Escape. The Alaska Peninsula: destination alaska. JUly/ august An aerial view of Mount Augustine Volcano, just off the Alaska Peninsula coast.

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1 destination alaska JUly/ august 2014 An aerial view of Mount Augustine Volcano, just off the Alaska coast. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve p. 30 Becharof National Wildlife Refuge p. 34 Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve p. 32 : Southwestern Alaska Jutting 500 miles out into the Pacific Ocean, the Alaska is an immense expanse of rugged shoreline, active volcanoes, and deep blue lakes and streams only accessible by boat or plane. The extensive arm of land begins with Lake Clark National Park and Preserve in the north, and ends at the start of the Aleutian Islands, which extend in an arc southwest for about 1,100 miles toward Russia. Small Native fishing villages dot the peninsula, but most areas are relatively uninhabited (and devoid of throngs of tourists). If there are crowds, you ll find them at the iconic McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and Katmai National Park and Preserve bear viewing areas. But missing out on what the rest of the peninsula has to offer would be a mistake. Recreational opportunities abound and the views in terms of geological diversity are like no other in the state. A one or two-hour flight or ferry ride puts you in the middle of the action. Don t forget to bring your camera and stay long enough to play within this vast and unspoiled wilderness. Photo by: Patrick J. Endres Alaska 29 AKMMG_140700_EscapeOpener.indd 29 5/15/14 2:14:22 PM

2 Clouds reflect off Turquoise Lake in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Lake Clark National Park And Preserve Explore glacial lakes and towering peaks Horned puffins Getting to Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, a roadless wilderness of 3 million acres accessible only by boat or plane, is a camera-worthy adventure. Located in the southern portion of the Alaska Range to the west of Cook Inlet, the park features tumbling glaciers and towering peaks. It s a short hop, flying 100 miles southwest from Anchorage over forbidding terrain before dropping into the small town of Port Alsworth within the park. From there, you can take a bush plane to get you wherever you want to go, with pick up and drop off itineraries that are easy and reliable to schedule on your own or with a reputable guide or outfitter. Along the way, you ll have a birds-eye view of the Chigmit Mountains, a range created by centuries of geological chaos where volcanoes like Iliamna and Redoubt vent regularly, as well as the 42-mile stretch of glacier-fed Lake Clark. top: Michael Deyoung/Alaskastock.com; bottom: Art Wolfe/Getty AKMMG_140700_LakeClark.indd 30 5/19/14 9:36:44 AM

3 The park itself includes a mix of terrain rarely seen in one location: tundra, glaciers, active volcanoes, rainforests, and salmon-filled rivers leading into Bristol Bay. Beyond the brown bears feeding at Kijik River and Silver Salmon Creek, visitors can spot virtually all manner of flora and fauna. lakeclarkair.com Camping Turquoise Lake: Hop a float plane and set out for a remote gem that many say is the heart of the park. The clear glacial lake reflects the 6,000-foot high walls of rock and ice surrounding it and creates an amphitheater for light and sound. Grayling can be caught off backpacking rods, and numerous day hikes around the lake create opportunities to see wildlife. But give yourself permission to just sit and enjoy the view as the sun shifts across the water and peaks. top: John Schwieder; bottom: Michael Deyoung/AlaskaStock.com Boating Cave Falls, Little Lake Clark: About a 45-minute boat ride from Port Alsworth, you ll find an area called Little Lake Clark, resulting from the glacier water pouring out of the craggy 10,000-foot peaks of Lake Clark Pass. Waterfalls abound here, including the 100-foot drop of Cave Falls, which you can hike behind with a small amount of bushwacking along a clear stream for an awe-inspiring view from inside the cavern. Camp at the lake and catch your own dinner: lake trout and Dolly Varden. Photography Consider staying at the Silver Salmon Creek Lodge for guided access without permits or viewing platforms to photograph brown bears and puffins. Bears in the area proliferate, digging for clams, fishing for salmon, and foraging for wild berries. Boat trips to islands off the coast allow birders to spot horned and tufted puffins, as well as bald eagles, parakeet auklets, murres, and eiders. silversalmoncreek.com Looking out from Cave Falls near Little Lake Clark. Hiking Before flying out to other destinations within the park, you might take time to explore the Tanalian Trail system, the only maintained trail network within the park, which begins on the southern shores of the 42-mile Lake Clark, and takes hikers through meandering birch groves to a waterfall and the shores of another serene alpine lake. LOCALS SAY: Ask a guide or your float plane pilot for directions to the mineral lick across the open tundra and up Deserted Valley to watch congregations of 20 to 30 Dall sheep. A hiker wades across a stream near Turquoise Lake. july/august 2014 Alaska 31 AKMMG_140700_LakeClark.indd 31 5/20/14 8:59:12 AM

4 A paddler navigates the swift current of the Aniakchak River. Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve Have fun away from everyone If you re looking for a truly wild experience, Aniakchak delivers. Ominous weather adds to the stark beauty of the landscape, which sits 150 miles southwest of King Salmon (roughly 400 miles southwest of Anchorage) in the middle of the volcanically active Ring of Fire, which surrounds the Pacific Ocean. Earthquakes and eruptions continue to shape the landscape and fill it with colors abutting deep red against sky blue. The focal point of the area is the Aniakchak Caldera, a six-mile wide, 2,500-foot deep volcanic crater that provides the start of most adventures here. Fly in from Anchorage to King Salmon and take a second float plane from there to Surprise Lake, which fills the Caldera. LOCALS SAY: We saw 30 bald eagles at a time and caught up to 30-inch char. This is the most remote and least visited wilderness in the United States. Camping The shores of Surprise Lake provide flat and endless camping sites, but don t expect any amenities and come dressed and layered for the weather. The snow-capped rims atop towering walls provide one of the most dramatic and magnificent settings just outside your tent flap. Hiking The Aniakchak Caldera provides ample hiking for several days of exploration in complete and utter solitude, with the exception of local wildlife inhabiting or visiting the caldera, including the usual Alaska denizens of brown bear, caribou, fox, and eagles. Climb to the rim for views to the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, or hike inside and around Vent Mountain, a 2,200-foot cone rising from the floor of the caldera, where you ll also find lava plugs and hot springs. Surprise Lake lies at the bottom of the Aniakchak Caldera. Rafting The Aniakchak River is a nationally registered Wild & Scenic River that exits the caldera and roars through the famed Gates, a narrow, 1,500 foot-high canyon filled with car-sized boulders. Veteran rafting guides are a must to navigate these rapids, which drop more than 1,000 feet in elevation the first 15 miles and end on the shores of the Pacific Ocean. alaskaalpineadventures.com Matt Hage/Alaskastock.com 32 Alaskamagazine.com july/august 2014 AKMMG_140700_Aniakchak.indd 32 5/20/14 9:00:27 AM

5 Spawning sockeye salmon gather in Becharof Lake. [BELOW] Volcanic craters dot the landscape. Becharof National Wildlife Refuge Alaska like you ve never seen it before Views of the 4,835-foot Mt. Peulik volcano dominate the carpeted tundra and serrated landscape of the million acres encompassing Becharof Natonal Wildlife Refuge. Its location straddling the rolling coastal lowlands of Bristol Bay and the steep cliffs and sandy beaches of the Pacific Ocean provide a study in contrasts, textures and diverse eco-systems. Home to the second-largest lake in Alaska as well as brown bear (weighing up to 1,400 pounds), fox, wolverine, otter, and caribou, the refuge provides ample fishing, hunting and angling opportunities. For avid birders, the coast s cliffs, wetlands, and estuaries give eagles, falcons, seabirds, and migratory waterfowl prime nesting and breeding sites. Over 200 species of birds have been observed on or near the refuge. While you re watching them, whales, harbor seals, sea otters, and sea lions can be spotted offshore. LOCALS SAY: Flightseeing is one of the best ways to get a full appreciation of the varied terrain and scale of the area, along with grabbing some awesome aerial volcano shots with steam still venting out. Fish The 300,000 acres of Becharof Lake serves as a nursery for the world s second largest run of sockeye and includes all five species of salmon. It s 35 miles long, 15 miles wide, and 600 feet deep. If the roughly 6-million salmon that originate here get boring, you ll find arctic grayling, burbot, Dolly Varden, char, rainbow and lake trout, and northern pike in the lakes and surrounding rivers and streams. Hike The Kanatak Trail, accessed by boat or floatplane on the southern end of the Island Arm of Becharof Lake, climbs 1,000 feet over 5 miles through a remote and primitive setting along the Ruth River up to Ruth Lake. The trail is historically important as it provided early Russian and American explorers passage across the peninsula from the Pacific Ocean to the Bering Sea. Stunning views off the cliff edge at the top of the Kanatak Pass reward hikers with vistas of the ocean and the rugged and layered Aleutian Range, including the volcanic crater of Ukinrek Maars. bluemountainlodge.com Photograph Caribou Get out your bucket list. In the late summer, up to 30,000 caribou may be found near Whale Mountain along the north side of Becharof Lake. In late winter they begin a slow, southward migration to calving areas. The Northern Alaska Caribou Herd is one of only 13 major herds in the entire state. Wet Waders/AlaskaStock.com 34 Alaskamagazine.com july/august 2014 AKMMG_140700_Becharof.indd 34 5/20/14 9:01:38 AM