Katmai
Brown bears fishing for salmon at Brooks Falls and a valley buried by a 1912 eruption
- Hours
- Open all year; Brooks Camp Jun to Sep
- Entry
- Free entry
- Reservations
- Required in season
- Size
- 4,093,077 acres
Katmai Weather Now
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Katmai protects more than four million acres of volcanoes, lakes and salmon streams on the Alaska Peninsula. It was set aside as a national monument in 1918 to protect the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, created when Novarupta erupted in 1912 and buried the valley in ash up to hundreds of feet deep. It became a national park and preserve in 1980. Today it is best known for one of the largest protected brown bear populations in the world, estimated at around 2,200 bears.
Most visitors fly into Brooks Camp, where bears gather to catch sockeye salmon jumping the six-foot Brooks Falls. Everyone starts with a short bear safety talk, then walks a trail and boardwalk to the viewing platforms. Millions more watch from home on the explore.org bearcams and vote in Fat Bear Week each fall. October is off-season: Brooks Camp facilities are closed, though bears remain in the area until they den.
The park and surrounding area
- Park boundary
- Other parks
- Major highway
- Road
- Rivers and lakes
- Town
Plan your trip
- Best time to go
- July brings the most bears at Brooks Falls, and September offers fat bears, fall color and smaller crowds before services close.
- How long to stay
- A day trip is possible, but one to three nights gives you much better bear viewing.
- Getting there
- Fly from Anchorage (ANC) to King Salmon (AKN) in about an hour, then take a 20-minute floatplane to Brooks Camp; direct floatplane trips also leave from Anchorage, Homer, Kenai and Kodiak.
- Wildlife
- Brown bears are the stars, along with sockeye salmon, bald eagles, moose, red foxes, wolves and harbor seals on the coast.
Plan and book
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Where to stay
Tours and activities
- Guided tours on Viator (opens in a new tab)Day trips, wildlife, photography
- Tours on GetYourGuide (opens in a new tab)Compare options and reviews
- Campsites on Recreation.gov (opens in a new tab)Official federal booking site
What to pack for Katmai
- Rain jacket and rain pantsRain and wind are common on the Alaska Peninsula, even in July.
- Waterproof hiking bootsTrails and beaches at Brooks Camp are often wet and muddy.
- BinocularsBears are often far out on the river or lake shore.
- Telephoto zoom lensBear rules keep you at a distance, so a long lens makes the best photos.
- Bear-resistant food containerRequired for safe backcountry camping in bear country.
A first day, start to finish
- Floatplane to Brooks Camp
- Bear safety orientation
- Lower river and bridge platform
- Brooks Falls platform
- Dumpling Mountain overlook hike
Don't miss
- Brooks FallsElevated platforms about 1.2 miles from the Brooks Camp Visitor Center look down on brown bears catching leaping sockeye salmon, best in July and September.
- Valley of Ten Thousand SmokesA daily bus tour from Brooks Lodge drives 23 miles to the Three Forks Overlook above a valley filled with ash from the 1912 Novarupta eruption, the largest of the 20th century.
- Dumpling MountainA trail climbs from the Brooks Camp campground about 1.5 miles to an overlook of Naknek Lake and Brooks River, or about 4 miles to the summit.
- Naknek Lake and Brooks RiverWatch bears swim and fish along the lower river from the elevated bridge and boardwalk near the river mouth.
- Katmai bearcams and Fat Bear WeekLive explore.org webcams stream the Brooks River bears in season, and the 2026 Fat Bear Week vote ran September 22 to 29.
Know before you go
Do
- Book flights, campground or lodge as early as possible, since July at Brooks Camp sells out months ahead.
- Stay at least 50 yards from bears, or 100 yards from a sow with cubs, and give bears the right of way on trails.
- Pack full rain gear and warm layers, because weather often delays floatplanes.
Don't
- Carry or eat food anywhere outside the designated food areas at Brooks Camp.
- Plan a tight connection, since flights in and out of Katmai are often weathered in.
- Expect bears at Brooks Falls in August, when most move to other streams for the spawning salmon.
Katmai is open 24 hours a day, year-round, but full services at Brooks Camp run only June 1 to September 17, with very limited services through September 30. In 2026 the Robert F. Griggs Visitor Center closed September 18 and the Brooks Camp Visitor Center closed October 1, both reopening in June 2027. The King Salmon Visitor Center keeps seasonal hours and is closed October 12, November 26 and December 25, 2026.
Plan for at least one night near Brooks Camp so you can watch the falls early in the morning or in the long evening light after the day-trip floatplanes leave.Trekker's tip