Beaver Pond Trail

Starting from the Port Alsworth trailhead, Beaver Pond Trail eases you into Lake Clark's backcountry without the gut-punch climbs of its neighbors. The path winds through stands of paper birch that glow almost white against the dark spruce, with the forest floor carpeted in moss and lowbush cranberry. About a mile in, you'll reach the old beaver pond — now more marsh than lake — where the trail skirts the boggy edges on raised ground. In early summer, this is a birding hotspot: yellowlegs, snipe, and sandpipers pick through the shallows. The trail continues with a gentle rise through mixed forest before connecting to the route toward Tanalian Falls, giving you a quieter, less direct approach to the cascade. This is the trail for hikers who'd rather watch a moose browse willows than race to a viewpoint.