Things to do in Katmai National Park and Preserve
A remote Alaska Peninsula park of brown bears, salmon streams, volcanoes, ash-filled valleys, tundra, lakes, and rugged coast.
Best months: June, July, August, September
What is worth your time in Katmai National Park and Preserve
Brooks Camp Visitor CenterDo not miss
This is the mandatory-feeling first stop for bear safety, current conditions, permits, and Brooks Camp orientation.
Ranger Program · 1.1 hr4.8
Brooks FallsDo not miss
The platform view of brown bears fishing for salmon is one of the most iconic wildlife experiences in the National Park System.
Wildlife · 3 hr
Brooks RiverDo not miss
The river corridor gives multiple safe viewpoints for bears, salmon, and the landscape that concentrates them.
Wildlife · 2.3 hr
Brooks Camp Campground
Camping at Brooks Camp puts visitors near bear-viewing platforms with strict food and electric-fence protocols.
Other · 9 hr4.7
Brooks Camp Cultural Site
Archeology and interpretation around Brooks Camp connect the bear landscape to thousands of years of human use.
Ranger Program · 1.1 hr4.7
Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes
The ash-filled valley reveals the scale of the 1912 Novarupta eruption and Katmai volcanic history.
Other · 7.5 hr4.7
King Salmon Visitor Center
The mainland visitor center provides indoor exhibits, trip planning, and safety information before park flights.
Ranger Program · 45 min4.5
Novarupta
The volcanic dome area is a remote objective for strong parties exploring the eruption landscape.
Hike · 9.5 hr3.7
Dumpling Mountain Trail
The climb above Brooks Camp gives broad Naknek Lake views and a break from platform crowds.
Hike · 4 hr
Hallo Bay
Hallo Bay is a famed coastal bear-viewing area for guided fly-out trips.
Wildlife · 7.5 hr
Katmai Backcountry Camping
Wilderness camping outside Brooks restrictions offers vast solitude for expert, bear-aware travelers.
Hike · 10 hr
Katmai Coast Bear Viewing
Fly-out trips to the coast can offer extraordinary bear viewing in sedge meadows and tidal flats.
Wildlife · 7.5 hr
Katmai Flightseeing
Flightseeing reveals the immense scale of volcanoes, lakes, coast, and wilderness that ground trips barely touch.
Viewpoint · 2.8 hr
Katmai Night Sky
Clear late-summer nights can bring dark skies and occasional aurora over Naknek Lake.
Stargazing · 1.4 hr
And 1 more, which the planner picks between based on your dates, pace and what you are into.
Worth knowing
- Katmai is famous for Brooks Falls bear viewing, the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, brown bears catching salmon, volcanic landscapes, and remote wilderness camping.