was very popular here years ago, but I believe South Rolly Lake (like many of it’s neighbors) may have been invaded by pike. I haven’t seen fishermen having much luck, but it hasn’t stopped them from trying.
At the South Rolly Lake campground and lakefront, you will find a canoe rental shack. Headquartered out of Willow, Tippecanoe has canoes stacked at several lakes in the area for rental. So for a very reasonable fee, you can explore South Rolly Lake by canoe while camping here.
Near the campground entrance you will find the trailhead to Red Shirt Lake. This easy 3 mile trail will bring you to a lakeside tent campground and another stack of rental canoes. From this spot you can take off and explore the largest lake in the Nancy Lake SRA (which does not include Nancy Lake itself).
If you REALLY enjoy getting your paddles wet, then head to the Lynx Lake Loop Canoe Trail (at mile 4.5 Nancy Lake Parkway) and travel this 8 mile canoe trail with portages. This trip can be accomplished in one long day or enjoyed over a weekend with stops at one of the Nancy Lake SRA campgrounds or public use cabins.
I should mention that on hot Alaska summer days, you are likely to find the South Rolly campground occupied by local families with children eager to jump and swim in the lake. There is a small dock that is a popular jumping off spot. There are also life jackets for kids use at the prominently displayed “Kids Don’t Float” board at the lakeside.
I’ll take a moment to plug one of my favorite activities, geocaching. There are several caches located in Nancy Lake SRA, including at the South Rolly Lake campground, along the canoe trails, and also along some of the winter trails.
For more info on the Nancy Lake SRA, go to http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/brochures/nancylake.pdf
RVing Alaska 