Hikers Will Love Leaf Peeping At This Less Popular National Park In Alaska's Wilderness

Nature lovers and adrenaline junkies both love Alaska for not only its beauty, but the exciting activities one can get up to in Alaska's vast wilderness. There are many adventurous reasons why Alaska should be on your next travel bucket list, and getting to this less popular national park in Alaska is one of them. Hikers and leaf-peepers will enjoy the solitude and stunning nature within Lake Clark National Park, and be greeted with mountainous scenery and colorful trails.

Located approximately 100 miles from Anchorage, Alaska, Lake Clark National Park boasts a very unique way to get to it, which could be why it is one of the less popular parks to visit with less than 20,000 a year. Visitors to the park take a small plane from Anchorage to Port Alsworth, which is a community located within the park. With over four million acres of landscapes ranging from open tundra, to lakes, and mountains, you'll definitely want to make sure your camera batteries are charged, because you'll be snapping photos the whole time in one of the most underrated national parks in the U.S.

Lake Clark National Park is one of the perfect destinations to bid farewell to summer and say hello to colorful fall foliage. Whether you decide to hike one of the many trails, or kayak along the Twin Lakes trying to spot a bear along the shoreline foraging for cranberries and blueberries, you're bound to enjoy getting to experience the great outdoors in this gorgeous park.

The beginning of your adventure to Lake Clark starts the moment you first plan your route there. Since there are no roads to take you to the park, like many places in Alaska, a small plane journey is required. Planning well in advance is necessary, because depending on where you want to go within the park, small aircraft can only land in designated areas and will need to be determined beforehand, since different terrain will need a different type of aircraft, such as one with wheels for ground landings, or floats for water landings. For a complete list of air taxis traveling to and from the park, check out the official webpage for Lake Clark on the National Park Service site.

Wildlife enthusiasts will also enjoy brown and black bear-watching, complete with gorgeous golden birch and spruce trees in the area. One of the most popular destinations in the park is Crescent Lake, which provides visitors with stunning views of the grandiose Redoubt Volcano. The adventure factor of Crescent Lake goes higher due to the fact there are no developed trails, so most visitors will explore the area by boat or kayaks. Even though Crescent Lake can be discovered on-foot, it's best not to, since bears roam freely in the area, and startling a bear isn't the kind of adrenaline you should be seeking here.

While you can certainly explore Lake Clark on your own, tours can be arranged with expert guides from Alaska Alpine Adventures that offer multi-day journey options including kayaking tours, glacier hikes, backpacking trips, and wildlife tours. At the time of writing, tours start at around $3,850 per person.

If you aren't looking to drop a lot of cash on a guided multi-day tour, hikers will be thrilled to know that Lake Clark National park is home to some must-visit trails for avid hikers. With many trails ranging from light and easy to expert-level trails with scrambling, whichever route you choose, you'll be surrounded by beautiful scenery and epic landscapes.

The Beaver Pond Loop trail is a nice easy time that takes about 1.5 to 2 hours and is 3.5 miles long, the Kontrashibuna Lake via Tanalian Falls out and back trail is considered moderate in difficulty, about 6.5 miles in length and will take about 3 to 3.5 hours to complete. For more experienced hikers looking for a challenge, the harder Tanalian Falls trail may take a full day to complete, so make sure to bring extra layers and food. The trail also requires scrambling, and will take hikers through rocky tundra. At approximately 9 miles in length, this trail is sure to test your endurance. Just watch out for longhorn sheep at the summit.

Anglers will be pleased to know that fishing is allowed within Lake Clark National Park, however it's important to stick to the rules put in place by the State of Alaska Fishing Regulations. Lake Crescent is the most popular place to test your luck when it comes to King, Coho, and Sockeye salmon. Just make sure to keep your fish in bear-proof containers to not cause any unwanted attention from a nearby bear. As cute as they may be, enjoying them from a safe distance is best.