Wood-Tikchik State Park
At nearly 1.6 million acres, Wood-Tikchik State Park is the largest and most remote state park in the nation. This one park encompasses nearly half of the State Park land in Alaska and 15 percent of all state park land in the United States. The primary purposes of creating Wood-Tikchik State Park are to protect the area’s fish and wildlife breeding and support systems and to preserve the continued use of the area for subsistence and recreational activities. The land and water in this region are traditional grounds for subsistence fishing, hunting and gathering. These activities are an integral part of the culture in this region and provide not only food, but a cultural tie to the land and between generations.
The management philosophy is one of non-development and protection of the area's wilderness character. Park facilities are rustic and few, with great emphasis placed upon low impact camping and Leave No Trace practices.
West of Wood-Tikchik State Park is the 4.7 million acre Togiak National Wildlife Refuge. These two large tracts of public land afford residents and visitors some of the most natural, remote and scenic public lands in the nation.
The Lakes of Wood-Tikchik
Wood-Tikchik State Park is named for its two systems of large interconnected clear water lakes located in southwest Alaska, just north of Dillingham. The southern lakes, the Wood River system, drain into Bristol Bay via the Wood River. The northern lakes, the Tikchik system, drain into Tikchik Lake then to Nuyakuk River, to the Nushagak River and on to Bristol Bay. The park’s acreage is quite diverse, and includes 12 lakes over 1,000 acres, rivers up to 60 miles in length, mountains exceeding 5,000 feet in elevation and extensive lowlands.
The lakes occupy deep glacial valleys carved 15,000 to 25,000 years ago. The glaciers retreated leaving behind valleys filled with water that are now the celebrated lakes of the park. Each lake spans a variety of terrain. Spired peaks, high alpine valleys, and deep v-shaped arms give the lakes' western reaches a spectacular fjord-like appearance. The eastern edges of the lakes look out upon islands, gravel beaches, and the expansive tundra of the Nushagak lowlands.
The lakes, varying in length from 15 to 45 miles, are deep and temperate, with water temperatures ranging from 40°F to 60°F throughout the summer season. The lakes of Wood-Tikchik are some of the deepest in Alaska. Nuyakuk Lake, the deepest lake within the park, is over 940 feet deep. Lake Aleknagik, or First Lake as it is known by locals, is the shallowest of the lakes at 342 feet deep.
Come visit us and enjoy the beauty and splendor of Wood-Tikchik State Park. Camp and picnic on extensive lake shore beaches, hike a vast and picturesque hillside or fish a scenic clear water stream; the possibilities are endless. You can create your own adventure in southwest Alaska!
P.O. Box 1822
Dillingham, Alaska 99576