Free Camping near Denali National Park
We finally moved on from the Walmart in Fairbanks. Woohoo! We found some free camping in Healy, Alaska on BLM land. Much better.
Free camping in Healy at Otto Lake BLM
NOTE: We've heard reports from people that went to Alaska in the summer of 2019 that this campsite is now marked as private land and is no longer an option.
We moved from Walmart in Fairbanks to some BLM land next to Otto Lake about 10 miles from the Denali visitors center. This spot is free camping with no services.
There are 3-4 sites here depending on how you slice it up. It’s right off highway 3 and Otto Lake Rd. The dirt road a bit bumpy getting in but we didn’t have any problems.
It does get pretty sloppy when it rains, but it drains away pretty quickly. And we didn’t get stuck, but our jacks did shift a bit in the mud.
Using a tiny house as a camper?
When we got to this camping spot, one site was taken up by a tiny house. We were wondering if he was planning on hanging out here for the season, but he did leave after a few days.
Have you seen someone using a tiny house as a camper and pulling it from place to place? It just doesn’t seem like a good idea. RVs are built to flex on the road, but I don’t think they build tiny houses the same way. It would be interesting to hear about someone’s experience with dragging around a tiny house.
49th State Brewing Company
FLOW (Fairbanks Ladies of Wrestling) were going to be in Healy right down the road, so we made plans to go.
Out of curiosity, I looked up the venue, 49th State Brewing Company, to check the menu. And we were pleasantly surprised! They have a vegan burger and a vegan chicken cheesesteak on the menu. And it was awesome! The beer was good too.
The band that opened for FLOW was Girl Haggard, and they rocked it. We got to see a few wrestlers we hadn’t seen before like Barbie and Mary Jane. Barbie’s legs and arms didn’t bend so she needed help to get up off the mat. And Mary Jane toked up numerous times during her match. So good.
There’s a campground right next to 49th State Brewery, Midnight Sun RV & Campground. They have lots of events at the brewery, so if you like to go to sleep before 2 am, you might want to reconsider staying there or at least make sure your site is at the opposite end of the campground. To be fair, the campground warns you of this on their website.
Denali National Park
On a rainy Saturday, we headed down the road to the Denali park entrance near us to mail some postcards and check out the visitors center. We picked up some literature which has us even more overwhelmed with everything to do in the park.
Three Bears Market
It was time to restock on some food, so we went to the local market in Healy, Three Bears Market. They have a surprisingly good selection. Some prices are outrageous, and some aren’t bad at all. You’ll see a collection of some of these things we use regularly and the costs in the video.
Smoke on the horizon
While working Monday, I saw a big plume of smoke over towards the highway. I walked outside to check it out, and it exploded while I was recording video. We went to check it out and make sure it wasn’t a forest fire coming for us, and it turned out to be a garbage truck.
Moose Sighting
We talked to a local who said there were a few moose that live in the neighborhood. And then we saw one while on our walk! She was right across the street from us! So glad she didn’t charge us.
Next post: Flight around Mt. Denali
