Wood-Tikchik State Park

The largest state park in the nation, Wood-Tikchik is a 1.6-million acre wilderness located 300 miles southwest of Anchorage. Mountains dominate the western side of the park, while the eastern portion stretches across an almost-level wooded plain covered with hundreds of lakes and ponds. A series of eight large lakes — each more than 20 miles long — are at the heart of Wood-Tikchik. These lakes form two long and interconnected waterways, making it possible to boat from one to the other. They're filled with northern pike, Arctic char, trout, and salmon, all of which attract sportfishing enthusiasts. A handful of fishing and hunting lodges are ...

The largest state park in the nation, Wood-Tikchik is a 1.6-million acre wilderness located 300 miles southwest of Anchorage. Mountains dominate the western side of the park, while the eastern portion stretches across an almost-level wooded plain covered with hundreds of lakes and ponds. A series of eight large lakes — each more than 20 miles long — are at the heart of Wood-Tikchik. These lakes form two long and interconnected waterways, making it possible to boat from one to the other. They're filled with northern pike, Arctic char, trout, and salmon, all of which attract sportfishing enthusiasts. A handful of fishing and hunting lodges are scattered along park lakes, but there are no trails or other developed park facilities. Access to Wood-Tikchik State Park is primarily by floatplane from the town of Dillingham. (Alaska Air has jet service between Anchorage and Dillingham.) A 24-mile gravel road connects Dillingham with Aleknagik Lake, southernmost of the park's large lakes.

About the Expert

Don Pitcher has written or photographed 10 travel guidebooks to Alaska, Wyoming, Yellowstone-Grand Teton, and the San Juan Islands for Avalon Travel Publishing, Random House, and Sasquatch Books.