Best time to visit Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
The short answer
Best months to visit Lake Clark National Park & Preserve: July. Daily highs run around 60°F, with visitor numbers near the yearly peak (July).
Hardest months: January–April, mostly because of cold weather.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Lake Clark National Park & Preserve month by month
Park-wide averages across 5 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 22° / 14°F | 0.5 in | 30.0 in | Quiet | – |
| February | Poor | 24° / 14°F | 0.2 in | 23.8 in | Quiet | – |
| March | Poor | 26° / 16°F | 0.2 in | 20.7 in | Quiet | – |
| April | Poor | 36° / 26°F | 0.6 in | 17.3 in | Quiet | – |
| May | Poor | 47° / 35°F | 2.5 in | 8.9 in | Quiet | – |
| June | Good | 57° / 45°F | 3.8 in | 0.5 in | Busy | – |
| July | Best | 61° / 50°F | 5.1 in | – | Peak | – |
| August | Good | 58° / 48°F | 6.9 in | – | Peak | – |
| September | Poor | 49° / 40°F | 6.7 in | 2.8 in | Quiet | – |
| October | Poor | 38° / 29°F | 3.5 in | 15.3 in | Quiet | – |
| November | Poor | 27° / 18°F | 1.1 in | 30.1 in | Quiet | – |
| December | Poor | 23° / 14°F | 0.4 in | 37.7 in | Quiet | – |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 16°F | 7°F | 0 in | 21.8 in |
| February | 16°F | 7°F | 0 in | 23.9 in |
| March | 19°F | 9°F | 0 in | 18.6 in |
| April | 28°F | 19°F | 0.1 in | 16.1 in |
| May | 38°F | 29°F | 0.8 in | 11.2 in |
| June | 50°F | 39°F | 3.4 in | 2.0 in |
| July | 54°F | 44°F | 4.7 in | – |
| August | 51°F | 41°F | 6.1 in | – |
| September | 41°F | 32°F | 4.8 in | 9.3 in |
| October | 29°F | 22°F | 0.9 in | 24.8 in |
| November | 19°F | 10°F | 0.1 in | 28.7 in |
| December | 16°F | 6°F | 0.1 in | 33.3 in |
Port Alsworth
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21°F | 11°F | 0.7 in | 12.5 in |
| February | 24°F | 14°F | 0.4 in | 13.0 in |
| March | 28°F | 16°F | 0.3 in | 12.1 in |
| April | 39°F | 27°F | 0.7 in | 8.4 in |
| May | 51°F | 37°F | 1.9 in | 1.1 in |
| June | 60°F | 46°F | 2.0 in | – |
| July | 63°F | 51°F | 3.9 in | – |
| August | 60°F | 50°F | 5.0 in | – |
| September | 52°F | 42°F | 5.3 in | – |
| October | 42°F | 34°F | 3.3 in | 2.9 in |
| November | 30°F | 23°F | 1.5 in | 16.0 in |
| December | 25°F | 15°F | 1.0 in | 19.9 in |
Twin Lakes
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19°F | 8°F | 0.1 in | 14.0 in |
| February | 22°F | 11°F | 0 in | 16.2 in |
| March | 24°F | 13°F | 0 in | 13.0 in |
| April | 33°F | 23°F | 0.2 in | 10.7 in |
| May | 45°F | 33°F | 1.4 in | 4.8 in |
| June | 57°F | 43°F | 3.5 in | – |
| July | 60°F | 48°F | 4.2 in | – |
| August | 56°F | 45°F | 5.3 in | – |
| September | 47°F | 36°F | 4.8 in | 2.8 in |
| October | 36°F | 27°F | 1.7 in | 12.0 in |
| November | 24°F | 13°F | 0.3 in | 21.8 in |
| December | 20°F | 9°F | 0.1 in | 24.1 in |
Crescent Lake
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26°F | 18°F | 0.9 in | 45.4 in |
| February | 26°F | 17°F | 0.4 in | 29.3 in |
| March | 29°F | 19°F | 0.4 in | 25.5 in |
| April | 38°F | 29°F | 1.0 in | 23.1 in |
| May | 49°F | 38°F | 4.0 in | 12.7 in |
| June | 59°F | 48°F | 4.5 in | – |
| July | 64°F | 54°F | 5.5 in | – |
| August | 62°F | 51°F | 8.1 in | – |
| September | 53°F | 42°F | 8.5 in | 0.8 in |
| October | 41°F | 30°F | 5.1 in | 17.2 in |
| November | 28°F | 17°F | 1.6 in | 38.5 in |
| December | 25°F | 15°F | 0.4 in | 49.3 in |
Silver Salmon Creek
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°F | 24°F | 0.9 in | 56.4 in |
| February | 30°F | 23°F | 0.4 in | 36.5 in |
| March | 32°F | 24°F | 0.3 in | 34.3 in |
| April | 40°F | 32°F | 1.2 in | 28.3 in |
| May | 49°F | 40°F | 4.6 in | 14.9 in |
| June | 59°F | 49°F | 5.3 in | – |
| July | 63°F | 54°F | 7.3 in | – |
| August | 61°F | 53°F | 9.9 in | – |
| September | 54°F | 46°F | 10.3 in | 0.9 in |
| October | 43°F | 35°F | 6.8 in | 19.6 in |
| November | 34°F | 26°F | 2.0 in | 45.7 in |
| December | 31°F | 23°F | 0.4 in | 61.8 in |
Lake Clark National Park & Preserve by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a difficult time to visit Lake Clark National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 26–47°F and lows 16–35°F. Expect about 1.1 in of rain a month and 15.7 in of snow, with up to 57 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 0–7% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a good time to visit Lake Clark National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 57–61°F and lows 45–50°F. Expect about 5.3 in of rain a month; some snow can linger on the ground. Visitor numbers run 80–100% of the busiest month, which is peak by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a difficult time to visit Lake Clark National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 27–49°F and lows 18–40°F. Expect about 3.8 in of rain a month and 16.1 in of snow, with up to 20 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 0–35% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a difficult time to visit Lake Clark National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 22–24°F and lows 14°F. Expect about 0.4 in of rain a month and 30.5 in of snow, with up to 52 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 0% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails, camping and things to do, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
Lake Clark has two distinct climate areas: the coast and the interior. The coast is wetter and experiences milder temperatures. The interior gets half to one fourth as much precipitation, but temperatures are hotter in summer and colder in winter. Frost and snow can occur any time parkwide, but are most common from September to early June. Lakes here typically begins freezing in November and melting in April. Ice conditions dictate whether planes need floats or skis to land on lakes.
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 5 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
