Packrafting Southwest Alaska
Packrafting is basically a combination of backpacking and rafting, but people will also use them for transportation to cut distances across bodies of water on long treks. If you’ve ever gone on a hike and wish you had a boat, consider a packraft to be the perfect solution. If you like wilderness adventures, packrafts offer an ideal means to access fishing spots, explore hidden corners, or simply diversify your daily trip goals.
The Essentials
Before embarking on a fly-out adventure, our guides will prepare you for a day of packrafting. This involves a basic safety course and some practice on Lake Clark before your departure from the lodge. We prioritize group floats, selecting a body of water that aligns with your skill level, and rest assured, you will always have an experienced guide accompanying you.
Packrafts & Equipment
Typically designed for individuals, with the option of two-person variations, packrafts are widely used by Alaskans for hunting, fishing, and multi-day overnight floats. They are compact enough to fit into a backpack, weighing around 10-15 lbs on average. Our lodge is equipped with various-sized Alpacka rafts.
Excursions
Our Alaskan hiking and packrafting adventure guides can run a variety of trips depending on your personal interests, activity level and skills. For example, you can take packrafts with you to Dick Proenneke's Cabin on a day hike to access fishing. Or for the more adventurous individuals, you can take them down class 2-3 whitewater on the Tazimina river. If you are interested in a more specific list of rivers and lakes we access, please contact us directly.
Lake Clark Lodge is a classic North American Lodge with a hallmark “great room”, fireplace and large windows. The lodge is surrounded by a large deck for guests to look out on the lake and mountain setting surrounding Keyes Point.
Lake Clark is a 1 hour flight from Anchorage, Homer or Kenai. Most visitors fly into the park headquarters in Port Alsworth. Visitors at Lake Clark Lodge will be flown directly to and from their designated location to our private landing strip on Keyes Point. You won't have to worry about coordinating your flight. We provide air taxi service to and from Anchorage or your designated airport.
The weather in Lake Clark National Park can be quite dynamic. Around summer solstice, the sun sets approximately at 11:30 PM and rises again around 4:30 AM, providing just over 5 hours of daylight. The brevity in daylight hours contributes to swift seasonal changes, influencing the weather accordingly. In general the temperature ranges from the mid 40's to the upper 60's through our 4 month season. To ensure you are well-prepared for a variety of weather conditions that may arise, we recommend consulting our Trip Checklist.
