| NATIONAL PARKS QUICKLINKS |
Also on Backpacker.com
Backpacker Magazine – May 2012
America's Best Campsites
Park your tent in one of these 10 spots, and you'll be happy in the morning. Guaranteed.
Photo by BP0512CAMP_Lanza_Sahale_445x260.jpg
-
Tags:
- Feature Stories |
- Camping |
- North Cascades |
- Washington |
- Great Sand Dunes |
- Colorado |
- Maine |
- Grand Canyon |
- Arizona |
- Oregon |
- Arkansas |
- Wyoming |
- Glacier Bay |
- Alaska |
- Glen Canyon |
- Utah |
Johns Hopkins Inlet
Glacier Bay National Park, AK
After paddling amid curious harbor seals and sea otters and past the sheer, 150-foot face of the Lamplugh Glacier calving into the ocean, it’s hard to imagine the scenery meter cranking up any higher. But at this rocky beach camp near the mouth of Johns Hopkins Inlet, you’ll soon learn that everything else was merely prelude. From your tent door, watch icebergs float in the bay and snowy mountains rise 12,000 feet out of the water. This camp lies about halfway through a four- to five-day sea kayaking trip (depending on put-in) in Glacier Bay’s West Arm. Make it a two-night stopover, allowing a full day to paddle up the cliff-lined inlet for a closer view of the Johns Hopkins Glacier.
Permit Required (free)
Map Buy the BACKPACKER PRO MAP
Contact (907) 697-2230, nps.gov/glba
Guide Alaska Mountain Guides; alaskamountainguides.com.gov/recarea/osfnf/recreation
Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter
Reader Rating:
-
Editors' Choice 2013
412 trail-tested products
Boost Your Apps
Add powerful tools and exclusive maps to your BACKPACKER apps through our partnership with Trimble Outdoors.
Carry the Best Maps
With BACKPACKER PRO Maps, get life-list destinations and local trips on adventure-ready waterproof myTopo paper.
FREE Rocky Mountain Trip Planner
Sign up for a free Rocky Mountain National Park trip planning kit from our sister site MyRockyMountainPark.com.
Get 2 FREE Trial Issues and 3 FREE GIFTS
Survival Skills 101 • Eat BetterThe Best Trails in America
YES! Please send me my FREE trial issues of Backpacker
and my 3 FREE downloadable booklets.
Free trial offer valid for US subscribers only.
Canadian subscriptions |
International subscriptions
and my 3 FREE downloadable booklets.
READERS COMMENTS
Just there this week - it is County Rd 7 and is easily accesible to 2wd cars and is reasonably well signposted. Yankee Boy Basin has nothing to do with it(unless and until you hike to Blue Lakes Pass that is). The trail to the pass is in poor condition in places and i was glad i did not have a full pack. Incredible place!! And if you do Sneffels consider the SW ridge route - more fun that the standard.
Heads up for all the eastcoasters thinking they can just drive to the trailhead. You will need a 4w drive vehicle to access the trail.
I cant believe theres not a top ten place for camping in california?????????????????
Not true about the Dallas Creek trailhead. I hiked up to the Blue Lakes from there in 2010. The road name and number may be incorrect, but the lakes are certainly accessible from the north. Just take Rt. 62 five miles west of Ridgway and turn left. Google Maps has it labeled as County Road 7.
That said, the Dallas Creek trail is wooded and, not counting some waterfalls, not as scenic as the Yankee Boy Basin approach (which starts about 2000' higher).
This is spectacular country. I was really happy to see it on this list.
Regarding Mt Sneffels. The phone number does not work and forest rd 851 (Dallas Creek Rd) does not exist. The trail is at the end of forest rd 853.1B (Yankee Boy Rd).
ADD A COMMENT