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Trip Guide to Katmai National Park
Hey There! I’m Steven, and we moved to the small Alaskan town of King Salmon in 2017 to pursue our dream of fishing and living in Alaska. Together with my wife Tiara, we spend our summers helping guests experience some of the most amazing experiences in Alaska.
So you’re considering visiting Katmai National Park & Brooks Falls.
We understand that trying to gather all that information can feel overwhelming. We put together this complete guide on how to get there, where you can stay, and the approximate costs.
Here at Katmai Adventure Co, we started this journey for our clients. At our core, we have always wanted our guests to have a wonderful place to stay while on their Once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Our mission is to help your dreams of visiting Alaska come true.
Table of Contents
Overview
Getting to King Salmon
Lodging in King Salmon
Getting to Brooks Camp / Katmai National Park
When to visit Katmai National Park
Other things to do when visiting King Salmon
Suggested Itinerary
Overview
Southwest Alaska's Katmai National Park is a large wilderness that is recognized for its breathtaking scenery, diverse species, and unrivaled outdoor adventure options. The park, which spans over 4 million acres of rugged terrain, is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including brown bears, wolves, and moose, as well as various bird and fish species.
King Salmon, Alaska, is the gateway to Katmai National Park. King Salmon, which is only a few miles from the park's western boundary, is a well-liked starting point for travelers who want to explore the park's rough wilderness, go salmon fishing on the Naknek River, or see the renowned Brooks Falls brown bears.
However, perhaps the biggest draw of King Salmon is its proximity to some of the park's most iconic attractions. One of the main highlights of Katmai National Park is the Brooks River, home to one of the world's largest concentrations of brown bears. Each year, from late June to early September, these bears gather along the river's banks to feed on the abundant salmon that spawn in its waters. Visitors to the park can watch the bears fishing and playing in the river from a series of elevated viewing platforms, which offer a safe and unobtrusive way to observe these majestic animals in their natural habitat.
Getting to King Salmon
King Salmon, Alaska, is a small town on the Naknek River, just a few miles from the western border of Katmai National Park. The truth is there is only one option to get to the town of King Salmon & the Katmai Area: fly; King Salmon sits about 280 miles southwest of Anchorage. There are no roads or ferries that lead to King Salmon or Katmai National Park.
The town has a small airport, King Salmon Airport (AKN), which is served by Alaska Airlines. Alaska offers direct flights to King Salmon from Anchorage. Flights to King Salmon from Anchorage typically take around an hour.
Once you arrive in King Salmon, there are several options for getting around town and accessing the various attractions in the area. Taxis and rental cars are available, but only sometimes necessary, as most local lodges and hotels offer shuttle services to and from the airport. However, it's worth noting that many of the attractions in the area, such as Katmai National Park and parts of the Naknek River, are only accessible by boat or plane.
How to get to Brooks Falls
Katmai Expeditions (Part of Katmai Adventure Co)
Uses a 2023 30' Hewscraft Alaskan to comfortably transport you to Brooks Camp with a maximum group size of 6 guests. The trip is approximately 30-45 minutes.
One of the things that sets Katmai Expeditions apart is our flexibility in transferring our guests to float planes if we cannot use our vessel due to weather; unlike the other options, we are the first to offer you both modes of transportation. (Weather Cancellations, although rare, are refundable with Katmai Expeditions.)
Katmai Air offers daily flights from King Salmon to Brooks Camp throughout the summer season (June-September). Their flights are conducted in De Havilland Otters & Beaver floatplanes; the flight takes about 35-40 minutes.
Katmai Water Taxi is another option for getting to Brooks Falls. They offer daily water taxi service from King Salmon to Brooks Camp. The trip takes about 45-60 Minutes each way. The water taxi service is available from June to September.
You could also take Trygg or Branch River Air, but they do not offer a seat fare; it is by charter only.
Lodging in King Salmon
King Salmon is a small town with limited lodging options, but several hotels, lodges, and cabins are available to suit a range of budgets and preferences. Many of the accommodations in King Salmon are located near the airport or along the banks of the Naknek River, offering convenient access to the various attractions in the area.
We have limited lodging availability in King Salmon, and space fills up quickly during the fishing and bear viewing season. Please remember that you must decide how far in advance you will make reservations. The top-rated lodging typically books up to 18-24 months in advance.
Katmai B&B & Bear Trail Cabins Take reservations up to 3 years in advance (Both part of the Katmai Adventure Co family)
Some of the benefits of booking with Katmai Adventure Co and staying at our lodging include amenities such as
Trip planning services (If you need help planning your trip, we can help you do that at no additional cost)
Coffee bar and snacks Available all-day
Daily transportation into King Salmon & the Brooks Camp transportation service providers
In-house fishing guide service
Free unlimited Wi-Fi
Private Facebook group & telegram channel for 24/7 customer support
Antlers Inn is next to the only grocery store; they also run the Sockeye cabins across the street. (Rates approx. $350 per night + bed tax)
King Salmon Suites. (Rates not listed on their website + bed tax)
King Salmon Lodge is about 5 miles from King Salmon and is the most expensive lodging. (Rates approx. $390 per night for single occupancy, and it goes up from there)
There are also some Airbnbs, although they are unclear on what support they offer, if any.
The Best time to visit Brooks Camp
The best time to visit Brooks Camp for bear viewing is from late June through mid-September. This is when the bears are most active, feeding on the returning salmon. You could encounter bears at any time during your visit!
June - If you plan on visiting in June, you want to plan for sometime after June 8th if you are coming for fishing, As the part of the Naknek River that holds trout is closed until then.
If you are planning on June bear viewing, I recommend sometime after June 20th as the salmon will just be starting to arrive in the Naknek around the 15th of June, and the bears are following the Salmon, which will begin to arrive at Brooks Falls sometime after June 20th.
July - July is the peak month for the small town of King Salmon; this is when the sockeye salmon run is running at its peak & there are so many bears at Brooks Falls that it is easy to lose count of how many you have seen. Any dates between June 20th and September 20th are excellent for bear viewing in Katmai. Peak Sockeye Salmon & King Salmon fishing is between July 1st and the 31st, with Sockeye being the better target until about the 20th of July and then Kings until the Chinook fishery closes on July 31st.
August - is possibly the best of all the months if you don’t mind trading sockeye salmon for silver salmon. You can also expect more time on the main viewing platform and more elbow room! I would argue that August might be the best month because the truth is that there really are just as many bears in August as in July, but with about half of the crowds.
September - is also a popular time to visit, but I caution that much of King Salmon begins to close down as we approach the end of the fishing and bear-viewing season. Most of the Brooks service providers cease operations sometime around the 20th of September and /or combine flights and reduce water taxi departures.
BONUS: There is no fee for day use of Katmai National Park!
Bear Viewing at Brooks Falls
The park service has four wildlife viewing platforms along the river that offer safe and unique bear viewing opportunities while minimizing our potential impact on the bears. You can download the National Parks PDF here for more information about bear watching at Brooks Camp PDF here.
Camping at Brooks Camp
Camping at Brooks Camp in the developed area is very competitive, and many people want to stay there. However, the campground can only accommodate 60 people per night.
So you should attempt to make your reservation as soon as you know your travel dates through this link! The campsite reservations opens in January for campsites that will be available that summer. If there are no spots available, you must camp outside the Brooks Camp developed area, or you could consider camping in King Salmon at Bear Trail Cabins and Campground.
Click here for more information about Brooks Falls from the NPS!
If you don’t want to camp, lodging is available at Brooks Lodge (over $1,000 per night) within the Brooks Camp developed area. Brooks Lodge is also very competitive and uses a random lottery system that must be entered in December, a full year before the year you want to travel. This makes planning difficult, making day trips from King Salmon with Katmai Adventure Co. an excellent alternative option!
What to eat at Brooks Camp
All food at Brooks Camp must be securely stored. If you choose to bring food upon your arrival, you must keep your food at one of the storage caches provided by the NPS. When you are hungry, you can retrieve your food from the cache and take it to a fenced-off picnic area where you can eat. If you decide you would instead not bring any food, Brooks Lodge also has food available for sale from $17-40, depending on the meal.
Things to do besides bear-viewing
We offer a wildlife viewing tour on the Naknek River, where we use our jet boats to access parts of the river that are inaccessible without them. Typically, on our wildlife tour, we see bears, eagles, seals, foxes, and more. We run this excursion by the hour, and it is a guest’s favorite.
Many of our guests opt to go fishing. We offer multiple trip lengths to suit your preference, and all of our fishing trips include the necessary equipment and tackle to have a fun day on the water.
There you have it—a complete guide to visiting Brooks Falls and the campground from someone who has firsthand knowledge from multiple visits every year! If you have any questions about visiting Brooks Falls or Alaska, please reach out anytime!
Thank you,
Steven J. Benjamin
Ready to plan your dream trip to Katmai National Park?
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We will help you understand all the different aspects of planning a trip to Brooks Falls, including;
Deciding what experience(s) / excursion(s) you want to have while visiting Katmai
What to expect when visiting Brooks camp
Help you understand what to book and when
Assist you in finding the perfect combination of Lodging and Activities to fit your budget and travel dates
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