Katmai National Park & Preserve
Katmai National Park and Preserve is justly famous for volcanoes, brown bears, fish and rugged wilderness. The park also has some noteworthy historic features, since it is the site of the Brooks River National Historic Landmark, with North America's highest concentration of prehistoric human dwellings (about 900). If volcanic activity was what originally sparked the interest of the National Park Service, population of brown bears continues to be one of the area's most salient features and major attractions.
Map
Seasonality / Weather
The park and preserve are open year-round. At Brooks Camp, National Park Service and concessioner services are offered from June 1 through September 17. Prime bear viewing months at Brooks Camp are July and September, although a few bears may be in the area at any time between late May and December. Backcountry activities are best during June through September.
Directions
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 it cannot be reached by road. Brooks Camp, approximately 30 air miles from King Salmon, is a common destination for visitors to the Park. Brooks Camp can only be reached via small float plane or boat.
Boats can access the Katmai coast from villages and towns along the Pacific Ocean coastline. Brooks Camp and other locations along the Naknek River drainage can be reached by power boat from the villages of Naknek and King Salmon, located just west of park boundaries on the Naknek River.