Photo: Paxson Woelber, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Katmai is bear country first and everything else second. Each summer brown bears line up at Brooks Falls to catch leaping salmon, and you can watch from a raised platform a few yards away. Behind them lies a volcanic wilderness, including the ash-filled Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes left by the huge 1912 eruption. There are no roads in: almost everyone arrives by floatplane, often for a single long day. Plan for weather delays, follow the bear rules, and it will be one of the most memorable days of your life.
TRAILS
1 OF 5
Brooks Falls Platform
Difficulty
Easy
Length
2.4 mi
Elevation gain
Minimal
Brooks Camp — The famous view: brown bears standing in a low waterfall, snapping salmon out of the air. A flat, wheelchair-friendly path runs about 1.2 miles each way through the forest to raised boardwalks and the falls platform. In peak season there is often a wait, and rangers may limit your time on the platform. Arrive early in the day, and expect to stop when a bear is on the trail.
⚠︎ Bear orientation required on arrival. Stay at least 50 yards from bears and yield the trail to them.
Photo: Christoph Strässler from Oberdorf BL, Schweiz, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
2 OF 5
Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and Ukak Falls
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
3.4 mi (Ukak Falls)
Elevation gain
1,000 ft
End of the road from Brooks Camp — A 23-mile gravel road, the only one in the park, leads from Brooks Camp to an overlook above a valley buried in ash from the 1912 eruption of Novarupta. A bus tour runs out daily in summer. From the overlook, a trail drops about 1,000 feet to the valley floor and Ukak Falls, where the river cuts a narrow canyon through soft volcanic rock. Save energy for the climb back up, and bring wind layers; the valley is exposed and often gusty.
⚠︎ Book the bus tour ahead with the concessioner. Weather can be harsh and changes fast.
Photo: Paxson Woelber, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
3 OF 5
Dumpling Mountain
Difficulty
Moderate
Length
3 mi (overlook)
Elevation gain
800 ft
Brooks Camp — A steady climb from the campground to an overlook above Brooks Camp, with Naknek Lake, Lake Brooks and the winding Brooks River laid out below. It is a good break from the crowds on the platforms. Strong hikers can keep going another 2.5 miles each way across open tundra to the 2,440-foot summit. Bears use this trail too, so talk or clap on blind corners.
⚠︎ Bears travel this trail. Hike in a group and carry bear spray.
Photo: Katmai National Park and Preserve, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
4 OF 5
Coastal Bear Viewing at Hallo Bay
Difficulty
Easy
Length
Varies
Elevation gain
None
Katmai coast — On the wild Katmai coast, bears graze sedge meadows and dig clams on the tide flats, and guided groups walk out to watch them at a respectful distance. Hallo Bay and Geographic Harbor are two of the best-known spots. Floatplane and wheel-plane day trips fly in from Homer and Kodiak. Wear rubber boots; the meadows and flats are wet.
⚠︎ Go with an authorized guide. Flights are weather dependent, so keep a spare day in your plans.
Photo: Katmai National Park and Preserve, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
5 OF 5
Savonoski Loop
Difficulty
Strenuous
Length
About 80 mi
Elevation gain
None
Brooks Camp · Naknek Lake and Savonoski River — A classic wilderness paddle that starts and ends at Brooks Camp, linking two huge lakes with a fast, braided glacial river. Allow four to ten days depending on weather and skill. You will see more bears than people, and you camp on wild shorelines every night. Strong winds can kick up big waves on the lakes, so build in days to wait them out.
⚠︎ For experienced paddlers only. Cold water, wind and bears; store food in bear-resistant containers.
Photo: Katmai National Park and Preserve, public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Plan your Katmai trip
The Nova Bound app builds the whole trip around these trails: where to stay, where to charge, and what to see each day. Coming soon to the App Store.
Distances are round trip unless noted, from NPS.gov and rounded. Trails, permits and road openings change; always check nps.gov before you go. Trail write-ups by Nova Bound.