Situated on Alaska’s southern shores, along the banks of the Cook Inlet, Lake Clark National Park holds a small piece of everything that is Alaska. Smoking volcanoes and jagged glacier-capped mountains claw at wide open skies under which alpine tundra, coastal rain forests, whitewater rivers and crystal clear lakes support the scores of wildlife that roam this vast wilderness.
Guide to Lake Clark
Lake Clark National Park
Despite the fact that this is park is relatively easily accessible by Alaskan standards, Lake Clark is an easy 1 hour flight from Anchorage, it remains one of the best kept secrets in the parks, with a mere 21,000 visitors in 2016.
Where is Lake Clark?
Lake Clark is located on the southern shores of the Alaskan mainland, to the southwest of Anchorage and pretty much due west of Homer, Kenai and Kenai Fjords National Park. The park lies due north of Katmai National Park, so you may as well just arrange your plans to visit both parks during your journey.
No roads access this rural park, but flights can be arranged through a number of local airlines. See the Lake Clark Visiting page for more information on this remote park.
Exploring Lake Clark
There are four million acres here, and I bet not one view in the park sucks. That said, the journey to witness those views could suck, and could suck bad if you’re unprepared. There are no trails into the wilderness of Lake Clark, although a couple of vague routes exist that have been used for centuries by the natives.
Adventures to outlying regions of the park will require advance planning and logistical considerations, as there are limitless opportunities, but no trails or roads. Air taxis are the only way to cover ground up here, and can access some incredible locations that would otherwise be out-of-the-question.
Port Alsworth
Most visitors arrive at Port Alsworth on the park’s 42-mile long namesake lake. This location actually sits outside the park, in the Lake Clark National Preserve, but acts as the hub for activities in the national park, as the two units are under the same management.
Here, a small visitor center and ranger station welcome guests. Nearby lies the area’s only maintained hiking trail, a 2.4-mile one-way trail to Tanalian Falls, with a few splinter trails leading to various areas of interest along the way.
From this location, adventurists can access the slopes of 3,960-foot Tanalian Mountain, which provides picturesque views of Lake Clark and the surrounding array of glacially covered mountains.
Numerous lodging and dining options exist at Port Alsworth, see a list of accommodations and find a place to lay your head while in the park. Lake Clark does not provide any designated campgrounds, but backcountry camping is available without a permit. There is one privately owned campground in Port Alsworth, see the visiting page for more information about camping or lodging.
Twin Lakes
This remote location offers a brilliant home-base for exploration of the park’s massive interior and is one of the busiest camping and backpacking regions in Lake Clark National Park. Most visitors that make their way to Twin Lakes arrive on a small float plane, operated by an air taxi service.
A few hearty souls make their way to the lakes on foot, often in route from Telaquana Lake to Kijik Village on the historic Telanquana Trail. See the activities page for more info on this rugged route.
The most popular site at Upper Twin Lake is a small log cabin that was built by Richard Louis Proenneke, a gentleman from Iowa who made his way to Alaska in the late 1940s. It was not until the early 1960s that Proenneke made has was to the Twin Lakes area, but memories of that journey led to his subsequent return and the construction of a rude cabin in 1968, which he built with hand tools, many of which he fashioned himself.
Proenneke lived in the cabin for nearly 30 years, not departing until 1998, when he was in his 80s. The cabin is open for viewing during the summer season, although staying in the cabin is not permitted.
See the activities page for more information about the Twin Lakes area.
Playtime in Lake Clark
Hiking the park’s backcountry is, as it is in most all Alaskan parks, a wilderness journey complete with route-finding and navigational complications. There are a number of popular routes for those searching for wild adventure. Many such routes lead backcountry enthusiasts through vast untamed land of inland lakes and rivers, crossing over wind-swept mountain passes where destinations may not be quite visible on the distant horizon.
Watersports are popular here and river runners find three National Wild and Scenic Rivers running within the park boundary. The Chilikadrotna, the Mulchatna and the Tlikakila each offer whitewater rafting and kayaking adventure, and countless lakes within the park offer more leisurely water pursuits. See the activities page for a link to guide services that can put you in the mix.
Keep in mind, this is Alaska; storms and high winds may create dangerous situations on any of these inland lakes at any time. Many of these adventures require transporting watercraft to the rivers and lakes, so inflatable kayaks are a bonus. There are also, boat tours offered on the the turquoise waters of Lake Clark, for those who would simply like to take it easy.
Hunting
Hunting is allowed in the preserve section of the park and the fishing is excellent on Crescent Lake and in the nearby Crescent River, offering anglers the opportunity to reel in five different kinds of salmon, as well as Dolly Varden trout and northern pike.
Hunters often must negotiate steep, rocky terrain in search of Dall’s sheep and should thoroughly research trip logistics well in advance of any proposed trip. There are many regulations regarding hunting and fishing in Alaska’s national parks, so a visit to the Park Junkie activities page is worth the effort in order to be abreast of such regulations, or to find a guide service.
Lake Clark Wildlife
Lake Clark National Park is teaming with wildlife. Those who seek to view and photograph the area’s natural residents may benefit from a guided trip, or may set out on their own in search of the perfect frame.
While the park’s brown bears are perhaps the most well-known, there are many beaver, black bear, caribou, Dall’s sheep, gray wolves, lynx, moose, red fox, river otters, and wolverines who make their home here. The skies of Lake Clark are home to bald eagles, gyrfalcons, peregrine falcons, and merlins, as well as tundra and trumpeter swans, to name but a few of the avian species circling above this incredible land.
Park Junkie Verdict
I have yet to experience the lands of Lake Clark, although a plan is in the works, and anticipation is growing for a wilderness adventure in the not-distant future.
A visit to Lake Clark often can be streamlined with the aid of a local guide or outfitter, see the visiting page for a list of such service providers. As with any Alaskan park, plan ahead, prepare, and be ready for the adventure of a lifetime!
See ya there…
Guide to Lake Clark
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