Photo: Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Lake Clark packs a little of everything Alaska does well into one roadless park: steaming volcanoes, turquoise lakes, glaciers, salmon rivers and coastal meadows full of brown bears. It sits just across Cook Inlet from Anchorage, yet it gets only a sliver of the visitors. Every trip starts with a small plane, landing on a lake, a beach or a gravel strip. Some people come for a day of bear viewing; others stay a week in the backcountry and never see another soul.
TRAILS
1 OF 5
Tanalian Falls and Kontrashibuna Lake
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
4 mi (falls)
Elevation gain
About 200 ft
Port Alsworth — The park's best half day on foot. A marked trail from Port Alsworth winds through birch and spruce to Tanalian Falls, where glacial water pours over a 30-foot ledge of old lava. Keep going a bit farther to the shore of Kontrashibuna Lake, a long green-blue lake tucked between mountains; the round trip to the lake is about 5.5 miles. Stop at the visitor center first for a trail map and bear update.
⚠︎ Bears use these trails. Carry bear spray and make noise.
Photo: Ryjil Christianson, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
2 OF 5
Tanalian Mountain
Difficulty
Strenuous
Length
8.6 mi
Elevation gain
3,250 ft
Port Alsworth — A steep, rough climb out of the trees and onto open alpine ridges above Port Alsworth. The top looks over Lake Clark, Kontrashibuna Lake and a sea of peaks, and Dall sheep sometimes graze the slopes. Plan on most of a day, with some scrambling near the summit. Bring plenty of water and an extra warm layer; the top is usually colder and windier than town.
⚠︎ Trail can be muddy and slick. Weather turns fast above treeline.
Photo: Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
3 OF 5
Proenneke's Cabin at Twin Lakes
Difficulty
Easy
Length
Short walk
Elevation gain
None
Upper Twin Lake — Richard Proenneke built this log cabin by hand in the late 1960s and lived here alone for about 30 years, and his story still draws people from around the world. Rangers and volunteers show visitors around in summer, and the cabin looks out over one of the prettiest lakes in Alaska. Floatplanes land right on Upper Twin Lake. If you can stay longer, an unmaintained route climbs behind the cabin toward Teetering Rock.
⚠︎ Open late May to late September, depending on ice. Floatplane access only in summer.
Photo: Caitlin Marr from Austin, TX, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
4 OF 5
Silver Salmon Creek Bear Viewing
Difficulty
Easy
Length
Varies
Elevation gain
None
Cook Inlet coast — A wide coastal meadow and beach where brown bears graze sedges in early summer, dig clams at low tide and fish the creek when silver salmon run in late summer. Most people fly in for the day on a guided trip, landing on the beach. Walking out with a guide and watching quietly as bears go about their day is unforgettable. Bring rubber boots and warm layers for the wind off the inlet.
⚠︎ No set viewing areas here. Go with an authorized guide and keep your distance from bears.
Photo: National Park Service, Alaska Region, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
5 OF 5
Telaquana Route
Difficulty
Strenuous
Length
About 50 mi
Elevation gain
Varies
Twin Lakes to Telaquana Lake — This route follows an ancestral Dena'ina path between Lake Clark and Telaquana Lake, past Turquoise Lake and the Twin Lakes. It is a route, not a trail: you pick your own line across tundra, creeks and moraines. Expect about a week of tough, beautiful walking with almost no one else around. Arrange your air taxi drop-off and pickup before you go, with a spare day for weather.
⚠︎ Unmarked wilderness route with cold river crossings. For experienced backpackers only.
Photo: NPS Photo, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Plan your Lake Clark trip
The Nova Bound app builds the whole trip around these trails: where to stay, where to charge, and what to see each day. Coming soon to the App Store.
Distances are round trip unless noted, from NPS.gov and rounded. Trails, permits and road openings change; always check nps.gov before you go. Trail write-ups by Nova Bound.