Russian River

The campground and staff are fine. The problem is with policy. We met a retired dentist from Florida that comes up every year to return with hundreds of salmon. He reserves the Russian for when the fish are there. This year, he has 24 consecutive days at the Russian during peak season. Please change the limit for folks to stay to 3 days per 30 so this kind of hogging a special location ends.

Every site in this campground had been reserved 6 months in advance. However during my three night stay only about half were ever occupied!

There is something seriously wrong with this reservation system. I think that a person who has a reservation should be REQUIRED to confirm their intention to show up within 48 hours of their arrival date.

The campground manager Jerod does an awesome job. He has an excellent attitude and couldn't be more helpful. I always enjoy interacting with him.

One of the most well kept campgrounds in Alaska. Staff are very helpful and friendly.

The staff manning the Russian River Campground are friendly and knowledgeable.
One suggestion: Conduct campsite inspections during the daytime to encourage campers to secure all food items and coolers inside the bear proof cabinets provided at each campsite.
We were disappointed that our neighboring campers left all of their coolers and food stuff outdoors while they were gone for the entire day. Thankfully, there were no salmon in the river, so the bear activity was low. However, when I reported the campsite I learned that a black bear had cruised through a nearby loop.
*Save the Bears 🐻

We are Alaskan residents and, like many Alaskans and tourists alike, thoroughly enjoy our stays at the Russian River if we're lucky enough to be able to get a reservation. This year, unlike the previous two years, we were able to get a reservation for three days during fishing season (that's when this place is booked tight). This weekend, we figured out why it's so difficult to get a reservation. A Florida resident named "Steve" in site 73 bragged about his ability to get sites at the Russian River consecutively for 9 days in one spot and then another 15 days in another spot. He said "it's the best (he's) ever done." He does this every year, also bragging about catching and sending 250 sockeye salmon home to Florida last year. The overharvest of our precious resource is a topic for fish and game (there's no way a retired 75 year old dentist and his wife can eat 250 salmon in a year when our family of five relies on salmon 2-3 days/week all year long and we limit ourselves to 150 total fish); however, the campground being booked by one visitor for 24 days during peak season is a Forest Service issue. Please consider policy changes to prevent this. Perhaps you can limit reservations to 3 days total per 30 days or something. We (Alaskans) brave the winters up here and then can't access one of our best campgrounds because of behavior like this. We welcome tourists but the overharvest and blocking of prime areas by visitors is what leaves us with a bad taste after observing such behavior. Alternatively, open reservations to the states' (all states that have USFS resources) residents 30 days earlier than out of state residents with some limit on number of stays per 30 days (I doubt this will be entertained since this is a federal resource). All visitors, Alaskans and tourists alike, would welcome any policy change that permits more individuals and families to be able to access and enjoy your facility on a more fair share basis.

Love this place. Early June pre-salmon, hardly anyone there!

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getting a reservation now is almost impossible. Getting consecutive nights is even more difficult. It’s no longer worth the effort to attempt to piece together a stay at the russian. It requires multiple reservations, breaking camp to move. Go back to the way it was. You have people signing up for all the dates the re-selling like scalpers.