A Thorough Guide to Hiking Tanalian Falls in Port Alsworth, Alaska

Tanalian Falls is my favorite established trail in Lake Clark National Park. If you only have time to do one hike on your visit to Port Alsworth I highly encourage you to choose this hike to spend your time on. The waterfall is absolutely stunning, and because you're able to explore the waterfall from the bottom and top, it's the perfect little day trip or half day trip during your National Park visit.

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Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

Planning your Hike & What to Bring

The hike itself is just over 4 miles roundtrip and has an elevation gain of about 780 feet. Because this is a remote area of Alaska, I highly encourage you to bring bear spray with you. There have been brown bear sightings on this trail before. Most Airbnbs or Lodges in the area have bear spray available for guests to use, otherwise the Cranberry Cache at Lake Clark Resort has some available for sale as well. Similar to most the other hiking trails in Port Alsworth, the hiking path can get muddy, so I recommend wearing comfortable clothes and shoes that you don't mind getting muddy.

Some of my Favorite Nearby Tours : ​

A Complete Guide to Tanalian Falls

The hike begins right past the new church being built in Port Alsworth, you'll see the National Park trailhead sign. From here the trail begins a bit steep, with quite a few rocks covering the path until you pass the National Park boundary sign. From here the trail continue to wind up and down some hills and through the woods. A little ways in you'll see a second bench on your right hand side at a nice overlook, however I recommend continuing until you reach the third bench that will be on your left hand side.

This is a great spot to sit down to catch your breath and enjoy the beautiful views. Once you're ready to move on, you'll be almost done with the uphill bits of the hiking trail. A little ways later, you'll make your way to a fork in the trail with a signpost. If you go left you'll continue along a much harder trail to Tanalian Mountain, so you'll want to follow the signs right towards the waterfall.

This area of the hike has a bit of a steady decline, a nice break from the uphill climb until now. Eventually, you'll come into an open, swampy area with some boardwalks. I recommend looking out for wildlife in this area, like moose! After this, you're almost to the falls! You'll eventually make you way to another fork, where you can go left to Kontrashibuna Lake or right to the bottom of the waterfall.

This last little section can be a bit muddy and steep, so I recommend watching your step here. Once you make it to the bottom there's a nice, rocky beach to enjoy. If you brought a picnic, I recommend enjoying it here! Just stay aware of your surroundings (for possible bears) and pack out everything you bring with you. If you brought a fishing pole and want to try fishing for Arctic Grayling this is a great chance too! You'll just want to make sure you have your fishing license.

After you enjoy the bottom of the falls, I recommend heading to the top to explore before you leave! You can see the rush of the water up close, enjoy the beautiful Fall colors if you're visiting in September, and take in the stunning panoramic views before making your way back to Port Alsworth.

Watch my Tanalian Falls Adventure here!

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Other Alaska blog posts you might be interested in : 
-> 3 Day Port Alsworth Itinerary
-> Best Things to Do in Lake Clark National Park
-> Bear Viewing in Lake Clark National Park

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