lake clark national park

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Not your typical tundra

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When I was planning the trip to Lake Clark, I was told I would be hiking through the Alaska tundra. When I imagined the tundra, I expected a mosquito-filled boggy marsh, interspersed with thick dense bush, all moist from a perennially cold summer drizzle that would never stop. But when I arrived there, the marsh I expected was still there, sans mosquitoes. Grey moody skies and cold rain were replaced by balmy weather, bluebird skies and puffy white clouds, straight out of a New England summer.

It was not your typical tundra, at least not for another three days after which a powerful thunderstorm slammed the region with torrential rain and copious water. But until then, the tundra I enjoyed out at Lake Clark National Park was sublime.

Lake Clark National Park
AK USA

Morning Landscapes

It was still cold when I stepped out of the tent. The soft tussock, wet from the overnight condensation, cushioned my steps as I headed towards the shore of the vast lake. The sun had been out for over an hour, a bizarre consequence of being at such high latitudes, and yet low enough in the the sky to cast long shadows that highlight the rocky treeless terrain.

It would be a while before the wind picked up, I was told, and hence I dragged my camera out to capture the reflection. I wasn't used to being above the treeline on the shore of a vast lake amidst this alpine wilderness, so I just took my time to immerse myself in the solitude of this morning, knowing fully well that I may never get to see the Alaska range highlighted on such a clear day.

Lake Clark National Park
AK USA

Wilds of Alaska

I have always hiked in sanitized wilderness, an oxymoronic term referring to the fact that I have been treading on trails established long ago, following routes and maps that I scope out with the help of a convenient smartphone. I camp on surfaces that have seen tents established by many others, and see sunsets at locations seen by many others. This trip into Lake Clark National Park was the first time that I walked on a path that hadn't even been created, followed maps that gave no clarity on the route I was taking, drank water straight from snowmelt, and camped on places that hitherto hadn't seen a tents in years.

And along that journey, I bushwacked through dense thickets of willows, tumbled on tussock and scrambled up alpine slopes to seek out the next valley. It wasn't easy, but it gave a taste of a wild Alaska. I hope to return back someday to experience a full meal.

Lake Clark National Park
AK USA

A National Parks Journey - Lake Clark National Park

Alaska is one of those places where the names of the National Parks don't ever reveal what the Park is actually about, except, perhaps for Denali National Park. And even though the main attraction of that Park (the 20th National Park I had visited) is Denali, the highest mountain peak in North America, the Park preserves an ecosystem and biome far more diverse than just the small area around the peak. However, unlike Denali, the Lake Clark of Lake Clark National Park is but a small piece of the large region preserved by the Park. And even though it occupies a vast swath of southwestern Alaska, it is only the 7th largest National Park.

With most of the park in the backcountry where access and logistics are challenging, I chose to go with an outfitter to explore the stunning wilderness in the heart of the Park. It is a rugged terrain where there are no hiking trails and no navigational landmarks, and where mosquitoes reign supreme. And yet, even in this harsh landscape, I found a slice of heaven in the interior where craggy mountains reflected in the shimmering surface of a turquoise lake. I found a pristine wildlife environment where Brown bears, Arctic foxes, Caribou roamed free in a roadless landscape.


Lake Clark was my 52nd National Park, and I still have 10 more remaining to visit. Will I get to them this year? Only time will tell.

Lake Clark National Park
Ancestral Homelands of the Dena'ina people
AK USA