Clearwater River Campground - Delta Junction, Alaska
I think it’s fair to say we were preoccupied during our stay at the Clearwater River campground that was definitely cut short.
In case you missed the saga, you can read about it here:
Part One – The Black Beast
Part Two – Daisy Duke Diesel
We spent two nights in this campground. Through all of our discussions, research and decision making, we did manage to spend a little time enjoying the gorgeous river.
This river has a special memory for me. My first experience on this river, was in 1998, when I came to visit Alaska with Jason, who was my boyfriend at the time.
We floated the river with his folks in his dad’s grumman square stern canoe. I caught my first grayling, and much to my horror at the time, and everyone else’s amusement, they made me hold it!
I also saw my first grizzly bear. He swam across the river right in front of our canoe. Lucky for us, he climbed out on the other side and went on his merry way paying us no attention.
It was an exciting adventure downstream for a young girl visiting Alaska for the first time!
Our Stay
As many of you read from Josie’s post, which you can read HERE, our camp was full of pinecones and squirrels. There were at least two squirrels who I’m pretty positive never left our camp site, even when we were outside. They were super busy running here and there, stocking up for winter.
We stayed in spot #9, which was nice and long, with plenty of tall skinny spruce trees around the picnic table and the fire pit.
We ventured out for a few walks – the campground itself is not very large, but we did manage to find a few skinny trails along the river, no doubt created by the many fisherman who walk along the edge.
The Campground
The Clearwater Campground includes a very popular boat launch and 16 camp sites, which vary in size, length, and proximity to the camp road.
It is a state campground, but at the time of our stay, was not being maintained by the state due to funding. There were volunteers who were tending the outhouses, but there was no firewood and there were no trash services.
We did happen to come across a news article, stating the state was hiring a private contractor to maintain the park and that the trash services would be back on within the week of our departure.
The campground is located next to the Clearwater Lodge, which was rebuilt and reopened in 2016 after it had burned down from arson.
We would have stayed longer, if circumstances had been different. Although Jason tried his hand at fishing the beautifully clear, freezing cold river, he was not victorious.
Fish and Squirrels = 1 Jason and Josie = 0
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hi, I’m Hillary! Wife and dog mama of two goofy pups. I am a retired 6th grade teacher, but still seek to share and help others at www.teachlikemidgley.com
I enjoy spending time with my pups and my husband. I have a passion for rescues, and would save more pups if I could. I enjoy books and I am a mustang enthusiast. Thanks for reading! |