The Crystal Creek Lodge Blog is a place of possibilities, where you can learn deeper insights into how to explore the tens of millions of acres of wild Alaska surrounding us. Whether you’re after fishing, wildlife, the perspective of history or simply feeling the awe of being in wide-open spaces, it’s all here. Enjoy the journey.
The Valley of 10,000 Smokes In the year 1912 on June 6th, the Katmai Eruption (also known as the Novarupta Volcano eruption) occurred. It sent nearly 30 cubic kilometers of ash and debris into the atmosphere. The Katmai eruption was the largest of the 20th century. This cataclysmic event created a barren and Martian-like landscape in…
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We need your help! At Crystal Creek Lodge, we are in the middle of a fantastic fishing season. We are seeing a terrific run of sockeye salmon throughout the region, which is the life blood of the Bristol Bay ecosystem and economy. For the past 30 years, our guests have enjoyed the world-class salmon resource in Bristol…
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Our Backyard Wilderness at Crystal Creek Lodge Crystal Creek Lodge, located on the Naknek River in King Salmon, Alaska, was chosen with great intention. Notably, the lodge is only 5 miles downriver from the world-renowned Katmai National Park. While Katmai is famous worldwide for its brown bears, fishing, and wilderness, we also have another significant…
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Miss Rosanna Trestman of Connecticut returned to Crystal Creek Lodge in search of a King Salmon to exceed her personal record of 42 inches, set in 2014, but, alas, she didn’t beat her record, yet she still caught some nice Kings and Sockeye Salmon. Here is Rosanna with her best King of the week, held…
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The bar at Crystal Creek Lodge has been rechristened as “The Beaver Bar”, a tribute to the hard-working DeHavilland Beaver aircraft that have served us and the north country since 1947. Have a sneak preview of the modifications at the album on our Facebook page, or, better yet, be our guest and enjoy a cold…
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As we are busy preparing the lodge for opening, a series of earthquakes has been shaking the Alaska Peninsula. We were woke last night to the lodge rolling and shaking to an earthquake of 6.7 magnitude, centered about 100 miles south of the lodge near the Yantarni Salmon Camp. The Peninsula is essentially a gigantic…
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The weather has been spectacular during the final week of our season. Realizing we had a rare opportunity at hand, we invited several guests to visit Aniakchak National Monument to witness the fall colors and light. A truly inspirational day. Check out our Fishing page and our Adventure page to learn more about opportunities to…
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On September 19 five Crystal Creek Lodge guests took a hike and enjoyed the incredible scenery of the Kanatak Trail in the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge. The Kanatak Trail rises 1000 ft into a pass within the Alaska Peninsula Mountains to connect the Gulf of Alaska and Bristol Bay. It has been used for thousands…
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A Crystal Creek Lodge Hat Trick is three fish in the net, and that’s about 20 lbs. of Rainbow Trout in the bag courtesy of (left to right) Dan Michels, Shannon Ward and Cole Marston. What a magnificent September day! Check out our Fishing page and our Adventure page to learn more about opportunities to…
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A Crystal Creek Lodge plane first landed at Aniakchak National Monument many years ago. Located 120 miles south of King Salmon on the west side of the Alaska Peninsula, Aniakchak is one of the most remote and infrequently visited National Monuments. The main feature of the Monument is a 6-mile wide caldera created 3,500 years…
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