Lake Clark National Park
Lake Clark National Park, Port Alsworth, AK
Cook Inlet, AK
A compact masterpiece of Alaska, where active volcanoes, a glowing turquoise lake, and salmon-fed brown bears all sit a short floatplane hop from Anchorage.
Lake Clark is sometimes called Alaska in miniature, because it gathers so much of what makes the state extraordinary into one relatively compact and accessible park. Two active volcanoes, Redoubt and Iliamna, steam above its wilderness; glaciers spill from the peaks; and at its heart lies Lake Clark itself, a long lake of astonishing turquoise color fed by glacial silt. Salmon run thick up its rivers, and the whole region pulses with the life that abundance supports.
For many visitors, the great draw is the bears. Along the park's Cook Inlet coast, brown bears gather on the tide flats and salmon streams to dig clams and fish, and at places like Silver Salmon Creek, guided viewing lets people watch them graze and forage at remarkably close range. That the park sits just a short floatplane flight from Anchorage, yet feels utterly wild and remote, is part of what makes Lake Clark so special.
What Guests Love
- Coastal brown bears grazing and clamming on the tide flats
- The vivid turquoise water of Lake Clark itself
- Smoking volcanoes rising over the wilderness
- A roadless park within easy floatplane reach of Anchorage
Worth Knowing
- There are no roads; access is by small plane or floatplane, commonly from Anchorage or Kenai to Port Alsworth or the coast
- Bear viewing on the coast, such as at Silver Salmon Creek, is guided and seasonal; book well ahead
- Weather over Cook Inlet and the mountains changes fast and can delay flights, so keep plans flexible
- Most visitor services are limited and summer-focused; come prepared for wilderness conditions
Details
Cook Inlet, AK
Learn about Lake Clark National Park
Volcanoes, glaciers, and a turquoise lake
The park straddles a meeting of mountain ranges laced with volcanoes, and two of them, Redoubt and Iliamna, are active, sometimes venting steam high above the wilderness. Glaciers grind down from the high country, and their meltwater carries fine rock flour into the lakes, which is why Lake Clark glows an unreal shade of turquoise on a bright day.
Around the lake spread forests, tundra, and wild rivers rich with salmon. This mix of fire and ice, active volcanoes above and glacial waters below, gives Lake Clark a dramatic beauty, and the salmon that thread through it feed everything from eagles to the region's famous bears.
Coastal bears and a homesteader's cabin
Along the park's Cook Inlet coast lies some of the best brown-bear viewing in the world. On the wide tide flats and salmon creeks, bears gather to dig for clams and catch fish, often with cubs in tow, and guided outings at spots like Silver Salmon Creek bring visitors close to the animals as they go about their lives, a safe and unforgettable encounter.
The park also protects a quieter kind of landmark. On the shore of Twin Lakes stands the hand-built cabin of a man who lived alone in this wilderness for decades in the late twentieth century, filming and documenting his self-reliant life. His preserved cabin, reached by floatplane, has become a beloved pilgrimage for those drawn to the dream of living simply in the far north.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Cook Inlet
Silver Salmon Creek
On the park's coast
A renowned coastal bear-viewing area where brown bears dig clams and fish for salmon on the tide flats and streams.
Port Alsworth
Park hub
A small community on Lake Clark with a visitor center and lodges, a main gateway for flights into the park.
Twin Lakes
In the park interior
A pair of clear lakes ringed by mountains, site of a famous preserved homesteader's cabin reached by floatplane.