Nancy Lake State Recreation Area

Nancy Lake State Recreation Area is different from most Alaskan park areas. It is one of the few flat, lake-studded landscapes in Alaska preserved for recreation purposes. The recreation area's clear waters are ringed with unspoiled forests, and provide tranquil settings for canoeing, fishing, hiking and camping. In winter, the rolling topography is ideal for cross-country skiing, dog mushing and snowmachining. Nancy Lake State Recreation Area is a ninety-minute drive north of Anchorage along the Parks Highway. To enter the recreation area, turn west onto Nancy Lake Parkway at Mile 67.3 of the Parks Highway. From there, the Nancy Lake Parkway travels 6.5 miles southwest to South Rolly Lake Campground; in winter the parkway is not plowed beyond the Winter Trailhead at mile 2.2. The community of Willow lies two miles north of this junction, and has a full range of services for the traveler.

The broad Susitna river Valley, including what is now the recreation area, was scoured by massive glaciers, which once covered it. When the ice retreated some 9,000 years ago, it left a rolling landscape of elongated glacial deposits, called drumlins, dotted with hundreds of lakes and ponds. State archaeologists believe that people lived in the region soon after the glaciers receded. It is believed that this region was heavily used by the Tanaina Indians, and possibly Pacific Eskimos and earlier man before that. Two prehistoric village sites have been identified just outside the recreation area. The inhabitants of these villages lived from subsistence fishing, hunting and trapping. The Alaska Railroad was built along the east side of the lower Susitna Valley in 1917. Fires caused by sparks from passing trains occasionally burned in this area. The nearby towns of Wasilla, Houston and Willow grew as more homesteaders settled on the lands opened up by rail access. Through the years, most of the Nancy Lake area has remained wild and natural. The area is too wet for ideal cultivation and is not mineral-rich, so it has escaped large-scale settlement by humans. Today, those assets make it a prime place for recreation and enjoyment of nature.

The weather in the park is tempered by the relatively warm ocean waters to the south and the Alaska Range to the north, which protects it from the very cold temperatures common to interior Alaska. Summer temperatures rise into the 70s, with occasional highs in the 80s. Nighttime readings, even in July, may dip into the 40s. Winter temperatures may fall to 40 degrees below zero, and seldom rise above freezing until mid-March. The first snow usually arrives by late October, about the same time the lakes freeze over. Snow depth in late winter averages three to four feet. Lakes are usually free of ice by late May.

There are several rustic cabins that are available for rent on a nightly basis throughout the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area. Cabins are located on Red Shirt, Lynx, Nancy, James and Bald lakes. The cabins are insulated and equipped with wooden bunks, counters and wood-burning stoves. Each cabin has an outhouse and an outdoor fire ring. Occupants need to bring all personal items, including drinking water, and leave the site neat and clean when they leave. It is best to bring firewood, as finding firewood my be difficult. Only wood that is down and dead may be gathered. Use of the cabins is by reservation only.

For more information on Alaska State Parks we suggest you visit the Alaska State Parks web site.

More Alaska Parks
Big Delta State Historical Park, Caines Head State Recreation Area, Chena River State Recreation Area, Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, Chugach State Park, Denali National Park, Denali State Park, Fort Abercrombie State Historical Park, Gates Of The Arctic National Park, Glacier Bay National Park, Independence Mine State Historical Park, Kachemak Bay State Park, Katmai National Park, Kenai Fjords National Park, Kenai River Special Management Area, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Kobuk Valley National Park, Lake Clark National Park, Nancy Lake State Recreation Area, Shuyak Island State Park, Totem Bight State Historical Park, Wood-Tikchik State Park, Wrangell - St Elias National Park, Yukon - Charley Rivers National Preserve

Source: Alaska State Parks.

[graphic version Nancy Lake State Recreation Area]