Fishtrap Lake to Snipe Lake

Choose this trip if you want to commit to fewer miles and don’t mind a little bushwacking. The flights for this trip are typically the least expensive of the trips listed here, since it’s the closest to Port Alsworth and requires less flight time.

You’ll need a floatplane drop-off and pick-up (either from Anchorage or Port Alsworth) to complete this route. Land at the northeast end of the lake and ascend directly to the alpine. You’ll encounter 700 vertical feet of dense vegetation before you get to the alpine. It may take hours to emerge from the vegetation…stick with it! Miles of gentle tundra stretching between Fishtrap and Snipe Lakes makes the slog through the brush worth it; choose your own route from the endless choices. Plan to be picked up on the southern side of Snipe Lake. You’ll again encounter brush on your descent to the lake.

NOTE: All backpacking trips in Lake Clark require Backcountry Navigation Skills due to the scarcity of maintained trails. There are hundreds of options for backpacking routes; the only limits are your skills and imagination. This is not a complete trip report, but instead an idea to get you started on planning your own trip. If you aren’t confident in your wilderness traveling abilities, consider hiring a guide.