Best Tent Camping near Port Alsworth, AK

Pure solitude: there is no other way to describe our time here.

We encountered maybe a handful of other hikers in three days around the Port Alsworth area of Lake Clark National Park. And it was amazing!

Because we didn’t want to take the one-day fly-in bear viewing trip here, we coordinated a series of regularly-scheduled bush plane flights with Lake & Pen Air to get the cheapest flights to and from Port Alsworth.

After landing, we hiked with our gear out to Lake Kontrashibuna, past Tanalian Falls, and to Lake Kontrashibuna. There are no designated sites, but some areas that were clearly used for that purpose. Ours was nestled along the lake, with great views and perfect hammock trees for napping.

Our full day at the park was spent climbing Tanalian Mountain. A few miles and 3,800 feet up the trail, you’ll receive sweeping views of both Lake Clark and Lake Kontrashibuna. And, very likely, no people.

You can read much more about our two days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Lake Clark)

Joe Thompson's cabin is a rustic historical cabin much like Proenneke's One Man's Wilderness cabin at Twin Lakes. It is a small log cabin with minimal windows for light so be sure and bring a lantern. The location is stunning with views of western Lake Clark. Directly behind the cabin is Portage Creek trail which takes you above tree line in less than 2 hours. This historical route was climbed daily by Joe Thompson as he mined for gold near the summit. Thompsons cabin is located on the lakeshore and a series of nearby islands provides fun exploring by kayak. This cabin can be combined with Priest Rock public cabin for a kayak tour of Lake Clark. Water taxi and kayak rentals are available from www.tulchinaadventures.com