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King Salmon, Alaska
Katmai is famous for volcanoes, brown bears, fish, and rugged wilderness and is also the site of the Brooks River National Historic Landmark with North America's highest concentration of prehistoric human dwellings (about 900). Katmai National Monument was created to preserve the famed Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, a spectacular forty square mile, and 100 to 700 foot deep, pyroclastic ash flow deposited by Novarupta Volcano. There are at least fourteen volcanoes in Katmai considered "active", none of which are currently erupting.
Brown bear and salmon are very active in Katmai. The number of brown bears has grown to more than 2,000. During the peak of the world's largest sockeye salmon run each July, and during return of the "spawned out" salmon in September, forty to sixty bears congregate in Brooks Camp along the Brooks River and the Naknek Lake and Brooks Lake shorelines. Brown bears along the 480-mile Katmai Coast also enjoy clams, crabs, and an occasional whale carcass. In summer North America's largest land predators gather along streams to feast on salmon runs, building weight from this wealth of protein and fat, preparing for the long winter ahead. Alaska's brown bears and grizzlies are now considered one species. People commonly consider grizzlies to be those that live 100 miles and more inland. Browns are bigger than grizzlies thanks to their rich diet of fish. Kodiak brown bears are a different subspecies that is geographically isolated on Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Mature male bears in Katmai may weigh up to 900 pounds. Mating occurs from May to mid-July, with the cubs born in dens in mid-winter. Up to four cubs may be born, at a mere pound each. Cubs stay with the mother for two years, during which time she does not reproduce. The interval between litters is usually at least three years. Brown bears dig a new den each year, entering it in November and emerging in April. About half of their lifetimes are spent in their dens. Because each bear is an individual, no one can predict exactly how a given bear will act in a given situation. These awe-inspiring bears symbolize the wildness of Katmai today.
Katmai was declared a national monument in 1918 to preserve the living laboratory of its cataclysmic 1912 volcanic eruption, particularly the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. The intervening years have seen most of the surface geothermal features cool. But the protection of brown bears has become an equally compelling charge for Katmai. To protect this magnificent animal and its varied habitat, the boundaries were extended over the years, and in 1980 the area was designated a national park and preserve.
Accessibility
Most of the public buildings in Brooks Camp, including the restroom facilities, are accessible, via ramps; however for those with limited mobility, the narrow dirt paths in Brooks Camp are rough and can become very muddy and slippery during the frequent rainy days. All bear viewing platforms, which are between 1/4 mile and two miles from the Visitor Center across a floating bridge, are accessible, but we caution those with physical difficulties that unintended very close encounters with brown bears are possible and may require visitors to move quickly. The trails to the Brooks Falls and Riffles platforms are accessible, however there is a strong possibility visitors will need to leave the trail and enter the woods to allow bears to pass, especially during high bear densities. Three bear viewing platforms are located along the Brooks River. The park also offers world-class sport fishing. The Katmai coast also attracts visitors for sport fishing as well as coastal tours and bear viewing. Access to the coast is available by boat tours and charter air taxis from Kodiak, Homer, and Anchorage, or from many of Katmai's commercial operators and lodges.
Operating Hours & Seasons
The park is open year-round. National Park Service and concessionaire services are offered at Brooks Camp from June 1 through September 17. Backcountry activities are also best during this time. Prime bear viewing months at Brooks Camp are July and September; contact us at inquiry@touralaska.com for details.
Getting There
Katmai National Park & Preserve is located on the Alaska Peninsula, across the Shelikof Strait from Kodiak Island. Park Headquarters is in King Salmon, about 290 air miles southwest of Anchorage. Several commercial airlines provide daily flights into King Salmon, as there is no road access. Brooks Camp, along the Brooks River approximately 30 air miles from King Salmon.
July and September are crowded with both bears and people. Delays in getting to and from the bear viewing platforms are common and can occur at any time, although such delays offer opportunities for viewing other wildlife and the spectacular scenery all-around Brooks Camp.
Katmai is bear habitat, and they always have the right-of-way. Weather and bears are always a factor at Katmai, so plan extra time to work around delays. There are occasions, especially in July, when visitors are unable to get to the Falls Platform due to time constraints and flight schedules.
Extenuating circumstances may necessitate closure of any portion of Brooks Camp, including trails and bear viewing platforms for safety reasons without advance notice
Return to Alaska National Parks Index
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