Katmai National Park & Preserve
Location and Characteristics
Katmai National Park is located approximately 260 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska, and is a true wilderness destination. It is notable for its volcanoes, lakes, Brooks River, the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and for its brown bears. The park and preserve encompass 4,093,077 acres (6,395 sq miles).
The park is named after Mount Katmai, its centerpiece stratovolcano. The park is located on the Alaska Peninsula, across from Kodiak Island, with headquarters in nearby King Salmon.
| Katmai National Park PO Box 7 1000 Silver Street Building 603, King Salmon, AK 99613 Phone 907.246.3305 Website of Katmai National Park at NPS |
The area was first designated a national monument in 1918 to protect the area around the major 1912 volcanic eruption of Novarupta, which formed the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, a 40-square-mile, 100-to-700-foot-deep pyroclastic flow. The park includes as many as 18 individual volcanoes, seven of which have been active since 1900.
Let's Visit the Park!
Katmai is open year-round for visitors to enjoy. However, it is a remote park that cannot be accessed by automobile. There are few services in the park and preserve. The closest grocery store and post office are located outside of the park in King Salmon. Plan ahead and bring what you need to enjoy your visit.
The park and preserve offer unique opportunities to explore vast wilderness and immense volcanoes, watch brown bears, fish for salmon and trout, and many other activities.
Bears aren’t the only ones fishing in the park! Katmai is also home to the Alagnak Wild River and Naknek Lake, the largest lake in the park, supports all five species of Pacific salmon as well as rainbow trout, Arctic char, Arctic grayling and northern pike, making the park a famed destination for sport anglers.
Unconnected to any town by road, a trip to Katmai requires detailed planning and advance reservations for extended visits. Bear viewing tour packages to the park, even one-day tours, can be arranged from Kodiak, Homer and Anchorage.
Spend a day, or more, and enjoy and explore Katmai National Park and Preserve!
| Map showing the location of Katmai National Park relative to other Alaska cities, parks and preserves |
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| Katmai Caldera looking towards Mount Griggs in the distance (NPS) |
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| The rugged beauty of Mount Katmai (NPS) |
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| Mirror Lake in Katmai National Park and Preserve (NPS) |
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What you will see in the Park: Overviews, Vistas and Lakes
| Lake Kaguyak Crater (NPS) |
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Visitor Centers
King Salmon Visitor Center
Located next door to the King Salmon Airport, the King Salmon Visitor Center provides information on the many federal public lands of Southwest Alaska, particularly those in the Bristol Bay area. A large collection of films is available for viewing and an Alaska Geographic bookstore sells maps, charts, videos, posters, clothing and more.
Mt Griggs Visitor Center
 A common sight in in Katmai National Park - float planes and brown bears! |
The Robert F. Griggs Visitor Center overlooks the famous Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and is the starting point of the Ukak Falls Trail. The posted hours are estimated because the visitor center is only open during ranger-led Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes tours.
Brooks Camp Visitor Center
The Brooks Camp Visitor Center, open June 1 to late September, is the point of entry for all visitors to Brooks Camp. A park ranger is on duty to provide information, campground check-in, mandatory bear etiquette and safety talks, and backcountry planning. An Alaska Geographic Association (AGA) bookstore offers books, maps, and other Katmai-related items.
Brooks Camp and Brooks Falls
Situated at the mouth of the Brooks River and the shore of Naknek Lake, Brooks Camp attracts people from all over the world to view brown bears, enjoy world-class fishing, and learn about the long human history of the area. It is also a starting point for many backcountry adventures.
Daily bus tours from Brooks Camp provide easy access to the geologic splendor of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, site of the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. Hiking opportunities also exist.
Most people arrive at Brooks Camp via small, float-equipped aircraft. The weather can be severe, and changes often ... visitors should expect to encounter windy, rainy, and cold conditions.
| Aerial view of Brooks Camp at Katmai National Park (NPS) |
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Close the Gate!
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One of the bear viewing plaforms at Katmai |
| Brown bears hunting for Sockeye Salmon at the top of Brooks Falls (NPS) Katmai Bear Cams at Explore.org |
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Brown bears at Brooks Falls |
Things to do in and around Katmai... from TripAdvisor
| The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (NPS) |
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Map of the ParkShown below is a map of Katmai National Park, courtesy of the National Park Service. click the image to view the map at NPS
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What Weather to Expect in Katmai
Located between the stormy north Pacific Ocean and the even stormier Bering Sea, the Katmai region is often a meeting place for conflicting weather systems. Visitors need to be prepared to encounter all types of weather.
On average, wet and cool conditions predominate in spring, summer, and fall. Summer temperatures range from 30? to 80? Fahrenheit.
Winters are drier and colder. Winter temperatures are even more variable than summer and can range anywhere from -35?F to 50?F (-37? to 10? Celsius). Most ponds and lakes are frozen by mid to late fall and snow covers the higher elevations of the park until late May and early June.
The Pacific coast of Katmai experiences cooler, wetter, and stormier conditions than the interior of the park. Strong winds are common all year.
Various types of lodging is available in the area ... seen here is the Katmai Wilderness Lodge  Where to Stay: Katmai area hotels and lodging - Reviews and Photos at TripAdvisor |
Popular Alaska National Parks |
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More Information about Katmai
Website of Katmai National Park at NPS
TravelAlaska: Katmai National Park
Katmai Bear Cams at Explore.org
Katmai National Park Travel Guide ... TripAdvisor reviews, photos