The National Parks: Lake Clark

1/9/2017

Containing some of the most unique landscapes in all of Alaska, three mountain ranges meet here not far from a Cook Inlet coastline dotted with rainforests and an alpine tundra where glaciers and glacial lakes help feed salmon-bearing rivers. Two volcanoes dwell within the mountainous surroundings, one still highly active. Such a wide variety of ecosystems located all in one place mean this area is home to virtually all terrestrial and marine animals found in Alaska. Of course, the area is most known for its brown bears who migrate here each year to feed in the rivers, considered the most productive watershed for salmon spawning. Relatively isolated even into the modern day, its separation from the rest of the world is what has made Lake Clark National Park a bastion for Alaska’s natural wonders, wildlife and heritage.

The Dena’ina and Yup’ik peoples still live in and around the park, practicing subsistence the same way native inhabitants of the park have for nearly 10,000 years. Later a refuge for those seeking to live a solitary life among nature, the park today faces threats from mining operations nearby continue to show the importance of preserving this unique natural landscape. In addition to being the seventh largest national park in the United States, Lake Clark is considered one of the least visited. Despite this, the park is the year-round home to two cities and hundreds of residents.

History

The first people to inhabit the area now known as Lake Clark arrived here around 14,000 years ago when the last major ice age came to an end. Up until 11,000 years ago, these people would have dealt with ice age megafauna such as wooly mammoths. Not much is known about this earliest peoples as many of their artifacts and campsites were destroyed in major volcanic eruptions over the centuries. It is believed these people were nomadic and subsistence hunters, following large megafauna around on migration routes. When these megafauna became extinct, so too did the way of life for the people who relied upon them for food.

The remains of a settlement of the Thule people, the prehistoric ancestors of all modern-day Inuit peoples.

Between 10,000 and 7,500 years ago, the Bristol Bay area was occupied by prehistoric peoples known as the Paleo-Arctic People. Believed to have arrived in Alaska via the land bridge over the Bering Strait to Siberia, these people subsisted mainly on hunting and fishing. Tools consisting of wood, antler and bone points have been found as have microblades, bifaces, scrapers and graving tools. Many of the settlements created by these people were lost due to rising sea levels.

Between, 6,000 and 4,000 years ago, the park was dominated by the members of the northern Archaic tradition followed by the Arctic small tool tradition from 5,000 years ago to 2,000 years ago. Both of these peoples marked the transition between nomadic subsistence and more permanent settlements with the beginnings of a farming culture. Around 2,200 years ago, the Norton Tradition emerged in the Bristol Bay area followed by the Thule Tradition around 2,000 years ago. Possibly descendants of the Arctic small tool tradition, the Norton peoples were marine oriented and developed technologies such as clay vessels used to burn whale oil as lamps. They did occasionally migrate to follow caribou in the winters with summer fishing camps. From around this time period, archaeologists have dated numerous settlements ranging from small fishing camps to larger villages along the Chinitna Bay coastline.

The ancestors of all modern-day Inuit peoples, the Thule tradition dominated much of coastal Alaska then Canada and eventually Greenland into modern times. The culture had a strong maritime tradition, surviving mainly on seal and walrus. The people had distinct markings for their tools, utilized dog sleds, kayaks, and had their own pottery traditions. Weapons utilized by these people included slate knives and toggling harpoons, especially in later days when hunting shifted to whales. The Thule were still present in the park when white settlers arrived. The Norton disappeared, but were replaced by another tribe commonly found in the area in modern times.

Whalebones were used to create the Thule’s semi-subterranean houses. Cooking was done on a rack suspended above an oil lamp. Soup was made in a stone bowl that was suspended between the rack and the lamp. This efficient kitchen also heated the house. Today, the discovery of whale bones still indicates to archaeologists that a Thule settlement or dwelling once stood in an area.

The Dena’ina, a tribe of the northern Athabaskan language group, came to the area in more modern times and established a large village at Chinitna Bay, which is where they encountered Captain James Cook when he arrived here in 1778. The Dena’ina also settled in the Kijik Lake area and along the Kijik River between the lake and Lake Clark. Much of this area is now an archaeological district. The term Kijik is a misspelling of the Dena’ina term Qizjeh Vena or “place where people gather lake, To travel between Telaquana Lake and the Kijik Village on Lake Clark, the Dena’ina people established what is now known as the Telaquana Trail. It connected major villages and seasonal camps as part of a larger network of trails that crisscrossed Athabascan territories

Traveling along the Telaquana Trail.

In addition to helping transport people and goods, the trail was likely routed around the best locations in the area for subsistence hunting and harvesting, helpign it serve of double purpose for migratory peoples. While use by the native peoples declined as these peoples left the area or died off, the trail continued to be used by miners, trappers, and explorers. Today, much of the old trail has been established as a Historic District and Cultural Landscape and is popular with backpackers wanting to see the area the way its original inhabitants did.

It is hard to know who the first person of European descent was to visit the Lake Clark area. Researchers believe the person was probably Russian as there is evidence of Russian visitation in the late 1700s. When Russian traders arrived back in the area some time later, they reported much of the population they had initially contacted had died from disease, most likely introduced by the Russians themselves. It is also known that Captain James Cook made contact in 1778 during his exploration of the area. By the time American traders began exploring the area in 1890s, they reported the native population had been greatly reduced when compared to the initial reports of Cook and Russian peoples.

The area was renamed Lake Clark after John W. Clark, the owner of the Nushagak trading post and largely believed to be the first white American to see the lake. He reached the area after a weekly magazine financed his expedition there in 1891. Clark has remained a largely elusive historical figure with not much known about him or his background. The first 20 years of his life are surrounded in mystery and most of his papers were destroyed during the San Francisco earthquake. He arrived in Alaska as early as 1865 working with the Alaska Commercial Company and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He returned to San Francisco in 1870 and then back to Alaska in 1879. Clark Pass and Clark's Point were also named after him. It is known he lived in Nushagak between 1879 and his death in 1896.

One of few known pictures of John W. Clark. The namesake of the park was hardly the first person to travel to the area, but is considered the first white American to have seen the lake after hiking there in 1891. He died five years later.

Outbreaks of influenza, measles and other diseases between 1902 and 1909 continued to plague native populations, causing many to leave their traditional homes for areas such as Nondalton, Tanalian Point and outside of the park area. By 1909, the settlement at Kijik was all but abandoned. In the early 1900s, Tanalian Point became a popular place for trappers, prospectors, and travelers. From a Dena’ina word Tanilen vetnu meaning “flows into water stream,” the area was first surveyed by white settlers between 1901 and 1906 in hopes of finding copper. While some mining did occur, the area was better suited to fur hunting, fishing, farming and harvesting trees for construction. Prospectors going deeper into the territory also often stopped here to get supplies as well as set up a base of operations.

The earliest known photo of Tanalian Point, circa 1911. Left to right are Doc Dutton, Mary Ann Trefon, A.S. Tulloch, and Joe Kackley. The cabin, Dutton and Kackley's home, is now the oldest standing structure in Lake Clark.

By 1921, Tanalian Point was welcoming the first sport hunters who came to Lake Clark. Wealthy big game hunters from California and New York paid to come in and hunt native Alaskan wildlife. As mining tappered off, commercial fishing and fur remained prominent local industries. The first aircraft landed on Lake Clark in 1930, a Waco 10 biplane on floats, and helped connect the area more to the outside world. The first air taxi service was established 12 years later, but tourism really took off during the 1950s. As the demand for furs declined, tourism became the area’s major industry.

In the later half of the 20th century, the park became a popular destination for solitude seekers. The most notable of these was Richard “Dick” Proenneke, an Iowan who moved to Alaska in 1949. He lived at Twin Lakes from 1968 until 1999 and survived through subsistence hunting. A book was published in 1973 based on Proenneke’s journals titled “One Man’s Wilderness: An Alaska Odyssey.” The cabin Proenneke built is now owned and managed by the NPS. Film he took in Alaska was turned into a movie following his death. Proenneke’s story continues to bring visitors to Lake Clark.

Preservation for the park came in the form of a national monument designation rendered by President Jimmy Carter in Dec. 1, 1978. Carter created several national parks in response to Congress’ delay in action on the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), a law that was designed to resolve land ownership issues between indigenous Alaskans as well as stimulate the state’s economy. When the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) was signed on Dec. 2, 1980, the national monument was established as a national park and preserve

Richard "Dick" Proenneke built and lived in this cabin now located within the park from 1968 until his death in 1999. The cabin is now preserved by the National Park Service.

Today, the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve covers more than 4 million acres at the base of the Alaskan Peninsula. Of that, about 2.6 million acres comprise the park while the remaining 1.4 million are in the preserve area. Both extend from the Cook Inlet across the Chigmit and Neacola Mountains toward the Aleutian Range. Only around 342,792 people have officially visited the park since 1982 with an average of 10,387 visitors per year. The highest year for visitation was 18,863 in 1988 while the lowest was 4,133 in 1991. While visitation dipped in the early 2000s, it has increased each year since 2003.

Ecology and Geology

Considered by some to be Alaska’s Jurassic Park, Lake Clark is home to fossil evidence dating back 150 million years. Many of these fossils are of marine creatures and best found on the coastal cliffs between the Cook Inlet and the eastern side of the park. In addition to the Jurassic area, fossil remains can be found in the area from the Permian and Cretaceous periods as well. These fossils also help shed light on the geological history of the park and Alaska. Fossils can help indicate how deep water was in this area as well as how warm the water would have been to sustain various types of life. Volcanic rock is also found here, giving evidence to past eruptions.

April 1990 eruption of Mount Redoubt. The volcano is the most active and youngest in the park.

The park today is home to a number of active faults with the Lake Clark Fault between the Alaska Range and Chigmit Mountains the largest. This fault passes right under Lake Clark and Lake Clark pass. The Telaquana and Mulchatna faults also run to the east. Part of the Ring of Fire, these faults have helped create mountains and still produce earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the area. The Chigmit and Neacola Mountains were formed through stratovolcanoes over years.

The two youngest park volcanoes are Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna, though a third volcano outside the park, Mount Spurr, can also have an impact on the land here. While volcanic activity in the park began at least 180 million years ago, Mount Redoubt stands out as the park’s youngest volcano as it only began forming some 880,000 years ago. The mountain has erupted at least 30 times in the last 10,000 years. The most recent eruptive events were a series of ash producing explosions in 2009. At least 23 major explosive events occurred in 1989-90 and 11 explosions were recorded between 1966-68. The earliest written accounts of volcanic activity come from between January and June 1902. While Iliamna regularly emits plumes of steam, there has never been a confirmed eruption since history of the park was recorded. The park also experiences hundreds of earthquakes each year, though most are minor and associated with volcanic activity.

The park preserves more than 123 miles of coast between Chinitna and Tuxedni Bays along Cook Inlet and the Kenai Peninsula. One of the most unique aspects of the coastal ecosystem in the park are the coastal salt marshes, which are considered one of the most productive ecosystems in the world. A critical hunting source for bears when they return from hibernation, these salt marshes cover less than a percent of the parkland but are critical to the survival of numerous creatures. Salmon come through here during spawning time and shorebirds, songbirds, moose, river otters and other mammals feed here. Tidal streams in the marshes are important spawning grounds while the mud flats provide places for bears to dig razor clams and bivalves in low tides. The two biggest marshes are at Chinitna Bay and Silver Salmon Creek.

Numerous rivers, streams and other freshwater sources throughout the park are the lifeblood of flora and fauna here. The waters of the park feed the Kuskokwim watershed and the Kvichak waterhead, the most productive spawning habitat for sockeye salmon. The salmon caught her represent a third of the salmon caught in the U.S. Both of these watersheds flow through Lake Clark, which is 42 miles long, 860 feet deep and covers 128 square miles, making it Alaska’s sixth largest lake. In addition to Lake Clark, many of the parks rivers also originate from glacier melt before draining into the Cook Inlet. The Mulchatna, Tlikakila and Chilikadrotna rivers are all designated as National Wild Rivers. Other major rivers in the park include the Kijik, Tanalian, Chokotonk, Tuxedni, West Glacier Creek, Currant Creek, Tommy Creek, Drift River, Neacola River, Igitna River, Chilligan River, Stony River, Merrill River, Another River, Necons River, and Telaquana River.

Boreal forests or taiga account for much of the wooded areas of Lake Clark National Park.

Boreal forests dominate much of the park’s woodlands with white spruce, black spruce and birch trees accounting for the majority of trees that grow in the park. Often most and swampy, the boreal forest is also referred to by some as a taiga biome. Growing close to the North Pole, this habitat is home to not only trees but a wide variety of plant life. Often marking the transition into arctic territories where plants find it hard to grow, the boreal forest can be highly susceptible to disease, insects, weather, floods and fire. Outbreaks of infestation by the spruce bark beetle as well as climate change have had a detrimental effect on the park. An outbreak of spruce needle rust has also impacted the park and nearby Kenai Fjords National Park and Kachemak Bay State Park.

Heading up in higher elevations is the tundra, a treeless zone known for its short growing season. While the arctic tundra is found further north in the state, Lake Clark is home to the alpine tundra, also known as Krummholz. More common than the arctic tundra, alpine tundra often supports dwarf shrubs and is known for cold temperatures and windy conditions. Grasses, sedges, shrubs, lichens, mosses, cushion plants, wildflowers and other small flora tend to flourish best in this area of the park. Many plants that dwell here have learned to adapt to freezing conditions, drought and extreme saturation.

Three mountain ranges can be found in the park and two of them - the Neacolas and Chigmits - actually intersect here. The Neacola Mountains are the southernmost portion of the Alaska Range, which includes Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley) the tallest mountain in North American. The Chigmit Mountains are part of the Aleutian Range, which consists of dozens of volcanoes. These two mountain ranges are only separated by the Lake Clark pass at 1,050 feet. The pass is the primary aviation route into the park. A larger segment of the Aleutian Range also stretches into the park from Iliamna Lake.

Tanaina Glacier is one of many glaciers that can be seen during a flight through Lake Clark Pass. Even today, these glaciers still shape the mountains, valleys and waters of the park.

The mazes of jagged peaks and spires in the mountains, broad U-shaped valleys and several of the park’s lakes are the result of glaciers. The movement of glaciers some 12,000 years ago created the western foothills of the park and left behind the western lakes such as Two Lakes, Telaquana Lake, Turquoise Lake, Twin Lakes, Lachbuna Lake, Kontrashibuna Lake, Tazimina Lakes and Lake Clark itself. The melt of glaciers annually continues to feed rivers and watersheds in the park. The bulk of the glaciers in the park today are found in the Chigmit Mountains, which provide the right features for glacial formation. Warm air from the Pacific moves moisture north, cooling over the mountains and falling and snow which then merges into ice.

Landmarks

The eastern two thirds of the national park and preserve are parts of the national park and most are wilderness area. While the bulk of the eastern border of the park does not extend to Cook Inlet, the bottom forth of this eastern border is along the coastline, stretching from Redboubt Point to Chinitna Bay. Between these two points visitors will find Polly Creek, Cresent River, Tuxedni Bay, Slope Mountain, Johnson River, Tuxedni Glacier, Tuxedni River, Iliamna Volcano (Ch’naqal’in), Silver Salmon Lakes, Silver Salmon Creek, Hickerson Lake and West Glacier Creek. The Aleutian Mountains rise up from behind Chinitna Bay. North of Redoubt Point, the eastern third of the park and preserve land begins around Blockade Lake, heading south through the Big River and lake Clark Pass, known locally as Qizhjeh Vena Tustes.

Brown bears harvest the marshes around Chinitna Bay.

The Pass comes out near Summit Lake, which is feed by the Tlikakila River or Iiq’a Qilanhtnu. Double Glacier is located below the lake, feeding bauch of the Big River and Drift River below the Glacer, which both flow into Redoubt Bay. The Bay is named for Redoubt Volcano, which is located in glacial area between Drift Driver and the Crescent River. The Chigmit Mountains and Aleutian Range provide somewhat of a natural boundary between the eastern third of the park and the central third of the park.

The central third of the park reaches the furthest north in the Alaska Range. Rivers flowing through the mountains here include - from north to south - the Chilligan River, Igitna River, Merril River, Another River, and Neacota River. The Neacota and Another rivers eventually feed into Kenibuna Lake. Locations within the mountains themselves include the Merrill Pass, Telaquana Pass and the Tusk. South of the Telaquana Pass is the heart of the park, which is heavily glacial.

The Tlikakila River bisects much of this central section though some might think it is too thick to be a river. The river feeds into Otter Lake, Lake Clark and Little Lake Clark below the river. The Choptank River is feeds into the lake. West of the Tlikakila River are several other lakes including Twin Lakes (Nilqidlin Vena), which is home to the Richard Proenneke Historic Site. The beginnings of the Kijik River, Portage Lake, Lachbuna Lake (Ni’ali Vena), and Portage Creek are also in this area.

Telaquana Pass

Below Little Lake Clark is the southernmost section of the park’s middle third. This wilderness area consists of Currant Creek, Tommy Creek, Tanalian Mountain (Tanq’nust’in), The Tanalian River (Tanilen Ventu), and Kontrashibuna Lake (Qenighishi). The Aleutian Range creeps into part of this area as well. Heading straight south from this area of the park, visitors will hit Pedro Bay and the Iliamna Lake. The Lake Clark National Park and pReserve is to the north of this lake while those heading south will eventually hit the Katmai National Park and Preserve.

The Twin Lakes area.

Much of the western third of the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is the preserve land, the area of the park where hunting is permitted. Many of the parks lakes are also located in this area. The Stony River flows from the northern boundary of the preserve while the Necans River feeds the Twin Lakes, known in the local language as Tutnutl’ech’a Vena. South of the river is the Telaquana River, which feeds into Telaquana Lake or Dilah Vena. There is an old village site near where the river and lake connect.

South of that is the Mulchatna River or Valts’atnaq, which feeds into Turquoise Lake. The Chilikadrotna River comes next, branching out into three sections in the preserve out of the Bonzana Hills just outside the park. Snipe Lake or K’ada’a Vena is located between two branches of this river while Fishtrap Lake or Nunch’qelchixi Vena is located along the the third branch. The Caribou Lakes are bellow that, feed by the Koksotna River outside the park. The Kijik River feeds into both Kijik Lake (K’q’uya Vena) and Lake Clark (Qizhjeh Vena), which bisects most of the southwestern corner of the preserve. Portage Creek also feeds into the lake.

The Kijik Site is located near where the Kijik River feeds into the lake, though much of the land near is belongs to the Native Corporations Lands. Created as part of ANCSA, these regional village lands are administers through the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, one of the original 13 corporations created through the act. Native shareholders are able to earn profit based on tourism, fishing, hunting and other business done on these lands. The native corporation is private land and other permits or permissions may be necessary to enter.

The view of Lake Clark from Port Alsworth. The city is one of few located within the boundaries of a national park or national preserve. Nearby Nondalton is also located on preserve lands, surrounded by the native corporation.

Much of the southwestern corner of the park is also owned by this corporation, including the lower part of the lake, much of the area around the city of Nondalton, the Pickeral Lake, Keyes Point, Roadhouse Mountain, the Tazaimina River, and Lower Tazimino Lake or Taz’in Vena. Upper Tazaimina Lake or Unqeghrich’en Tazin Vena is within the preserve lands. The city of Port Alsworth is the location of the National Park Headquarters and is located along Lake Clark near where the Tanalian River feeds into it.

Flora and Fauna

The vast wilderness of the park makes it an ideal haven for numerous species, many of which are only found in Alaska or rarely seen in other parts of the country. Both terrestrial and marine creatures can be spied in the park. Some of the park’s larger land mammals include Dall’s sheep, moose, caribou, coyote, gray wolf, red fox, Canada lynx, wolverines, black bear, and brown bear. Smaller mammals include the least weasel, little brown hat, snowshoe hare, collared pika, sea otters, northern river otters, American martens, beaver, ermine, northern red-backed vole, northern collared lemming, brown lemming, Alaska vole, tundra vole, meadow vole, muskrat, northern bog lemming, meadow jumping mouse, porcupine, hoary marmot, arctic ground squirrel, red squirrel, masked shrew, pygmy shrew, dusky shrew, tundra shrew, tiny shrew, and mink.

While there is only a small portion of coastline in the park, there are still several marine mammals found in the park. These include the orca, beluga whale, harbor seal, and harbor porpoise. The beluga whale is the only confirmed endangered species known to live within the waters park, though other endangered species - such as the humpback whale and Steller’s sea lion, have been occasionally reported in the area.

Like many Alaskan parks, Lake Clark does not have the proper conditions to support any reptile life and there is only one amphibian known to exist here. The wood frog is famous in Alaska for its ability to freeze itself during the winter months, going into a period of cryostasis until the weather warms up in the spring. While this process would kill most creatures - especially cold-blooded amphibians - the frog has a special chemical in its blood that allows it to stay alive.

Birds, however, are much more frequently spied in the park, and Lake Clark has become known for its birding. Spring is typically considered the best time to come bird watching in Lake Clark because of the migratory patterns that bring a wide variety of species to the park - nearly 200 in total. Raptors and birds of prey known to dwell within the park include the northern goshawk, sharp-shinned hawk, golden eagle, rough-legged hawk, northern harrier, bald eagle, osprey,merlin, peregrine falcon, gyrfalcon, American kestrel, short-eared owl, boreal owl, great horned owl, great gray owl, or northern hawk-owl.

Waterfowl, seabirds and shorebirds account for the largest group of birds that can be found in the park. These birds include the northern pintail, American wigeon, northern shoveler, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, Eurasian wigeon, mallard, white-fronted goose, lesser scaup, redhead, ringneck, greater scaup, canvasback, brant, Canada goose, bufflehead, Barrow’s goldeneye, common goldeneye, snow goose, emperor goose, long-tailed duck, trumpeter swan, tundra swan, harlequin duck, white-winged scoter, black scoter, surf scoter, common merganser, red-breasted merganser, common eider, Kittlitz’s murrelet, marbled murrelet, pigeon guillemot, tufted puffin, horned puffin, common murre, semipalmated plover, American golden plover, Pacific golden plover, black bellied plover, black oystercatcher, herring gull, mew gull, glaucous winged gull, Bonaparte’s gull, black-legged kittiwake, arctic tern, spotted sandpiper, surfbird, black turnstone, sanderling, dunlin, Baird’s sandpiper, red knot, western sandpiper, pectoral sandpiper, least sandpiper, rock sandpiper, semipalmated sandpiper, Wilson’s snipe, short-billed dowitcher, long-billed dowitcher, Hudsonian godwit, bar-tailed godwit, whimbrel, red-necked phalarope, lesser yellowlegs, wandering tattler, greater yellowlegs, solitary sandpiper, long-tailed jaeger, Pomarine jaeger, spruce grouse, willow ptarmigan, white-tailed ptarmigan, rock ptarmigan, common loon, Pacific loon, red-throated loon, sandhill crane, American coot, and belted kingfisher.

The Rufous hummingbird can be found here and in the woods, visitors might hear or see the northern flicker, American three-toed woodpecker, Downy woodpecker, three-toed woodpecker, or hairy woodpecker. Songbirds and others in the park include a variety of larks, buntings, creepers, dippers, ravens, jays, magpies, juncos, sparrows, redpolls, siskin, finches, crossbills, blackbirds, shrikes, pipits, wagtails, chickadees, warblers, thrushes, kinglets, robins, flycatchers, and grebes.

The various waters of the park are home to freshwater, saltwater and anadromous fish like salmon, who can survive in both conditions. Fish species often found in the park include Pacific herring, longnose sucker, northern pike, Pacific cod, burbot, Pacific tomcod, Alaska pollock, threespine stickleback, ninespine stickleback, surf smelt, longfin smelt, eulachon, pacific sand lance, daubed shanny, snake prickleback, Pacific sandfish, Pacific lamprey, arctic lamprey, butter sole, yellowfin sole, starry flounder, arrowtooth flounder, humpback whitefish, least cisco, pink salmon, chum salmon, silver salmon, rainbow trout, red salmon, Chinook salmon, pygmy whitefish, round whitefish, arctic char, dolly varden, lake trout, arctic grayling, gray starsnout, tubenose poacher, sturgeon poacher, coastrange sculpin, slimy sculpin, armorhead sculpin, northern sculpin, staghorn sculpin, masked greenling, and polka-dot snailfish.

Willows, birches, alders, and spruces are the most common trees located in Lake Clark. While the genuses and families of trees found in the national park are not necessarily diverse, Lake Clark does have several specific tree species found throughout the parkland. These include mountain alder, Siberian alder, resin birch, Kenai birch, dwarf birch, water birch, paper birch, balsam poplar, black cottonwood, feltleaf willow, Alaska willow, littletree willow, arctic willow, Barclay’s willow, Barratt willow, long beaked willow, undergreen willow, Alaska bog willow, grayleaf willow, glaucous willow, halberd willow, Pacific willow, barrenground willow, oval-leaf willow, skeletonleaf willow, diamondleaf willow, polar willow, firmleaf willow, beautiful willow, netleaf willow, Richardson’s willow, least willow, Scouler’s willow, Sitka willow, sprouting leaf willow, common juniper, white spruce, and black spruce.

Grasses, sedges, mosses, and other plans often cover the more barren areas of the park. These plants include duckweed, arrowgrass, pondweed, scurvy grass, grass of Parnassus, rushes, bedstraw, grassyslope arctic sedge, water sedge, Sitka sedge, twocolor sedge, Alaska brownish sedge, Pacific brown sedge, arctic sedge, star sedge, elk sedge, mud sedge, livid sedge, bog sedge, Little Mountain sedge, coastal marsh sedge, looseflower alpine sedge, black alpine sedge, rock sedge, sheathed sedge, spikerushes, cottongrass, cottonsedge, bulrushes, woodrushes, bentgrass, polargrass, bromes, bluejoints, reedgrass,wheatgrass, hairgrass, wildrye, alpine clubmoss, groundcedar, Sitka clubmoss, Chinese clubmoss, fir clubmoss, common clubmoss, and one-cone clubmoss.

Wildflowers, mosses, lichens and similar plants manage to eke out an existence in some of the most inhospitable areas of the park.

The park is also known for various shrubs, many of which have long been used for food and healing properties by native peoples. These plants include bunchberry, scarlet elderberry, baneberry, crowberry, Labrador tea, wintergreen, bilberry, bog blueberry, lowbrush cranberry, serviceberry, buffaloberry, beach strawberry, arctic blackberry, dwarf raspberry, Nagoon berry, cloudberry, creeping raspberry, salmonberry, skunk currant, prickly currant, trailing black currant, and red currant.

Many visitors also come to see wildflowers in bloom. The park boasts varities of false asphodel, angelica, waterhemlock, snowparsley, cowparsnip, sweetroot, wild chives, beachead iris, orchids, early coralroot, spotted lady’s slipper, northern listeria, heartleaf twayblade, ladiestresses, yarrow, pussytoes, arnica, wormwood, aster, arctic daisy, fleabane, hawkweed, pineapple weed, coltsfoot, ragwort, goldenrod, dandelion, groundsel, harebell, bluebells, forget-me-not, oysterleaf, popcornflower, Sitka mist maiden, rockcress, bittercress, cuckoo flower, draba, wallflower, marshcress, yellowcress, pennycress, Alaska orache, pigweed, glasswort, chickweed, sandplant, sandwort, stitchwort, pearwort, catchfly, starwort, sundew, springbeauty, seapink, sea thrift, purslane, knotweed, sorrell, valerian, bog rosemary, bellheather, azalea, Jacob’s ladder, rock jasmine, shootingstar, primrose, starflower, milkvetch, lupine, locoweed, oxytrope, gentian, Indian paintbrush, lousewort, eyebright, monkeyflower, alpine lily, violet, fireweed, willowherb, buttercup, cinquefoil, and saxifrage.

Things to Do

Animal viewing is one of the most popular activities at Lake Clark National Park, and the two biggest sites for wildlife watchers are the bears and birds of the area. Birders often come to see seabirds, shorebirds and raptors. The Tuxedni Bay coastline is a known nesting place for Peregrine falcons and the Cook Inlet coastline is known for frequent bald eagle sightings.

The park is home to both brown and black bears, though brown bears congregate in the highest numbers during the annual salmon spawning. Chinita Bay, Crescent Lake, Silver Salmon Creek, Shelter Creek, and Tuxedni Bay are all considered top bear-viewing areas during the salmon runs, which typically peak between June and September. While the park knows visitors want to see and learn more about wildlife, there are precautions to be taken in bear country. Visitors are asked to protect food from bears and monitor bears for natural signs they give off indicating they are afraid or alarmed. By respecting bears and their habitat, visitors can assure that future generations get to see these amazing creatures in their natural environment.

The plump tires on fat bikes allow for riding in conditions such as rain and heavy snow.

There are several ways to explore the parkland, and biking has become especially popular. Unlike most national parks, however, most cyclists come to the park in winter. Fat tire bikes work well in the snowy park and even allow riders to cross ice-covered lakes and rivers. February and March are often considered the best time for these winter bike treks. Those who are planning on biking the park are asked to do thorough planning and know the environment before they set off for their personal safety.

The park can also be explored on foot. Most of the maintained trails in the park are in the Tanalian Springs area. The 1.7-mile Beaver Pond Loop is a moderate hike around an old beaver pond while the 1.7-mile Falls and Lake Trail is a moderate hike near the area’s waterfalls. From both of these trails, visitors can add an additional 0.8 miles to their hike and visit Kontrashibuna Lake. For something more strenuous, visitors can attempt the 2.4-mile Tanalian Mountain Trail to the side of Tanalian Mountain and views of Lake Clark. Those who just want to day hike but want to stay near the park might want to try campsites in Port Alsworth, which are technically within the city rather than the park itself.

Hikers who want to experience something longer and more challenging than any of the day hikes can trek across the park in one of several backcountry routes. Some of these treks may require hikers to be brought into certain areas of the park via boat or air taxi. Guided hikes can also be booked through various park concessionaires. Hikers should prepare for trips by reading up on bear safety, knowing how to safely camp in the wilderness, and making sure they have appropriate hiking and camping gear before setting off.

While there are a handful of maintained trails in the Tanalian area of the park, most of the hiking in Lake Clark is done in the backcountry.

Popular backcountry hikes in Lake Clark include the 25-mile Coastal Beach Hike, which takes visitors along the Cook Inlet Coast from Chinitna Bay to Silver Salmon Creek. It typically takes two to three days to complete this hike and most visitors are either flown in or boated in to begin the journey. The coast isn’t typically not hard to hike, but bear season may bring extra caution to this trail. Those who want to see alpine tundra and can navigate through brush can try the 10-mile route from Fishtrap Lake to Snipe Lake Route, which can take anywhere from one to four days depending on weather and other factors. Despite its short length, this can be a rather hard hike through wet terrain and brush. Floatplanes are typically required to access this area.

For views of mountain lakes, visitors can fly in to start on the moderate Hope Creek Route, which takes visitors through some of Dick Proenneke’s old stomping grounds. The Hope Creek Valley is the main target of this hike and takes visitors from lakes to moraines to glaciers. The Kontrashibuna Lake Trail is the only hike that can be accessed via the maintained trails in the Tanalian Trails area. Between 17 and 14 miles, this trail can take 10 to 15 hours to complete and follows a moderate route with some elevation change. This is also a popular area for fishermen to camp out.

Upper Twin Lake can be explored via the Low Pass Route, a moderate trail that takes one to three days to complete. Accessible by floatplane, the area offers great mountain and lake views. The Upper to Lower Twin Lake Route is in the same area and takes visitors between the Proenneke Cabin on Upper Twin to the Chilikadrotna River on Lower Twin, a distance of about two miles. This gentle to moderate hike can be completed in as little as eight hours to as much as two days. To navigate the alpine tundra, head out on the Trail Creek Route. The moderate hike takes about three to five days and is accessed via a fly-in to Telaquana Lake and a fly-out from Turquoise lake.

Lake Clark’s Holy Grail for backpackers is the Historic Telaquana Trail, a route that has been used since prehistoric times. Pioneered by the local Dena’ina peoples, this trail typically takes two to four days to complete and is on gentle to moderate grounds over alpine tundra with three river crossings. The northern terminus of the trail is typically considered to be Telaquana Lake while the southern terminus is Lower Twin Lake. Many take the opportunity to explore the tundra plains in between, though there is a more direct route near the outlets Turquoise and Lower Twin Lakes.

Getting out on the water is another way to get to know this national park, and fishing has long been a popular pastime here. Arctic char, arctic grayling, dolly varden, lake trout, rainbow trout, northern pike, and all five Pacific salmon species can be harvested from the park. While Crescent Lake and Silver Salmon Creek are among the most popular destinations for anglers, visitors can also check out other parts. Popular lake fishing includes Kijik Lake, Kontrashibuna Lake, Lake Clark, Snipe Lake, Telaquana Lake, Turquoise Lake, and Twin Lakes. River fishing can be done in the Chilikadrotna River, Chokotonk River, Chulitna River, Kijik River, Mulchatna River, Tanalian River, and Tlikakila River. The best place and time to fish depends on what type of fish one is looking for.

Boating is another way to get on the park’s waters. Lake Clark, Crescent Lake, and the Cook Inlet are the only areas open to power boating. These boats can be rented from businesses in the area or visitors can charter one from a commercial operator. Those wanting to kayak, canoe or raft the park can access a wider variety of waters, though floatplanes and air taxis may be needed to reach some destinations.

While there isn’t much whitewater in the area, navigating the park waters can still be difficult. The top destinations for kayakers, canoers and floaters are the Tlikakila River, Mulchatna River, and Chilikadrotna River, all of which are national rivers. These rivers are most easily navigated typically between July and September and offer trips spanning anywhere from 70 to 200 miles. Those who don't want to hike, bike or raft the park can always charter a plane and flightsee from the air aswell.