Lake Clark National Park & Preserve Fees & Reservations
You don’t have to pay for entrance to Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, and you don’t have to pay any camping or permit fees either. No reservations are required, mind you, there’s only back country camping available. Most campers pitch up on the shores or Lake Clark or backpack close to the rivers.
Lake Clark National Park & Preserve Permits
Okay, I’ve just said that you don’t need a permit, now I’m talking about back country permits. Well, it’s not a permit exactly, it’s just a voluntary registration form which all travelers who are venturing into Lake Clark back country are asked to fill in. It’s only used for information, just so that the management have some idea about the number of people using the park so that they can follow the popular activities and trends. It can also help rangers assist with the rescue of backpackers who get into difficulty during their stay in Lake Clark National Park & Preserve. You must remember though, that in the back country of Lake Clark National Park & Preserve you really are on your own, pitting your wits against nature. Nobody will track you, nobody will come looking to see if you’re okay. The best idea is to leave your itinerary with a relative or a friend, who can then contact the park authorities if you don’t reappear on schedule.
Get planning, it could be you . . . .
Lake Clark National Park & Preserve – Rules
Just because Lake Clark National Park & Preserve is a wild and rugged place, it doesn’t mean that there are no rules. In fact there are lots of rules designed to help preserve the park for the animals which live there, and the generations of people who may want to visit in the future. Please remember these simple rules on your visit, it can make such a big difference to the health of the park.
- You must not destroy any parts of the park, cutting down tree branches or removing natural objects is a big no no.
- Pack it in and pack it out, don’t leave any trash behind.
- Don’t be tempted to dig up any of the vegetation, leave it exactly where you found it – that includes shifting the tundra to make a tent pad.
- Don’t forget to bury human waste within a sufficient distance from the water and campsite.
- Don’t forget to store you food in bear proof containers in the specifically designated park areas.
- Don’t bother the wildlife. Watch it, photograph it, study it and gaze at it in awe, but don’t bother it.
- The only wood you are permitted to use on your campfire is wood which is already dead and down on the ground.
- Pets are permitted at Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, but it ain’t ideal. If you do decide to bring your pet along with you it must be leashed at all times and you must bury the waste properly.
Arctic tern in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (Photo credit: AlaskaNPS)