Parking
Park at the Lost Creek Trailhead on the Nabesna Road near milepost 31.2. The Soda Lake route begins several miles up the Lost Creek corridor; use the current signed/re-routed access and do not take the old Big Grayling Lake access.
Overview
About Soda Lake Trail
Soda Lake is a remote backcountry objective in the Nabesna district. From the Lost Creek Trailhead, the route follows the Lost Creek corridor, crosses open tundra and the Platinum Creek drainage, then turns up Soda Creek to a landslide-dammed lake surrounded by dramatic terrain. This is an out-and-back visitor route of about 29 miles total; the stored line follows the one-way corridor to Soda Lake and is not duplicated for the return. Allow 2–3 days or more, especially if exploring around the lake.
Why go
- Landslide-dammed Soda Lake, red cliffs, mineral deposits, and broad tundra scenery.
- Exceptional solitude and wildlife sign along a distinctive Nabesna backcountry route.
Heads up
- Long, wet, route-finding-intensive trip with repeated creek crossings and limited help.
- Private parcels near Big Grayling Lake require careful route-following and no camping on private land.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Wrangell-St. Elias map
Full mapElevation3,110–3,934 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide
Your drive to Soda Lake Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Wrangell-St. Elias audio tourRecorded for this area
Lost Creek Trail: A Backcountry ClassicListen
“Coming up is the start of the Lost Creek Trail, which is considered a classic Alaskan backcountry adventure. It’s a rugged 24-mile loop that is mostly off-trail, meaning there isn't a clear path for large portions of it.”
Plays on the road 0.1 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Wrangell-St. Elias Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Mosquito Hunters on the Wing
- Dall Sheep: Life on the Ledges
- Skookum Volcano Trail
- 98 audio storiesacross Wrangell-St. Elias’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Grizzly Bear, Moose, Humpback Whale, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 13 trails, 28 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Soda Lake Trail
RoutePark at the Lost Creek Trailhead on the Nabesna Road (around milepost 31.2).
Park at the Lost Creek Trailhead on the Nabesna Road (around milepost 31.2). The Soda Lake route begins several miles up the Lost Creek trail; follow the current signed/re-routed corridor rather than the old access toward Big Grayling Lake. The route leaves Lost Creek for the Platinum Creek drainage, crosses the unnamed creek draining the Karen Lakes area, and reaches the Soda Creek confluence. Follow Soda Creek upstream; recreational ORV use ends at a signed point, and the final section to Soda Lake is on foot. Near the red-cliff creek junction, cross to the east fork and look for the brushy horse trail toward the lake’s northwest corner. A steep scree alternative reaches the lake from the southwest but is loose and exposed.
HighlightsExpect spruce forest, sedge tussocks, open tundra, creek valleys, red cliffs, mineral deposits,…
Expect spruce forest, sedge tussocks, open tundra, creek valleys, red cliffs, mineral deposits, and the turquoise water of Soda Lake. The lake occupies a landslide area associated with movement along the Totshunda Fault. Dall sheep are attracted to the mineral-rich ground, and bear, moose, and wolf sign may be present.
Access and logisticsThis is a remote route with limited help and no ordinary services.
This is a remote route with limited help and no ordinary services. Lost Creek and Platinum Creek are gravel streambeds or faint/packed-dirt corridors that cross water repeatedly; the line can disappear in creek wash and brush. Carry water from Lost Creek because the middle section may be dry until Soda Creek. Respect the private parcels near Big Grayling Lake by staying on the route and not camping on private land. Recreational ORV access is limited to the designated corridor; hikers must continue on foot beyond the signed endpoint. Contact the Slana Ranger Station for trip-planning and current road information.
HazardsPlan for strenuous travel, route-finding, mud, tundra tussocks, repeated creek crossings,…
Plan for strenuous travel, route-finding, mud, tundra tussocks, repeated creek crossings, rapidly rising water after rain or warm afternoons, and changing Nabesna Road conditions. The horse trail near the lake is brushy; the scree alternative is steep and loose. Experienced backcountry navigation, a map and compass, bear-resistant food storage, and a conservative water/weather plan are essential.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Wrangell-St. Elias
112 sightingsGrizzly BearMost seen around 9 PMSighting map
63 sightingsMooseMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
21 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 1 PMSighting map
46 sightingsSteller Sea LionMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
37 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
48 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Wrangell-St. Elias. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
