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Port Alsworth Alaska Seaplanes
Photo Credit: ATIA, Michael DeYoung
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Port Alsworth

Port Alsworth

The spectacular scenery surrounding Port Alsworth is quintessential Alaska: tundra-covered hills, an array of mountains, glaciers, and coastline, the brilliant blue waters of Lake Clark, and two active volcanoes.

ABOUT PORT ALSWORTH

Port Alsworth is community of about 130 residents, located on the east shore of Lake Clark about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage. It is the only community within the vast wilderness of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, which makes Port Alsworth a major gateway for adventurous souls seeking a wilderness experience in the national park. The centerpiece of the area is spectacular Lake Clark, a 42-mile-long turquoise body of water hemmed in by mountains.

THINGS TO DO

Visitors who head into the vast wilderness of the Lake Clark National Park and Preserve are a mix of anglers, river runners, and experienced backpackers. There are no roads and few trails in the park but there are three federally designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers, which are popular with rafters, kayakers, and packrafters. These wild rivers feature spectacular scenery and rapids that range from Class III to Class IV. Rafts can be rented in Anchorage and then flown to the start of the float trip. Lodges in Port Alsworth also rent rafts and can arrange transportation to the rivers.

The park's watershed is one of the world's most important producers of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon, contributing a third of the annual harvest, and anglers arrive from around the world to hook a hard-fighting sockeye. Fly-in fishing trips are popular in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Many are one-day adventures out of Anchorage with guides and anglers landing on a river for an afternoon of salmon fishing. Fishing opportunities are also available directly from Port Alsworth on Lake Clark and the surrounding rivers and lakes, accessible by boat or float plane.

Port Alsworth is not on the road system and visitors arrive via air taxi from AnchorageKenai, or Homer. The town has lodging, raft rentals, tour operators, and a couple of dining options as well as a National Park Ranger Station with information, exhibits, maps, and books. A foot trail, one of the few maintained trails in the park, heads 2.5 miles from the village to serene Tanalian Falls.

Lake Clark also has a scattering of remote, isolated lodges, many of which are accessible from Port Alsworth or Anchorage. The lodges provide a comfortable escape into the wilderness and include accommodations, meals, and numerous activities, from fishing and kayaking to hiking and wildlife viewing.

Explore more wilderness lodges in Alaska.

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