The Campbell Tract is a 730-acre Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA) located in the heart of Alaska’s largest urban area and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The site provides outdoor recreation opportunities in a non-motorized natural setting for 400,000 to 500,000 visitors annually. The 25-mile trail system winds through the woods, providing year-round recreation opportunities on unpaved trails that link to the adjacent 4,000 acre Far North Bicentennial Park trail network managed by the Municipality of Anchorage Parks and Recreation Division (MoA). Popular activities include walking, running, mountain biking, horseback riding, and wildlife viewing. In the winter, activities include snowshoeing, fat tire biking, skijoring, and cross-country skiing. Users can access Campbell Tract SRMA from the BLM’s Smokejumper Trailhead and Campbell Airstrip Trailhead and the MoA Abbott Loop Community Park Trailhead. Parking and visitor information kiosks are available at both trailheads. Access can also be gained from several points on the adjacent municipal parklands.
In the winter, recreational trails are groomed for increased recreational use and to provide for Nordic skiing. Campbell Tract is located near the Alaska Sled Dog and Racing Association (ASDRA) Tozier Track, which is the start and end point for dog mushing races and training runs. This provides visitors of Campbell Tract the opportunity to view world-class dog mushing activities. Dog teams are fast, silent, and cannot stop quickly. To ensure an enjoyable user experience and public safety, these activities utilize select trails on the SRMA that are reserved for sled dog use only during the winter months. Please stay off these trails when signage indicates closure for uses other than sled dog musing.
The Campbell Tract SRMA is home to an array of wildlife and provides quality wildlife viewing opportunities. Visitors may have sightings of lynx, fox, coyotes, moose, black and brown bears, local and migratory songbirds, various raptors, and three species of Pacific salmon. Visitors are encouraged to practice "bear aware" techniques, including traveling in groups, making noise, and carrying bear spray.
When you are visiting public lands, it is important to follow Leave No Trace practices to help keep trails, animals, and wild places safe and healthy. Always remember to plan ahead, travel on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, respect wildlife, and be considerate of others. For more information on Leave No Trace practices, training, and resources, visit the Leave No Trace Website, the BLM’s Campbell Creek Science Center webpage, and the BLM’s Outdoor Ethics site.
The following activities are prohibited on the Campbell Tract SRMA:
- Use of motorized vehicles (except Class 1 E-Bikes)
- Use of firearms, air guns, paint guns, archery equipment, traps, fireworks, or snares
- Off-leash dogs and domesticated animals; physical restraints or electronic collars are required
- Building fires and camping
- Consumption of alcohol
- Use or possession of fireworks
- Use or possession of fireworks
- Building structures, shelters, and constructing trails
- Salmon fishing
- Tree cutting
- Harassing wildlife
- Disturbing or removal of historic artifacts
- Use of the Campbell airstrip heliport, aircraft ramp, and aircraft taxiway
- Use of dog mushing wheeled carts or vehicles during snow free season
- Use of sled dogs on all trails, except in the winter season on the winter sled dog only trails
- Use of trails signed as closed
- Use of bikes and sled dogs on CCSC Campus educational trails
- Use of winter single track trails during the snow free season
Camp Observer
