Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
“Roam a wilderness through which few other humans have passed.”
-- One Man’s Wilderness, by Sam Keith
The only way to get to Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is by air, but once you arrive you may never want to leave.
Few places are more beautiful, or more alive. In the distance, two active volcanoes, Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Iliamna, exhale steam and ash into the air. Bears and seals hunt the salmon making their annual run through the waters of Cook Inlet. In spring, drapes of pink and yellow wildflowers soften the steep hillsides.
It was here that renowned naturalist and survivalist Dick Proenneke, subject of the book and film One Man’s Wilderness, chose to settle. You can visit the cabin he built by hand using simple tools of his own design. The solid craftsmanship is a testament to Proenneke’s expertise in wilderness living.
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve begs to be experienced with all your senses. Backcountry campers and hikers will find a paradise waiting to be discovered. Water enthusiasts will relish the opportunity to kayak or canoe the park’s raging rivers and still mountain lakes.
Maps and information are available at the visitor center in Port Alsworth. Don’t forget to bring extra memory cards to hold your photos of shorebirds, raptors, ptarmigan, grizzly bears, caribou, and moose.
Threats
Only miles from the boundary of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, mining explorations have identified enormous deposits of gold and copper. But is the risk greater than the possible reward? Find out more about the fight to stop Pebble Mine and the Bristol Bay mining district.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
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kylie, rodrigo, and amanda
May 4, 2013