Lake Clark National Park & Preserve

Lake Clark National Park & Preserve

Introduction

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a composite of ecosystems representing distinctly different regions of Alaska. The spectacular scenery stretches from the shores of Cook Inlet, across the Chigmit Mountains, to the tundra-covered hills of the western interior. The Chigmits, where the Alaska and Aleutian ranges meet, are an awesome sight—a jagged array of mountains and glaciers that include two active volcanoes: Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna.

The park's namesake, Lake Clark, is a full 40 miles long. Like other bodies of water in the area, the lake supports a thriving salmon habitat that is critical to the Bristol Bay salmon fishery, the largest sockeye salmon fishing grounds in the world. In fact, the numerous lake and river systems in the park and preserve offer excellent fishing and wildlife viewing all around.

First and foremost, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve was set aside to maintain its invaluable wilderness qualities. It was also established to protect a portion of this Bristol Bay watershed for the perpetuation of the sockeye salmon fishery. From an ecological standpoint, four of the five biotic communities found in Alaska fall within Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. A visit to the park offers a rare opportunity to glimpse a variety of different visual landscapes; to experience solitude and grandeur all in the same moment.