Katmai National Park & Preserve

About Katmai

A landscape is alive underneath our feet, filled with creatures that remind us what it is to be wild. Katmai was established in 1918 to protect the volcanically devastated region surrounding Novarupta and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Today, Katmai National Park and Preserve also protects 9,000 years of human history and important habitat for salmon and thousands of brown bears.

Hours

Getting there

Katmai National Park & Preserve is located on the northern Alaska Peninsula, northwest of Kodiak Island and southwest of Homer, Alaska. The park’s headquarters is in King Salmon, about 290 air miles southwest of Anchorage. Unlike most national parks in the United States, Katmai is almost exclusively accessed by plane or boat.

Weather

Located between the stormy north Pacific Ocean and the even stormier Bering Sea, the Katmai region is often a battleground between weather systems. When you visit, be prepared to encounter all types of weather. On average, wet and cool conditions predominate in spring, summer, and fall. Winters are drier and colder.

Things to do

Backcountry Camping, Backcountry Hiking, Boating, Bookstore and Park Store, Camping, Canoe or Kayak Camping, Dining, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Flying, Food, Gift Shop and Souvenirs, Guided Tours, Hiking, Hunting, Hunting and Gathering, Junior Ranger Program, Paddling, Park Film, Picnicking, Shopping, Wildlife Watching.