Lake Clark National Park & Preserve is a National Park & Preserve in Alaska. This guide combines the park's official information with computed sunrise, sunset and Milky Way times, satellite climate data and nearby photo locations.
Sunrise, sunset & golden hour
At Lake Clark the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 34° (NNE) at the June solstice and 142° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 327° (NNW) in June to 219° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 53° in summer but only 6° in winter.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Sunset az. | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10:07 AM | 11:47 AM | 3:02 PM | 4:42 PM | 225° | 6h 35m |
| February | 8:55 AM | 10:01 AM | 4:58 PM | 6:04 PM | 246° | 9h 09m |
| March | 8:32 AM | 9:28 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:16 PM | 268° | 11h 45m |
| April | 6:56 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:34 PM | 292° | 14h 38m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:41 AM | 9:42 PM | 10:50 PM | 314° | 17h 18m |
| June | 4:44 AM | 6:07 AM | 10:24 PM | 11:47 PM | 326° | 19h 02m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 6:29 AM | 10:13 PM | 11:28 PM | 321° | 18h 15m |
| August | 6:27 AM | 7:28 AM | 9:11 PM | 10:12 PM | 301° | 15h 45m |
| September | 7:43 AM | 8:38 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:38 PM | 278° | 12h 55m |
| October | 8:56 AM | 9:56 AM | 6:05 PM | 7:05 PM | 254° | 10h 10m |
| November | 9:17 AM | 10:40 AM | 3:20 PM | 4:43 PM | 232° | 7h 26m |
| December | 10:18 AM | 12:46 PM | 1:35 PM | 4:03 PM | 219° | 5h 45m |
Computed for the park's reference point (60.5741, -153.5554); large parks span several minutes of difference.
Milky Way & dark skies
The Milky Way's bright core (in Sagittarius) barely clears the southern horizon at this latitude, so focus on winter Milky Way, aurora or star trails instead.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| February | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| March | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| April | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| May | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| June | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| July | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| August | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| September | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| October | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| November | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
| December | Not visible in darkness | — | — |
1 Estimated Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious.
Weather & best time to visit
Lake Clark has two distinct climate areas: the coast and the interior. The coast is wetter and experiences milder temperatures. The interior gets half to one fourth as much precipitation, but temperatures are hotter in summer and colder in winter. Frost and snow can occur any time parkwide, but are most common from September to early June. Lakes here typically begins freezing in November and melting in April. Ice conditions dictate whether planes need floats or skis to land on lakes.
Weather overview: National Park Service.
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 60% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (79%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
Average high (°F)
Photography permits, drones & fees
Permits. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones. Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Getting there
Lake Clark is located on the Alaska Peninsula southwest of Anchorage and north of Katmai National Park. It is not on the road system; therefore, in order to get here you must travel either via plane or by boat. A one to two-hour flight from Anchorage, Kenai, or Homer will provide access to most points within Lake Clark. Fixed-wing aircraft are allowed to land on all suitable lakes, rivers, beaches, gravel bars, and open ground in both the park and preserve unless the area is closed or otherwise restricted.
Directions: National Park Service.
Activities
- Astronomy
- Stargazing
- Biking
- Boating
- Motorized Boating
- Camping
- Backcountry Camping
- Canoe or Kayak Camping
- Climbing
- Mountain Climbing
- Compass and GPS
- Orienteering
- Fishing
- Freshwater Fishing
- Fly Fishing
- Flying
- Fixed Wing Flying
- Guided Tours
- Self-Guided Tours - Walking
- Hiking
- Backcountry Hiking
- Front-Country Hiking
- Off-Trail Permitted Hiking
- Hunting and Gathering