Alaska
What to know about Lake Clark National Park, a natural treasure in Alaska’s wilderness
![What to know about Lake Clark National Park, a natural treasure in Alaska’s wilderness What to know about Lake Clark National Park, a natural treasure in Alaska’s wilderness](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/authoring-images/2024/01/19/USAT/72283850007-e-5-db-62-b-9-ac-754837-b-309-f-74604242045-original.jpg?auto=webp&crop=4683,2636,x2,y320&format=pjpg&width=1200)
There’s a place where “volcanoes steam, salmon run, bears forage, and craggy mountains reflect in shimmering turquoise lakes.”
Life goes on much like it has for thousands of years, and “people and culture still depend on the land and water,” Chelsea Niles, Program Manager for Interpretation, Education, and Partnerships at Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, told USA TODAY.
It sounds almost too good to be true, but Lake Clark is very real. It’s just not easy to visit.
Here’s what travelers should know about the park in Alaska, the latest in USA TODAY’s yearlong national park series.
What is special about Lake Clark?
According to the park’s website, “Lake Clark was established to protect a region of dynamic geologic and ecological processes that create scenic mountain landscapes, unaltered watersheds supporting Bristol Bay red salmon, and habitats for wilderness dependent populations of fish and wildlife, vital to 10,000 years of human history.”
That human history continues to this day.
“Lake Clarks is ‘peopled wilderness’ where people come together, traditions are passed, and place is still celebrated by many after thousands of years of inhabitation,” Niles said.
Who are the Native people of Lake Clark?
The Dena’ina people call Lake Clark home and have for millennia, according to the park’s website, which adds that Yup’ik and Sugpiaq peoples also had a presence on the land.
In a video on the park’s website, Lake Clark’s cultural anthropologist Karen Evanoff, who is Dein’ina, said, “We still live a subsistence lifestyle. We get a lot of our food from the land, and there’s much more to it, though. There’s a spiritual component. There’s values and beliefs and a whole way of life that revolves around living from the outdoors.”
Niles noted that Lake Clark’s original name, Qizhjeh Vena, means “a place where people gather lake” in Dena’ina.
Can you drive into Lake Clark National Park?
No. Like several other national parks in Alaska, Lake Clark is not on the road system. Located about 120 miles from Anchorage, most visitors arrive by small plane, according to the park’s website, which shares a list of authorized air taxi companies.
“The reality is that it can be costly to visit, but the cost will depend on the experience someone is looking for,” Niles said. “Do you want to camp or stay in a full-service lodge? Do you want to have a guided bear viewing or fishing experience or are you hoping for a solo hike through the wilderness?”
She noted the cheapest way to see the park is virtually, through the park’s website and other online resources.
“With recognition that a visit to Lake Clark is cost prohibitive for many, we make (a) notable effort to provide an exceptional digital visitor experience,” she said, adding travelers who do visit Alaska can see some parts of the park from miles away. “You can actually see the park all the way from Anchorage to Homer. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is located across the Cook Inlet in the viewshed of over 40% of Alaska’s population and millions of annual visitors.”
How deep is Lake Clark in Alaska?
Lake Clark’s namesake lake reaches a depth of around 870 feet, according to the park’s website.
Spanning 128 square miles, Niles notes it’s the sixth-largest lake in Alaska.
Other lakes in the park and preserve are not as deep.
Can you swim in Lake Clark?
“Technically yes, but it’s very cold,” Niles said. “More often, we see people paddling or boating. Being on water in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is challenging in any case and we ask visitors to be proactive about their safety.”
Visitors are encouraged to watch the weather because lake conditions can shift quickly and small waves can turn into white cpas within an hour.
“The frigid water and windy, wet weather are unforgiving,” Niles added.
What are some fun facts about Lake Clark?
The park and preserve span more than 4 million acres, which is larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined, according to Lake Clark’s website.
Within Lake Clark’s borders are four places on the National Register of Historic Places, three designated National Wild Rivers, two National Natural Historic Landmarks and a National Historic Landmark. There are also two active volcanoes on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Mount Iliamna and Mount Redoubt, shared Niles.
Up to 3.1 million sockeye migrate into Lake Clark each year and “the actions, policy, and advocacy of this land impacts fisheries on a global scale,” according to Niles.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Alaska
Ukrainian refugees in Alaska uncertain what to expect after Trump announces possible negotiations
![Ukrainian refugees in Alaska uncertain what to expect after Trump announces possible negotiations Ukrainian refugees in Alaska uncertain what to expect after Trump announces possible negotiations](https://gray-ktuu-prod.gtv-cdn.com/resizer/v2/2V4FV6ACABERLD6A5DKT32D6KY.jpg?auth=9fa07ea977bc90372d29d790e0fc78532b71599222b87c623aedd71adf7f31fc&width=1200&height=600&smart=true)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin prompted local refugees to consider what comes next for their home.
According to Trump the call between the leaders Wednesday struck an agreement to begin negotiations and end the Ukraine war; beginning with a prisoner swap.
Alaska hosts a number of Ukrainian refugees, according to Catholic Social Services Refugee Assistance Services — the only refugee resettlement agency in the state — it’s seen an influx of Ukrainians entering Alaska since 2022 when the war first broke out.
Based on Trump’s statements there is potential for negotiations, but Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also said Wednesday that Ukraine should give up any NATO aspirations.
One Alaskan who came to the U.S. as a child in 1998 said many Ukrainians are simply overwhelmed.
“We don’t have the emotional capacity to have a big response,” said Zori Opanasevych, who now operates the Ukraine Relief Program.
“I think that when it happens there will be a relief,” said Opanasevych, but before there is more information about what might come out of the negotiations Opanasevych said there is both a lot of hope and a lot of uncertainty.
Opanasevych anticipates there will be many who question Ukrainian refugees in the U.S. about their immigration status, and worries there may be talks of deportation even for people who have obtained residency through all the proper channels.
If refugees who have sought safety in the U.S. were sent back to Ukraine, they would be stripped of everything they’ve built, according to Opanasevych.
“Their concern is that they don’t have a home to go to because a fifth of Ukraine is destroyed,” Opanasevych said. “The economy is nonexistent, almost, and they’ve built their lives here.”
According to Catholic Social Services, they currently serve 735 Ukrainians, but estimate there are more than 1,000 Ukrainians in the state. Not all of them are enrolled in the services CSS provides.
See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com
Copyright 2025 KTUU. All rights reserved.
Alaska
Alaska Senate leaders suggest new revenue measures to address looming budget deficit
Alaska Senate leaders signaled Tuesday that they were open to considering new revenue measures this year to help stabilize the state’s looming budget deficit.
“We haven’t addressed revenue for decades,” Sen. Lyman Hoffman, a Bethel Democrat, told reporters. “I think it’s high time the Legislature looks at raising new revenues if we want to accomplish the many things that we want to do. If not, I don’t see a clear path forward to balancing not only this year’s budget, but next year’s budget.”
Budget analysts predict that without additional revenue, the state could face a $500 million shortfall during the coming year, even without increasing the state’s education budget — a top priority for leaders of both the House and Senate.
Hoffman, who has served in the Legislature for more than 38 years, said “the state of Alaska is probably facing its largest fiscal problem in 30 years.”
He said the fiscal crisis is driven in part by the Legislature’s efforts this year to significantly increase education funding, a task lawmakers have not undertaken in more than a decade. A bill backed by House leaders would increase the state’s education budget by around $150 million in the coming fiscal year compared to the current one, and hundreds of millions more in the following two years.
Hoffman said the Senate majority had already discussed new revenue measures during a retreat before the beginning of the session.
“I’m glad to report that new revenues are on the Senate’s list of things that need to be addressed this year,” he said.
Rep. Andy Josephson, an Anchorage Democrat who co-chairs the House Finance Committee, said the House majority had not collectively discussed new revenue measures.
“I suppose we would entertain other revenue measures, but we’re also very aware that this governor vetoed a tobacco tax bill, he vetoed a Turo tax bill,” said Josephson. “So I think the 21 of us don’t want to just chase windmills and pursue things that simply aren’t going to happen.”
Gov. Mike Dunleavy in December proposed a largely status quo budget with a projected deficit of $1.5 billion. He has not introduced new revenue measures this year.
In 2023, Dunleavy introduced legislation to allow the state to bring in revenue from carbon sequestration. The law has yet to yield income for the state. He signaled two years ago that he would introduce a sales tax in the final weeks of the legislative session. But he never introduced the measure.
Senate President Gary Stevens, a Kodiak Republican, said the Senate majority has not discussed a sales tax or an income tax. Instead, both Hoffman and Sen. Bill Wielechowski, an Anchorage Democrat, pointed to possible measures that could increase taxation of oil and gas companies in the state by hundreds of millions annually.
“I think there are things that can be done which would have very little impact on investment, very little impact on Alaskans, and would help us solve our budget deficit,” said Wielechowski.
Those include a reduction in the per-barrel tax credits given to oil companies, and an amendment to the state’s tax code to apply corporate income tax on certain private corporations, including Hilcorp Alaska.
Sen. Robert Yundt, a freshman Republican from Wasilla who serves in the minority, on Monday introduced legislation meant to ensure the state’s corporate income tax is applied equally to companies in the state.
Stevens said his caucus was “really pleased” to see that legislation introduced by Yundt and said the Senate would be “moving forward” with that bill.
A similar measure considered by the Senate — and ultimately abandoned — last year would have increased taxation on Hilcorp, one of Alaska’s top-producing oil companies, by over $100 million.
In a written statement, Yundt said he introduced his bill because he thinks all companies should be “treated and taxed exactly the same — which, unfortunately, is not currently happening.”
“This legislation has the ability to create the even playing field that will benefit both industry and residents alike,” Yundt said.
Sean Maguire reported from Juneau and Iris Samuels from Anchorage.
Alaska
Grammy-winner Sean Paul to perform at 2025 Alaska State Fair
![Grammy-winner Sean Paul to perform at 2025 Alaska State Fair Grammy-winner Sean Paul to perform at 2025 Alaska State Fair](https://www.adn.com/resizer/v2//-rKFSCrc51j8hmIGwd6xqUEVpOo=/1200x630/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/adn/OYOI74GZ4MQNLKVERYNKGUHNJI.jpg)
Grammy-winning Jamaican singer Sean Paul will perform at the 2025 Alaska State Fair.
The platinum hitmaker with multiple chart-topping songs will perform at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, the fair announced Tuesday.
Paul rose to prominence in the 1990s, collaborating with other artists until his solo debut, “Stage One,” in 2000.
A master of the Jamaican dancehall genre, he won a Grammy for his 2004 album “Dutty Rock,” which featured hit singles “Gimme the Light” and “Get Busy.”
Tickets for the show go on sale 10 a.m. Friday at alaskastatefair.org.
Paul joins “Weird Al” Yankovic, Foreigner, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Chris Tomlin, Billy Currington and 3 Doors Down on the fair’s performer lineup.
The fair runs from Aug. 15 to Sep. 1 at the state fairgrounds in Palmer.
-
Politics1 week ago
Tulsi Gabbard confirmation fate to be tested with key committee vote
-
Technology1 week ago
Trump’s first 100 days: all the news affecting the tech industry
-
News1 week ago
'Beyond betrayal.' Venezuelans in Florida are angry at Trump immigration policy
-
World1 week ago
Montenegro pursues values-driven EU enlargement process
-
World1 week ago
Trump says US will ‘own’ Gaza in redevelopment plan
-
News1 week ago
Congressional Democrats to Trump: Changes can't be done in secrecy
-
Politics1 week ago
CIA offering buyouts to its entire workforce: report
-
Education1 week ago
Trump’s Orders Could Drain Millions From Universities, but Few Protest Openly