Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Review

Read our Kenai Peninsula, Prince Wiliam Sound, and Homer sights reviews. Or post your own.

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve

  • Mailing: Administrative Headquarters:, 4230 University Dr., Suite 311, Anchorage, AK, USA, 99508
  • Phone: 907/271-3751
  • www.nps.gov/lacl

Fodor's Review:

100 mi west of Anchorage by air.

When the weather is good, an idyllic choice beyond the Mat-Su Valley is the 3.4-million-acre Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, on the Alaska Peninsula and a short flight from Anchorage or Kenai and Soldotna. There's no road access to the park, so all visits are via small plane. The parklands stretch from the coast to the heights of two grand volcanoes: Mt. Iliamna and Mt. Redoubt, both topping out above 10,000 feet. The country in between holds glaciers, waterfalls, and turquoise-tinted lakes. The 50-mi-long Lake Clark, filled by runoff waters from the mountains that surround it, is an important spawning ground for thousands of red (sockeye) salmon.

The river running is superb in this park. You can make your way through dark forests of spruce and balsam poplars or you can hike over the high, easy-to-travel tundra. The animal life is profuse: look for bears, moose, Dall sheep, wolves, wolverines, foxes, beavers, and minks on land; seals, sea otters, and white (or beluga) whales offshore. Wildflowers embroider the meadows and tundra in spring, and wild roses bloom in the shadows of the forests. Plan your trip to Lake Clark for the end of June or early July, when the insects may be less plentiful. Or consider late August or early September, when the tundra glows with fall colors.

  • Other location: Park visitor center:, 1 Park Pl., Port Alsworth, AK, 907/781-2218
Find more sights in Kenai Peninsula, Prince Wiliam Sound, and Homer »

Member Reviews and Ratings

Be the first to review this property

Get Advice From Other Travelers

Visit the Travel Talk forums for help on planning your trip



Get the Fodor's Newsletter

For more travel ideas, tips, and deals, sign up for the Fodor's newsletter here. Read the current issue. Browse previous issues.




Copyright © 2009 Fodor's Travel, a division of Random House, Inc.