Float(plane) Away To Adventure: Lake Clark Resort

view from our front porch

When Off The Beaten Path presented Lake Clark Resort as part of my Alaska itinerary, I honestly wasn't prepared for what I'd find.

Stepping out of the plane right in front of the resort, I felt like I was walking into one of those Alaska vision board photos I'd been collecting for years – the ones with remote lodges, pristine water, and mountains that seem to go on forever. This wasn't just a place to stay; it was precisely the kind of wilderness sanctuary I'd been dreaming about without quite knowing it existed.

Where Digital Detox Meets Reality

The flight into Port Alsworth sets the tone immediately. Looking down at endless wilderness broken only by the occasional fishing boat or floatplane, you start to understand that normal rules don't apply here. Your phone may catch one bar, if you're lucky, and honestly, you stop checking after the first day.

The cabins have no Wi-Fi – a choice that felt liberating by morning two. Instead of scrolling through notifications, I found myself watching floatplanes drift across the horizon like mechanical birds. The main lodge offers Wi-Fi if you absolutely need it, but the design of this place nudges you away from screens and toward windows overlooking water that stretches beyond what your eyes can hold.

our cabin

My cabin felt more like a writer's retreat than a hotel room. Wood walls, simple furnishings, and the steady sound of rain on the roof became my new productivity soundtrack. No alerts, no urgent messages – just the gentle rhythm of a place that operates on lake time, not laptop time.

Born From Wilderness Dreams

Lake Clark Resort didn't start as a resort at all. In 1942, Leon "Babe" Alsworth and his wife Mary landed their floatplane in Hardenburg Bay with their newborn son and a wild idea. Leon had been flying mail runs across Bristol Bay, and Mary, an Aleut woman who'd worked at a cannery, saw something in this remote shoreline that others might have missed.

They started a farm – literally growing vegetables and raising animals in one of Alaska's most remote locations. What began as an agricultural homestead grew into Port Alsworth, now home to 180 people and the headquarters of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.

The lodge itself has been a family operation for decades. Glen Alsworth Sr. and his wife Patty founded The Farm Lodge in 1977, keeping the agricultural roots alive while welcoming guests. Their son, Glen Jr., and his wife, Lelya, moved the operation to its current hillside perch overlooking Hardenburg Bay, where twelve private cabins now sit among gardens that still supply the kitchen.

flying to our picnic

Lake Clark Resort Adventures That Reset Your Internal Clock

Everything here moves at the speed of weather and wildlife, not WiFi—fly-fishing excursions launch when conditions are right, not when your calendar says so. I spent one afternoon on a floatplane excursion that landed at Torquoise Lake. Our pilot pulled out chairs, and there we enjoyed an afternoon picnic in the middle of beautiful nowhere.

Floatplane adventures offer the kind of perspective you can't get from other excursions. Flying deep into the park for glacier views or wildlife spotting, I realized how small my daily concerns really were.

Even the slower activities here felt intentional. The simple act of sitting by the lake watching floatplanes come and go became a form of meditation I didn't know I needed.

Meals That Ground You

The dining room serves the kind of meals that make you put your phone face down without thinking about it. Chef sources from the on-site gardens plus local fishermen and hunters, creating plates that taste like the landscape around you.

Meat prepared in different ways throughout the week, vegetables that were growing outside yesterday, and desserts that pair perfectly with stories from fellow travelers. Meals here aren't rushed affairs – they're communal experiences that stretch as long as the summer daylight.

I found myself lingering over coffee, actually listening to conversations instead of mentally thinking about what I was going to do next.

The Art of Doing Nothing

Lake Clark Resort taught me something I'd forgotten: sometimes the most productive thing you can do is absolutely nothing. Wake up when your body wants to, not when your alarm demands. Take a walk along the shore just because the light looks interesting. Sit with a book and let your mind wander between chapters.

The rhythm of rain and the way morning mist rises off the water like the lake is breathing - details I would have missed if I had been working or just moving quickly.

favorite mode of transportation

SARAH'S ESSENTIALS:

Embrace Lake Time - Plans change based on weather and wildlife. Roll with it. Some of my best experiences happened when the original plan fell through.

Talk to the Staff - They're not just employees, they're part of the family legacy. Their stories about the land and wildlife add layers to every activity.

Stay Extra Days - If you can swing it, book longer than you think you need.

Lake Clark Resort isn't about checking activities off a list – it's about remembering what it feels like to be fully present. In a world where we're always connected to everything, sometimes the most incredible luxury is being connected to nothing but the moment you're in.