Lake Clark

National Park

and Preserve

Lake Clark National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Lake Clark National Park

Lake Clark National Preserve

Alaska

Set between the Aleutian and Alaska ranges,

the Chigmit Mountains

divide the park interior

Hikers and backpackers

must be well-equipped

and self-sufficient for

safe backcountry travel.

The outlet of Lower

Twin Lake flows into

the Chilikadrotna River,

one of the three

Dall sheep haunt alpine

ridges and meadows

and steep, rocky slopes

in the park. It takes

The Dena'ina people

have lived around Lake

Clark for at least 900

years. Many residents

Wild, Spectacular Scenic Diversity

flowing southwest toward Bristol Bay. The area supports a variety of large

land mammals including Dall sheep, caribou, moose, wolves, and black

and brown bears. Lake Clark stretches 40 miles, and its watershed provides critical spawning and rearing habitats for sockeye salmon and sustains the Bristol Bay salmon fishery, one of the world’s largest sockeye

salmon fisheries. 

The park and preserve beckon anglers, wildlife viewers, river runners,

campers, backpackers, and mountaineers. Anglers find world-class fishing

for rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, lake trout, northern pike, and arctic grayling. River runners raft or kayak the Tlikakila, Mulchatna, or Chilikadrotna

national wild rivers. Campers and backpackers explore high tundra valleys,

foothills, and secluded lakeshores in the park’s wilderness areas, and some

of America’s most remote, rugged peaks challenge mountaineers.

East of the Chigmits, Cook Inlet features shallow bays, rocky headlands,

and many offshore reefs populated by marine mammals—harbor seals,

Steller sea lions, sea otters, harbor porpoises, and beluga whales. From

the Chigmits’ eastern flank, rivers rush to tidewater through coastal

rainforests of Sitka and white spruce. En route these rivers create

marshes and outwash plains—prime habitat for bald eagles, diverse

migratory birds, and resident waterfowl. In spring, brown bears feed in

sedge meadows of estuaries, where salt and fresh waters mix, and in

summer catch salmon in streams and rivers flowing into Cook Inlet.

Coastal cliffs hold not only fossil remnants of 150 million years of sea

life but provide habitat for peregrine falcons and rookeries for puffins,

cormorants, kittiwakes, and other seabirds.

This richly diverse region has been a homeland for Native Alaskan peoples for centuries, with Dena'ina Athabascan sites throughout today’s

park and preserve, and areas of Yup'ik occupation along the southern

part of Iliamna Lake. Many Dena'ina people living near Lake Clark today

have roots at Kijik, a national historic landmark and archeological district. It once supported a large, multi-village community. Kijik, from the

Dena'ina, Qizhjeh, means “a place where people gathered.” 

The 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) created 10 new National Park System areas, including Lake Clark National

Park and Preserve. ANILCA gives rural Alaska residents priority for subsistence uses of fish and wildlife on federal public lands. Residents of

Nondalton, Iliamna, Lime Village, Newhalen, Pedro Bay, and Port

Alsworth, and people living in the park, continue to engage in subsistence hunting, fishing, and gathering activities inside the park and preserve under state and federal regulations. These communities and the

area inside the park are designated resident zone communities because

their residents have a long history of using resources in the park for

their sustenance and livelihood.

In ANILCA, Congress also designated more than 2.4 million acres of the

park as wilderness to preserve the area’s natural conditions and wilderness character in perpetuity as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

ices. Several remote cabins throughout the park

are staffed in summer

to help backcountry

travelers. The field

headquarters also offers

detailed area information, topographic maps,

park guides, and lists of

accommodations and

local services.

The administrative

office is at 240 West

Fifth Ave., Anchorage,

AK 99501; 907-644-

3626. There is also a

field office at 2181

Kachemak Dr., Homer,

AK 99603.

Lake Clark National

Park and Preserve

General Delivery

Port Alsworth, AK 99653

907-781-2218

www.nps.gov/lacl

There are more than

380 parks in the National Park System. To learn

more about parks and

National Park Service

programs in America’s

communities, please

visit www.nps. gov.

The vast undeveloped

areas of the park (2.6

million acres) and preserve (1.4 million acres)

include rugged mountains, active volcanoes,

dramatic glaciers, wild

rivers and scenic lakes,

boreal forests, open

expanses of tundra,

and jagged coastlines.

For most activities you

must either be well

equipped and self-sufficient when you arrive

or make advance

arrangements with a

guide, outfitter, or

lodge operator. Air

services based in Port

Alsworth, Anchorage,

Kenai, and Homer offer

drop-off services, flightseeing, and day trips

for fly-in fishing and

viewing bears and

other wildlife.

.

A system of hiking trails

begins in Port Alsworth

and provides access to

Tanalian Mountain,

Tanalian Falls, and Kontrashibuna Lake for day

hikes and short backpacking trips. There are

no other developed

trails. Mountainous

areas are steep, rugged,

and subject to inclement weather all year.

Lowlands can be boggy,

wet, and dotted with

dense thickets of alder

and willow scrub. To

explore backcountry,

consider backpacking in

the western foothills,

for travel on open and

relatively dry tundra. 

Three national wild

rivers—Tlikakila, Chilikadrotna and Mulchatna—provide opportunities for float trips and

sport fishing. Sport fishing is allowed in both

the park and preserve.

The preserve is open to

sport hunting under

State of Alaska regulations. The park is closed

to sport hunting. 

Note: Winter travel is

recommended only for

people experienced

with cold-weather

camping and survival

techniques.

Temperatures on the

park’s east side near

Cook Inlet average

between 50° and 65°F

from June through

August with heavy precipitation. The park’s

interior—west of the

Chigmit Mountains—is

warmer and drier in

summer with temperatures reaching 80°F.

Frost and snow can

occur in September and

October—anticipate

frost even in mid-summer. March and early

April are best for crosscountry skiing, snow

permitting. From midApril to late May thawing streams and lakes

make all travel difficult

and dangerous. Strong

winds can occur at any

time and may be severe

in and near mountain

passes. Winter temperatures in the interior can

fall to -40°F or lower.

You should know and

test your gear before

you arrive and possess

backcountry skills for

wildness survival. Filter,

chemically treat, or boil

all drinking water. Leave

an itinerary with someone before you head

out and notify them

when you complete

your trip.

Brown and black bears,

moose, caribou, wolves,

and other animals are

wild and not used to

humans. Stay at a safe

distance and do not

approach closely. Get

information on wildlife

encounters at the visitor

center in Port Alsworth

and be familiar with it

before starting your trip.

Note: Many local residents live a subsistence

way of life and many

tracts of private land are

in the park and preserve.

These parcels are not

open to public use without land owner permission. Please be courteous

and respect private

property.

Access and Information Guides, Outfitting, and Supplies

Dynamic forces of fire and ice have shaped Lake Clark National Park and

Preserve. Over many millennia glaciers gouged and shaped new landforms

created by volcanic eruptions and uplifts of Earth’s crust. These contrasting

forces are still active today—as glaciers shroud the shoulders of the park’s

imposing and potentially active volcanoes, Redoubt (10,197 ft) and Iliamna 

(10,016 ft), on the Cook Inlet coast. 

Lake Clark National Park’s nearly 2.6 million acres include the rugged Chigmit Mountains bounded by the Aleutian Range to the south and the Alaska Range to the north. Relentless grinding of tectonic plates, uplift, earthquakes, and glacial scraping, scouring, and mounding created the Chigmits’ awesome, jagged array of peaks. The national preserve encompasses

more than 1.4 million acres and adjoins the park to the south and west,

with rolling foothills, boreal forests, alpine lakes, wild rivers, and sweeping expanses of tundra. The varied topography of the park and preserve

creates habitats for a diverse mix of plants and animals. 

On their west side the Chigmits descend via tundra-covered foothills to

boreal forest and include spectacular wilderness with lakes and wild rivers

The Lake Clark watershed is critical spawning and rearing habitat

for sockeye salmon.

Top photo: Fishing on Lake Clark ©GEORGE WUERTHNER

ALL OTHER PHOTOS NPS EXCEPT BIVY BAG ©MARK MEYER

Lake Clark National

Park and Preserve is not

on the road system.

Access is primarily by

small aircraft. Scheduled commercial flights

between Anchorage

and Port Alsworth provide direct access, and

flights from Anchorage

to Nondalton and

Iliamna put you near

the park. Air charter

services in Anchorage,

Port Alsworth, Kenai,

and Homer provide

access to remote 

areas of the park.

The field headquarters

and visitor center in

Port Alsworth provide

visitor information and

basic emergency servfrom Cook Inlet. Highest of Chigmits peaks is

10,197-foot Redoubt

Volcano.

national wild rivers in

the national park and

preserve.

about eight years for a

ram to grow its circular

horns, characteristic of

its species.

Sockeye spawn in summer and fall in rivers,

streams and upwelling

areas on the lakeshore.

Few places sell equipment and supplies in

the park. Stores in Nondalton and Iliamna—air

access only—sell limited

foodstuffs and gear.

Plan to outfit in Kenai,

Homer, or Anchorage

and bring adequate

food and gear so you

are self-sufficient and

prepared for changing

weather and potential

emergencies.

Merchants in Nondalton, Iliamna, and Port

Alsworth and lodges on

Lake Clark and the

Cook Inlet coast offer

rooms, cabins, meals,

and guide and outfitter

services. These services

are limited, so make

your arrangements well

in advance. Some air

and boat charter operators also provide guides

and rental equipment—

contact 907-781-2218 or

nps.gov/akso/concessions

for a list of licensed

operators.

You are generally on

your own and dependent on your own

resources here. Bring

high-quality clothing

and gear: synthetic pile

and wind-proof outerwear, thermal underwear, rain gear, and

tents able to withstand

strong winds with rain

flies and mosquito netting. Insect repellent

and sunscreen are highly recommended. All

food, toiletries, and

garbage should be carried and stored in bear

resistant containers.

These may be checked

out at the visitor center

in Port Alsworth. Carry

emergency food rations

because bad weather

can delay your scheduled pick-up.

Do not use the map in

this brochure for backpacking or navigation.

U.S. Geological Survey

topographic maps that

cover the park and preserve are: Lime Hills,

Lake Clark, Iliamna,

Kenai, Seldovia, and

Tyonek.

What to See and Do Weather, Precautions, and Safety

of the region descend

from Dena'ina people

who settled and lived

in the Kijik area.

✩GPO:2006—320-369/00xxx Reprint 2006

Printed on recycled paper.

The park offers exceptional opportunities to

experience the remoteness of wild Alaska.