WEBSITE: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/chugach/recreation/camping-cabins/recarea/?recid=6604&actid=29 (note: as of writing this on 6/2, the website says the campground is closed. It was most certainly open.)
LOCATION: Mile 4 on Portage Highway; sort of near Girdwood
COST: $18 single/$28 double per night
RESERVATION: www.reservation.gov & a loop of first come first served sites
OUR SITE #: 42
HOOK-UPS: none
WE WENT IN: May/June (Memorial Day weekend-ish)
Review: Williwaw Campground is tucked into the Portage Valley, surrounded by streams and ponds and glaciated mountains with waterfalls cascading down their steep slopes. Yup, it's that beautiful. The campground sites are wooded and feel pretty private. There are outhouses spaced every five sites or so and we saw at least one water pump.
The Trail of Blue Ice winds around the campground (and beyond it for several miles on either side of it). It was 1 1/2 miles from our site to the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center and Portage Lake. More on this below.
Our site, #42, was a pull-through and backed up to the woods where the kids and our dog, Cody, could roam around. We could hear the nearby creek and had peakaboo views of the mountains. We had a neighbor across the road, but our trailer blocked any view of them and trees blocked views of neighbors at sites nearby. It actually wasn't crowded at all given how beautiful the weather was. We were there on a Monday and Tuesday night.
Other things to Note:
The Trail of Blue Ice is several miles and very stroller friendly. You could jump on it from our camp site (we had to lift the stroller up onto the boardwalk). It was 1 1/2 miles to the Begich, Boggs Visitors Center.
The Begich, Boggs Visitor Center is on stunning Portage Lake. It was $5/adult to enter (we don't have any special parks passes). The kids really liked the displays and even sat through the whole 20-minute information video about the Chugach National Forest. We spent a good amount of time around the lake on trails and on the beach.
We needed something from a real store and drove the 30 minutes into Girdwood on our second afternoon. We stopped by the Carrs Grocery Store and *had* to hit up the Girdwood Brewery. There is a super playground for kids near the store.
Staying for longer than two nights? Here are five adventures you could have:
A boat tour to Portage Glacier
Byron Glacier Trail (< 3 miles out and back; not stroller friendly)
The tunnel to Whittier (where you can explore Prince William Sound, including on boat tours with wildlife and glacier viewing),
The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, and
Alyeska Resort which has hiking and a tram up to Seven Glaciers Restaurant (although we just take it for the pretty views and some french fries in the little cafeteria-style tram house).
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