Park Details
Maps!
Trails Illustrated Map 2 - Katmai National Park and Preserve
Go to Park Details
Park Details
Location Information
Address:
Katmai National Park and Preserve
P.O. Box 7
King Salmon, Alaska 99613
Telephone:
King Salmon Office: (907) 246-3305
Coastal Unit Office: (907) 486-6730
Location:
About 290 miles southwest of Anchorage on the Alaska
Peninsula, just west of King Salmon. Kodiak Island lies
just off the Katmai Coast to the east.
Transportation:
Katmai is 290 miles southwest of Anchorage. There is no
road access to the park. Daily commercial flights operate
between Anchorage and King Salmon. Charter air taxis and
boat tours are available from King Salmon, Anchorage,
Homer, and Kodiak. Scheduled float plane and boat service into Brooks Camp is
available from King Salmon. Many
area lodges provide their own transportation to the park.
Roads:
There is no road access to Katmai National Park except
from King Salmon. The dirt road from King Salmon goes to
Lake Camp at the edge of the park. Lake Camp provides
access to boats for Naknek Lake and Brooks Camp.
The only other road in Katmai is the road from Brooks Camp to the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. It is a 23 mile dirt road that makes 3 river crossings before reaching Three Forks cabin, offering a view of the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. Visitors can take advantage of the daily bus tour offered by the concession from Brooks Camp.
Operating Hours/Seasons
The park is open year round. NPS and concessioner services are offered at Brooks Camp from early June to mid-September.
Reservations/Permits/Fees
Entrance Fee:
There is no entrance fee for Katmai National Park and
Preserve.
Permits:
New for 1997 will be Brooks Camp
Use Permits that will be required for all users of Brooks
Camp. The permit fees are $10/visit (note the change as
of January 15, 1997, visitors will not be charged by the
day) for all visitors 13 years old and older.
There is a new camping fee for Brooks Campground. Camping permits are $10/night for a permit. Permits are limited to 6 people. Groups larger than six can get more than one permit. Reservations are required and can be made at 1(800)365-2267. Fee period is from June 1 through September 17.
Backcountry permits are not required but are available. They are helpful in providing the park with information on visitor use as well as being helpful in case of emergencies. Backcountry permits are available in King Salmon and at Brooks Camp. Bear resistant canisters are also available at both locations.
Reservations:
Reservations are required and can be made at 1(800)365-2267.
Reservations are taken for Brooks
Campground and Brooks Camp Use Permits. Use permits are
required for all visitors that come to Brooks Camp.
Climate, Recommended Clothing
Summer:
Temperatures are usually about 60F. Cool, overcast
days, with strong winds are common. Be prepared for cold
rainy weather as well as some warm, sunny days.
Spring/fall:
Temperatures are cool, with cold nights.
Winters:
Cold with about 6 hours of sunlight.
Facilities and Opportunities
Lodging and Camping Facilities:
A concessioner, Katmailand, provides accommodations and
food service at Grosvenor Lake and at Brooks Camp from
about June 1 to mid-September. Reservations are
necessary.
The Brooks Camp Campground is located at the Brooks River area. Space is limited to 60 people and reservations are required. Reservations can be made at 1(800)365-2267. Camping fees are $10/night for a permit. Permits are limited to 6 people. Groups larger than six can get more than one permit. Maximum stays are limited to 7 days in July and 7 days in September.
Visitor Center, Exhibits:
King Salmon Visitor Center is located next to the airport
terminal in King Salmon. It is operated by the US Fish
and Wildlife Service, with a partnership with the
National Park Service, Bristol Bay Borough, and Lake and
Pen Borough. The visitor center has exhibits of the local
area as well as interpreters that will provide
information on the entire Katmai region. Bear resistant
canisters are available at the King Salmon Visitor Center
for those planning to use the backcountry.
Brooks Camp Visitor Center is open early June to mid-September. All visitors attend the Brooks Camp Bear Etiquette School to learn how to behave around bears. This includes watching the Brooks Bear Orientation video. Books, cards, and posters are sold at the Visitor Center. Bear resistant canisters are available at the Brooks Camp Visitor Center for those planning to use the backcountry.
Trails:
Katmai has nearly 4 million acres of wilderness, yet only
two identified hiking trails.
Dumpling Mountain trail starts at Brooks Camp and climbs 1 1/2 miles to the overlook, then continues another 2 1/2 miles to the summit.
The Ukak Falls trail begins at Three Forks cabin at the end of the Valley Road. It climbs 700 feet down to Ukak Falls at the edge of the Valley of 10,000 Smokes.
Katmai offers unlimited backcountry opportunities for those that are experienced and come prepared.
Lodging and Camping Facilities:
A concessioner, Katmailand, provides accommodations and
food service at Grosvenor Lake and at Brooks Camp from
about June 1 to mid-September. Reservations are
necessary.
The Brooks Camp Campground is located at the Brooks River area. Space is limited to 60 people and reservations are required. Reservations can be made at 1(800)365-2267. Camping fees are $10/night for a permit. Permits are limited to 6 people. Groups larger than six can get more than one permit. Maximum stays are limited to 7 days in July and 7 days in September.
Food, Supplies:
Meals are served at Brooks Lodge and are available for
all visitors to Brooks Camp.
Brooks Lodge Trading Post sells white gas, fishing gear, some snack foods, souvenirs, and other limited supplies.
Other Concession, NPS-Managed Visitor Facilities and
Opportunities:
Brooks Lodge offers a daily bus
tour to the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. The trip starts at
Brooks Camp and includes a day hike to Ukak Falls.
Reservations are recommended and available from
Katmailand.
Accessibility:
Brooks Camp facilities are handicapped accessible as well
as the bear viewing platform on the lower river. We
caution those of limited mobility that a large number of
bears remain in the vicinity of Brooks Camp. Very close
encounters are common and require visitors to move
briskly.
The Brooks Falls Trail and Platform are not handicapped accessible. At times in July, the Falls Trail may not be appropriate for those visitors that can not move quickly off the trail, into the woods.
Recommended Activities/Park Use
Bears Anyone???
The focus of visitor use is at the Brooks River, where
brown bear congregate to feed on sockeye salmon as they
pass upstream, although increasing visitor use is
occurring along the outer coast and elsewhere in the park
interior. Two bear viewing platforms are located along
the Brooks River.
Bear viewing at Brooks Camp is best in July and September. There are few bears in August, though they still are seen occasionally. July and September are crowded, expect waits and time limits when going to the Brooks Falls Platform in July. Weather and bears are always a factor at Katmai, so plan extra time to work around delays.
Sportsfishing:
The park also offers world-class
sportfishing for salmon and trout. The
Katmai coast attracts visitors for
sportfishing, coastal tours, and bear viewing. Access to
the coast is mainly available by boat tours and charter
air taxis from Kodiak, Homer, and Anchorage.
Visitation
The park receives about 55,000 visitors annually. The majority of visitors come from early June through mid September.
Visitor Impacts:
People may not intentionally approach or remain within 50
yards of a bear or any large mammal, except when on one
of the two park viewing platforms.
Capsicum bear spray is not allowed on commercial airlines. Bear spray should not be taken within the cabins of air taxis. Let your pilot know if you are carrying bear spray so it can be placed in the floats of the plane.
Special Events Programs
Programs, Activities:
A variety of interpretive programs are available at
Brooks Camp throughout the summer. Evening slide programs
are presented nightly by interpretive rangers. Ranger led
cultural walks to an archeological site are
conducted each afternoon. Other walks and programs
may be offered during August.
Additional Information
The Katmai National Park also administers Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve and the Alagnak Wild River.
Back to Park Details List
Top of Page
National Parks Home