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Lake Clark National Park's scenery and remoteness impress

By STEVE EDWARDS
Anchorage Daily News

Published: April 21st, 2005
Last Modified: November 8th, 2005 at 07:54 AM

If you visit Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, you'll be one of few to do so. The 4-million-acre parkland usually gets a few more than 4,000 visitors a year. That's a lot of scenery for not many eyes.

The park has one developed hiking trail, and its most popular attraction is an 11-by-15-foot cabin that served as home for Dick Proenneke for more than 30 years.

Lake Clark National Park is what many people picture when they visualize "Alaska."

"It's one of the least visited and most remote parks in the entire National Park system," said Jennifer Shaw, interpretive park ranger at Lake Clark. "We are the ultimate wilderness park. We are the perfect park for backcountry travelers who want to have an unimpeded wilderness experience.

"There is very limited development within the park. That's to preserve the quality of the wilderness experience."

The park area is home to three National Wild and Scenic Rivers: the Tlikakila, Mulchatna and Chilikadrotna. The rivers run from flat water to Class IV white water. The Aleutian and Alaska mountain ranges meet at the park.

The park has two active volcanoes, Redoubt and Iliamna. Lake Clark is about 50 miles long and is fed by hundreds of waterfalls; it is part of an important red salmon spawning area. Bear viewing is becoming more popular at Silver Salmon Creek, Shaw said.

A popular backcountry route takes hikers 50 miles from Telaquana Lake to Lake Clark. About midway between the two lakes sits Twin Lakes, home to Proenneke's cabin, which has been maintained by the Park Service. Proenneke died in 2003.

"His cabin is the most popular single site in the park," Shaw said. "People who visit get a personalized tour and can sign the guest book."

Special sections editor Steve Edwards can be reached at sedwards@adn.com or 257-4316.