Copper Center, Alaska
Nicolai's Mine Camp
About Nicolai's Mine Camp
This is a 10-acre property along the edge of the north bank of the Klutina River--a major king salmon-fishing stream that flows into the famous Copper River just one half mile downriver. That part of the property used for camping along the river is 3 acres. This is a SEASONAL location: Memorial Weekend through Labor Day Weekend with NEW LOWER prices. At this time only the riverside sites (south side of the river dike that one drives across) are available for camping or RV parking. We have no power or other hook-ups on the riverside except that water is available on site through a series of new DEC-approved pipe and spigets, along with more fire pits and more picnic tables. Showers are extra @ $5.00 a person; Laundry tokens: $3.00 per washer load or 40 minute dryer load. Bar on site. Food service coming later THIS 2024 season. WIFI is only on the north side of the dike near any of the overnight rooms or the bar. We recommend no RVs to exceed 28 feet on the river side of the dike. Very private sites and spread out--far more so than other nearby locations. The public restroom is on the north side of the dike. AND we have several budget rooms available on the north side of the dike as well. In 2026, these start at $125/night. These all have Dish Net, WIFI, and coffee in the rooms. The bunkhouse, which can handle up to a dozen people, starts at $300/night for 4 persons. This property is undergoing development. We are adding more picnic tables, burn sites, and water connections for safe camping. Just to the east, across the Copper River, is the 12 million acre Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Our property is conveniently located in driving time almost exactly halfway between Anchorage and McCarthy-Kennecott. It is about 3 1/2 hours in either direction. At the Klutina you can charter a sight-seeing river boat or you can white-water raft from a point several miles up a historic trail that follows the river to its source--Klutina Lake and Klutina Glacier. You can obtain a visitors' license and fish here for salmon. You can also hike along the dike or numerous trails in the area.
Accommodations on the property
- Primitive site
- RV site
Location
Copper Center, Alaska
Open in Google MapsWhat people say about their stay at Nicolai's Mine Camp
Synthesized from 51 review mentions across 6 aspects.
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Setting & Nature
“we used large area more freely without worried about bothering neighborhood.”
14 mentions
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Host & Communication
“the owner being an asshole about the simplest questions”
10 mentions
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Amenities
“Great bar, filled with history, three fully operational jukeboxes”
10 mentions
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Cleanliness
“Only downside was it did have a lot trash”
8 mentions
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Value for Price
“sold my campsite to another person and gave me a shitty site”
6 mentions
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Comfort & Sleep
“the bar can be little loud at night but we had a sound machine for kids.”
3 mentions
Gallery
Recent reviews
Well we can start with the owner being an asshole about the simplest questions. Sorry never been to your campground so yes I will have questions. The whole railroad attraction wasn’t even running so you might as well take that off the website
Nice and unique place to stay with an awesome bar.
We spent two nights at Uncle Nicolai’s campground and Bar. Great authentic old-Alaskan experience, owner Ron Simpson was a wealth of information and a descendent of Chief Nicolas, the Northern Athabascan chief who led the prospectors to copper in the late 1800’s. Great bar, filled with history, three fully operational jukeboxes with three different genres of music, Alaska Railroad G gauge model railroad running overhead, good AK draft with many friendly locals.
Don’t recommend. I Reserved and Paid for a premium campsite before arriving. They sold my campsite to another person and gave me a shitty site without any money back. The site had trash in the fire ring, was loud at night and in a bar parking lot next to a tied up dog. Should have just stayed on the side of the road.
Not bad, but campground could use some update/upkeep.
The owner of Uncle Nic's is really making a lot of improvements to this property. We were in the 1914 Railroad cabin, which was clean and affordable. There is a walking path right down to the Klutina River. We were close enough to hear the river from our cabin. Be sure to check out the Tavern. He has awesome memorabilia, old (but still working) jukeboxes, a pool table, and a large model train system that runs all through the bar and back courtyard! We will be hoping to stay here again when we are in the area!
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Frequently asked questions
Where is Nicolai's Mine Camp located?
Nicolai's Mine Camp is located in Copper Center, Alaska.
What types of accommodations does Nicolai's Mine Camp offer?
Nicolai's Mine Camp offers Primitive site, RV site. Specifics vary — verify the exact unit availability with the operator before booking.
How is Nicolai's Mine Camp rated?
Nicolai's Mine Camp has a 3.65/5 rating from 19 reviews on aggregate. Ratings reflect aggregate sentiment from public review platforms; we don't moderate operator reviews.
How do I book Nicolai's Mine Camp?
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