Lake Clark National Park

Year Established: 1980
Annual Visitors: 18,300
Size: 4.03 Million Acres
State: Alaska

Best Time to Visit Lake Clark National Park

June to September

If you are planning to visit more national parks, check out our complete list of all US National Parks.

Best Experiences in Lake Clark National Park

• Tanalian Falls
• Telaquana Trail
• Canoe Lake Clark

A Brief History

The Lake Clark National Park is in southwest Alaska, about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage. The park was first named a national monument in 1978. In 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act made it a national park and preserve. There are many streams and lakes in the park, including Lake Clark, that are important to the Bristol Bay salmon fishery.

In the park and preserve, you can do many different kinds of fun things all year long. Along the coast of Cook Inlet, the park protects rainforests, alpine tundra, glaciers, glacial lakes, salmon filled rivers, and two volcanoes, Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna. Mount Redoubt is still active; it blew its top in 1989 and 2009.

Because the park has so many different ecosystems, almost all of the most important land and sea animals in Alaska can be observed within and around the park. Sockeye salmon, in particular, are very important to the ecosystem and the economy of the area. A lot of brown bears come to the Kijik River and Silver Salmon Creek to eat the salmon that are coming back to spawn. People often go to the park to watch bears.

Lake Clark RV Camping

If you are looking for nearby RV camping options for Lake Clark National Park or in Alaska, consider checking out our other post:

• Best RV Parks in Alaska
• Best RV Resorts in Alaska
• How to Conserve Water in Your RV
• How To Plan An RV Trip
• Dependable RV Water Fill Stations

Visitor Information

Fees

No fees or registration are needed to get into the park.

Contacting Lake Clark National Park

Phone Number

(907) 781-2117

Visitor Centers

Port Alsworth Visitor Center

The Port Alsworth visitor center is halfway up the easternmost runway and is only open in the summer. There, you can talk to a ranger, get help with any last-minute trip planning, get free brochures about the park, buy a souvenir at the Alaska Geographic bookstore, or watch free short films about the park.