Salmon jumping at Brooks Falls. Photo: NPS/David Jacob
- Entrance
- Free
- Nonresident fee
- None
- Park annual pass
- Not sold
- Payment
- Not listed
Work out the cost for your group
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.
Things to do
-
Boating in Katmai National Park and Preserve
Katmai contains hundreds of miles of rivers and streams, many large lakes, and countless small ponds.
-
Explore Katmai by Air
Katmai National Park and Preserve spans over four million acres of remote, wild, and spectacular country and there's no better way to see it than from the window of a small airplane.
-
Hike to Dumpling Overlook
Dumpling Overlook offers expansive panoramic views of Naknek Lake, Brooks River, and Lake Brooks.
-
Take a Guided Tour to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes
Join a ranger-guided tour to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.
-
Watch Bears at Brooks Camp
Brooks Camp is renowned for its remarkable bear viewing opportunities.
-
Watch the Katmai Bearcam
Follow the brown bears of Brooks River from anywhere with an internet connection with our live bearcam.
Photos
Bear catching jumping salmon Photo: NPS/David Jacob 
Bear family walks near sleeping bear Photo: NPS/Bryanna Plog 
Mount Katmai caldera Photo: NPS/Roy Wood 
sedge meadows and volcanoes at Hallo Photo: NPS/Michael Fitz
Entrance fees
This park has no entrance fee.
Reservations
NPS lists no entry reservation for this park as of October 26, 2026. Campgrounds and tours may still need booking.
Weather and seasons
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.
Hours
Katmai is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
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.
Campgrounds
Webcams
- Riffles BearCam (live video)
- Brooks Falls Low (live video)
- Dumpling Mountain Cam (live video)
- Naknek River Cam (live video)
- Brooks Falls Bearcam (live video)
- River Watch Cam (live video)
Visitor centers
Alerts
No alerts as of October 26, 2026.
