Travel information
There are few services in the park and preserve. The closest grocery store is located outside of the park in King Salmon. The park does not have a post office within its boundaries, and the closest is also located in King Salmon.
At Brooks Camp, the park concessioner runs a lodge where meals can be purchased from June 1 through September 17. Limited sundry items can also be purchased from the lodge store. No other services are provided to general park visitors.
Katmai is a remote park that cannot be accessed by car.
History
Katmai National Monument was created in 1918 to preserve the famed Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, a spectacular forty square mile, 100 to 700 foot deep ash flow deposited by Novarupta Volcano. The park includes the Brooks River National Historic Landmark, a site that contains about 900 prehistoric human dwellings, the highest known concentration in North America.
Landscape
The park contains the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, a forty square mile pyroclastic ash flow left by the 1912 eruption of the Novarupta Volcano and is one of the reasons the park was established.
Flora and fauna
The park contains a huge number of Alaskan brown bears, which grow to enormous size after feeding on the summer salmon runs.
Climate
The weather across Katmai can vary considerably during the course of a single day from heavy rain, to cold winds, to warm sun, and back to heavy rain. Summer temperatures range from upper 30s to low 80s and almost constant winds. Visitors to the park should be prepared for all types of weather.
Summers in Katmai are cool with frequent high winds and rain. Please note that following heavy rainstorms, most rivers in Katmai rise quickly and become extremely hazardous to cross. Insects can be intense and headnets are recommended.
Winter in Katmai means cold, quiet, and beauty. Temperatures can range from -40F to 40F with snow or rain possible throughout the season. Generally all bodies of water are frozen with snow covering the high elevations until spring.
Photos from Katmai National Park, AK, US
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Bear viewing - Katmai is one of the premier brown bear viewing areas in the world. The most recent bear survey documented over 2000 brown bears in the park and preserve. Brooks Camp is the most visited area of the park where brown bear congregate to feed on sockeye salmon at the Brooks Falls or the Brooks River. Viewing platforms have been set up to accommodate visitor numbers without affecting bear behavior.
Outside of Brooks Camp, other areas along the coast and in the preserve also host bear viewing activities. On the coast, Hallo Bay and Geographic Harbor are two popular areas. In the preserve, Moraine Creek and Funnel Creek also attract bear viewers. Bears frequent specific areas at different times, primarily related to food availability.
Sport-fishing - Before Katmai was known for bear viewing activities, most visitors came to the park for its world-renown sport-fishing opportunities. Trophy rainbow trout are found in many lakes and streams as well as grayling and dolly varden. Strong seasonal runs of salmon are also found in particular areas of the park, including both sockeye (red) and coho (silver) salmon.
The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes Tour - During the operating season, daily tours are offered to this volcanic valley. Each day from June 1st to September 17th, you can take the bus tour from Brooks Camp out the 23 mile (36 km) park road to explore a tiny piece of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes with a Park Service Interpreter. The road to the valley travels through the boreal forest, crossing three streams, and into the alpine tundra before arriving at Griggs Visitor Center. After a brief break for lunch, there is time for an optional trip down to the valley floor to see the ash layer close up. The trail is three miles long and drops 800 vertical feet. However, keep in mind that once down on the valley floor to save enough energy for the arduous climb back to the top. Be sure to bring water, rain gear, warm clothing, and sturdy hiking boots for the trip. A fee is charged for the bus tour and reservations can be made from Katmailand, the park concessioner.
Photos from Katmai National Park, AK, US
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Katmai is 290 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska. There are daily commercial flights from Anchorage to King Salmon. Commercial air taxis fly daily, weather permitting, from King Salmon, Anchorage and Homer to Brooks Camp. Many individual lodges have their own transportation.
Photos from Katmai National Park, AK, US
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