Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a backcountry park on the Alaskan peninsula. There is no road access to the park and preserve; most visitors arrive by small plane. Varying terrain at the park includes the junction of three mountain ranges, two volcanoes, rainforests, tundra, glacial lakes and rivers. Many of the park’s streams and lakes are vital to the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. The only maintained hiking trail system within the park is the Tanalian Trails system.

  • Where is the trailhead for hikes in the park?
    • The trailhead is located adjacent to the southernmost airstrip in Port Alsworth, deep within the heart of the park.
  • What types of hikes are available?
    • Hikes range from moderate to rigorous. The Beaver Pond Trail offers a moderate hike through birch groves and around a beaver pond, while more difficult hikes take visitors through spruce-covered hillsides for a view of Lake Clark.
  • What is Tanalian Falls?
    • Tanalian Falls is a 30-foot waterfall of glacier waters flowing over hardened ancient lava. Hikers who continue past the falls will reach Kontrashibuna Lake.
  • What is the hike to Tanalian Mountain like?
    • The Tanalian Mountain hike is a difficult uphill climb but rewards hikers with a stunning panoramic view of Lake Clark.
  • What is the hike to Teetering Rock?
    • The popular backcountry hike to Teetering Rock begins at the cabin of Richard Proenneke, a famous wilderness enthusiast who lived there for 30 years.
  • What is significant about Richard Proenneke’s cabin?
    • The hand-built log cabin from 1967 has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2007.
  • What activities are popular at Twin Lakes?
    • The park’s Twin Lakes are popular for sport fishing for sockeye salmon and arctic grayling. Visitors also enjoy kayaking, canoeing, and white-water rafting down the Chilikadrotna River.
  • Where can visitors stay overnight?
    • Guests who prefer not to camp can stay at the rustic cabins at Priest Rock. These cabins, located 8 miles from Port Alsworth on Lake Clark, were originally built by Allen Woodward, a summer resident of the area from the 1950s through the early 2000s.
  • What does the museum at the park feature?
    • The park’s museum manages a collection of over 200,000 artifacts, including herbs, fossils, journals, photographs, and objects belonging to Richard Proenneke.
  • What is the significance of the Bristol Bay wooden sailboat?
    • The museum also houses a double-ender Bristol Bay wooden sailboat that belonged to Allen Woodward and was used in Alaskan commercial fishing in the mid-1900s. It was donated to the park by the Woodward family in 2000.
  • Where is the museum located?
    • The museum is located at the Visitor Center in Port Alsworth.
  • What is the history behind the name of Lake Clark?
    • The original name of Lake Clark is “Qizhjeh Vena”, meaning “place where people gather”. This name reflects its importance to the Dena’ina people, who have lived in the region for thousands of years and continue to live off the land today.
  • Who was Richard Proenneke?
    • Richard "Dick" Proenneke was an American conservationist who lived in a self-built log cabin on Upper Twin Lake for 30 years. His journals, notes, and films documented the wilderness, wildlife, and visitors to the area.
  • What impact did Proenneke have on conservation?
    • Proenneke started as a sport hunter, transitioned to a subsistence hunter, and eventually became a non-hunter. His off-the-grid lifestyle and wilderness ethos have inspired many around the world.
  • How is Proenneke’s story shared today?
    • His life inspired the 1977 short film “One Man’s Alaska”, and his journals have been published into books.
  • Who was Allen Woodward?
    • Allen Woodward was a World War II veteran and skilled pilot who explored the Alaskan wilderness. He sold the first of his three cabins to the National Park Foundation in 1979, one year before the area became a National Park in 1980.
  • Are there ranger-led tours of Richard Proenneke’s cabin?
    • Yes, during the summer months, park rangers are stationed at Proenneke’s cabin and offer guided tours to visitors. No reservations are required.
  • What structures are at Proenneke’s cabin site?
    • The site includes the hand-built log cabin, a raised cache for storing food, and a woodshed with an outhouse.

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Port Alsworth, AK 99653, Phone: 907-781-2118

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