Portage Creek Trail

Portage Creek Trail is a remote out-and-back from the beach beside Joe Thompson Public Use Cabin on Lake Clark. The maintained tread runs 3.25 miles one way to alpine tundra, so retrace it for 6.5 miles total. You gain about 1,850 feet on the way up. Plan on roughly 4 to 4.5 hours on foot, then add the time it takes to reach and leave the cabin by boat or plane.

This isn't a roadside trailhead. Reach the beach in front of the cabin by boat or floatplane; there are no docks or mooring buoys, and water taxis from Port Alsworth may be available. The cabin sits in a clearing of white spruce and birch. Private property lies west of the cabin and around the point, so stay on the public approach.

The first mile is mostly flat through thick spruce and birch forest before you reach Portage Creek. Cross it and stay left for the public trail. The foliage changes a lot by season and can hide the tread. After the creek, the route climbs through alders in switchbacks; follow them rather than cutting across the slope.

The maintained tread stops in alpine tundra at about 2,150 feet. The trees give way to open ground and views over Lake Clark and the surrounding mountains. This is not a loop or a summit route: turn around at the trail's end and follow the same line back.

Leashed pets are permitted in the park and preserve, but the park strongly encourages leaving them at home for their safety and the ecosystem. If you bring a dog, keep it leashed the whole time.