This takes longer but it is cheaper than going by plane. Upon your arrival, you will be shuttled from the King Salmon, Alaska Airport to the National Park Service dock. If I did it again (and I really hope I do), I would plan my visit for somewhere between July 7 and July 31. The Cultural Site is a recreated partially underground and partially above ground house that you can get close to. Be aware that flights are sometimes delayed due to weather. ALASKA ITINERARY: Take the guesswork out of planning your trip to Alaska with our Alaska road trip itineraries. Permits are free but there is a $6 booking fee that is charged by the permit booking system, www.recreation.gov. Brooks Falls Where is Brooks Falls? There are other remote, fly in lodges in and around Katmai and Lake Clark National Park that are oriented around fishing and will take you on fly or boat in trips to see bears and volcanoes. Cell Phone Coverage in Katmai National Park and Preserve. To save money, you could camp, rather that stay in the lodge. The viewing platform is controlled by park rangers and volunteers to ensure there are never too many people on the platform or that its too crowded. Includes shuttle from the King Salmon Airport (AKN), or lodge within King Salmon. There is also a cache separate for fuel. Getting to Katmai National Park Driving to Katmai Short answer - you aren't driving there. Since you cant fly with it or buy it at Brooks Camp, that leaves you in a bit of a bind. Click here to learn more. The water taxi is not generally inhibited by fog! However, it is a big expense to get there and there is a risk of disappointment if your day trip is cancelled due to weather (which happens often in frequent fog in the area). This gives you plenty of bear viewing time and also gives you enough time to journey out to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, or go fishing, hiking, or kayaking. I have not taken it personally so I cant speak to that experience. Katmai National Park & Preserve is a land of brown bears and volcanoes. There are also some souvenir items but there are not groceries or many supplies of any kind. Firewood is provided! And just be aware that flights can be cancelled in the event that there is bad weather. I've been a tour guide for many years in both Alaska and Washington and am a field editor for the Milepost. Flying to NAME The nearest airport with major airline service and car rental is in Anchorage (ANC). The 200 square mile sanctuary is 100 air miles west of Homer. BEST OF DENALI: Eielson is one of the most spectacular areas in Denali to visit since it offers some of the best views of Denali. You can also see bear throughout Katmai National Park. Katmai National Park and Preserve spans over four million acres of remote, wild, and spectacular country. As they drift back over Brooks Falls, the brown bears feed on the dead salmon. Similar to March Madness in college basketball, the bears are organized on a bracket and the votes determine who continues to the next round. We called in the spring, as we were planning our trip to Alaska, and a two night reservation was available in early July. This is located right next to the falls and it gives you the best view of the bears catching the salmon. So, with the challenges and expensive involved, is adding Katmai National Park to your Alaska Itinerary? Brooks Camp How do I get to Brooks Camp? Katmai has hundreds of archaeological sites that tell the story of how long people have been in this area. We care about privacy. Follow along and Ill tell you everything you need to know to figure out if visiting Katmai National Park makes sense for you, how much it costs and what your options are for visiting! This trail is not maintained and can be overgrown at times. In this guide, we cover the best things to do in Katmai National Park & Preserve, with tips to help you have the best experience. From June 15th to August 15th, the platforms are closed from 10 pm to 7 am, to allow the bears to have full access to the falls. There are fewer bears in June, but somewhat drier weather. By Agnes Stabinska Updated on April 18, 2023 Visiting Katmai National Park and Preserve is one of the most exciting adventures in Alaska. However, ADA accessible accommodations and facilities do exist. To access the park by flight, air taxi options are common from Anchorage, Dillingham, Homer, King Salmon, Kodiak, and a few . Naknek Lake is a great place to go both fishing and kayaking. However, ADA accessible accommodations and facilities do exist. I have visited Katmai as a solo traveler and other visitors were super friendly and happy for me to join them to walk around camp, to the campground or to Brooks Falls. You should book your flight to Brooks Camp in advance. If youve ever wanted to try your hand at fly fishing, this might be the time! Subscribe to receive newsletters, updates, and more! How Much Time Do You Need at Katmai National Park? Katmai National Park and Preserve was proclaimed as Katmai National Monument on 24 Sep 1918 and established as a national park and preserve on 02 Dec 1980. The lodge at Brooks Camp is open along with most activities from early June through mid September. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. There's no question a visit to Katmai is truly unforgettable. Bear Watching Katmai National Park is one of the best bear-viewing places in the world. Where is Brooks Falls? We flew from Anchorage to King Salmon (about 1 hour) on ACE Air Cargo. What was once an unknown park to me is now one of my favorite national parks. The cabins and the lodge have standard electrical outlets where you can charge your camera batteries, laptop computer, etc. Over three days, it sent 13 cubic kilometers of magma into the sky, making it the largest volcanic eruption in the 20th century, as well as one of the five largest in recorded history. The Park, being almost exclusively accessed by . Some of these bears get seriously chunky. How Do You Get to Brooks Falls? Opperating June 1 September 25 weather permitting. That was a mistake! Near the entrance is a bar and a seating area around a fireplace, which is a great place to hang out if its rainy or chilly. You can choose whichever mode of transportation best suits your needs. Reservations open in early January and are gone within a couple minutes. They will also provide the gear you need such as waders and fishing poles. This is also place with a 9,000 year record of human adaptation to environmental and ecological change. Alaska is a vast landscape, with many popular national parks and other public lands. You can also learn more about the national parks and get a FREE printable checklist in our US National Parks Checklist. Spend several hours or a full day watching bears in the wild on a quintessential Alaskan adventure with a family-run company. Brooks Lodge is open from June 1 through September 17. There are 6 ways to get from Homer to Katmai National Park by car, plane, taxi or bus. The big disadvantage is that small planes are frequently delayed or cancelled due to weather, particularly fog. At 4 million acres, Katmai is the fourth largest US national park. Same for the netting of your tent. Last updated: [wpautoterms last_updated_date]If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us. During the middle of the day there is sometimes up to a two hour wait to get onto the platform and you dont want to miss it! We still were able to visit the Brooks Falls viewing platforms the morning and evening of the 10,000 Smokes tour, so we had plenty of bear viewing opportunities. There are three large wooden covered picnic shelters with picnic tables and fire pits. Katmai from the air. Once you disembark the boat you are self guided at Brooks Camp and surrounding areas. Most destinations in Katmai National Park & Preserve are directly accessed via air taxi flights from Anchorage, Dillingham, Homer, King Salmon, Kodiak, and other nearby Alaska towns and villages. 10 Best Hikes in Zion. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. You also must follow all signed closed areas (which move around based on where bears are) and all instructions from the rangers. If you use Alaska Air frequent flyer miles, the number of miles needed is usually between 5,000 and 15,000, again depending on when you want to fly and when you book your tickets. Its well worth it, to see another part of Katmai, but I do understand that it can be tough to pull yourself away from the bears at Brooks Falls. Rocky Mountain National Park: Timed entry park access permits are required until October 22 at $2 per vehicle, depending on the permit. In our three days in Katmai, this was our only bear sighting on the Brooks Falls Trail, but we frequently saw bear around camp and on Lake Brooks Road, the road that connects Brooks Camp to the Brooks Falls Trail. When we did this, ACE Air Cargo was running about an hour late when we flew into Brooks Lodge. Each July, as the salmon make their annual run, the brown bears flock to the rivers to feast on salmon. Typical one-way fares are in the $215 to $350 range. The fastest way to get here is by plane. No. Anytime I travel to remote Alaska I always make sure to have it. Check out the viewing platforms first and then you can explore trails, eat lunch at the lodge or do some fishing, canoeing or kayaking if you have enough time after. To get to Brooks Falls, you need to walk about a mile and a half from the lodge and visitor center where your float plane will land if youre on a day trip or where youll be staying if youre on a multi day trip. Rainbow trout, arctic char, lake trout, dolly varden, arctic grayling, and five species of Pacific Salmon can all be fished from the lakes and rivers in Katmai National Park. Katmai National Park is world famous for its endearing brown bears feeding at Brooks Falls, but this park is so much more than just bears! Katmai Water Taxi Services, is a transportation service only. Day trippers arrive as early as 8:30 AM. Brooks Lodge is expensive. During July, many bears can be seen fishing at Brooks Falls which is about 1.2 miles (1.9 km) from the Brooks Camp Visitor Center. Katmai National Park & Preserve, Alaska - 33,908 recreation visits Katmai is an important habitat for thousands of brown bears. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2Rio's travel planner. I camped in Katmai without bear spray and while I didnt love it I did just fine and you will too. During the other months, they find the food at other sources in the park. Upon your scheduled return, you will be transported across Naknek Lake back to the National Park Service dock where your shuttle is waiting to return you to the King Salmon Airport. Katmai National Park is a stunning remote park in Alaska that is famous for bear viewing at Brooks Falls and epic stunning volcanic landscapes. You can experience the park from wherever you are! Check out a few cons to using the Float Plane over the Water Taxi. All rates are subject to change without prior notice, but will not affect any bookings previously confirmed, paid, and ticketed. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Find out why Brooks Camp is Katmai's single most popular destination, and learn how to plan a visit here. Please visit, Information on job announcements can be found. Things To Do: Bear watching, sport fishing, boating, and backcountry hiking and camping are just a few of the many activities you can enjoy. Twelve of the fattest bears are selected and then people can vote on which one gained the most weight. You can only get here by plane or by boat. Katmai Water Taxi is a large enclosed transport with climate controlled comfortable, spacious seating. The water taxi returns from Brooks Camp every even hour starting at 8 AM, with the last pick up at 8 PM June and July and 6 PM in August and 4 PM in September, as long as there are booked seats. Brooks Falls in Katmai is famous for the brown bears that fish for salmon here. If you are considering using miles for your entire trip, check out the multiple city option that might be available on Alaska Air. Check with the Alaska Public Lands Information Center for help planning your journey to other parts of the state. Katmai is one of the most remote national parks in the USA. I highly recommend going fishing with a guide here, partly because its a great opportunity to learn, but also for increased bear safety. Camping at Brooks Camp is by far the least expensive way and easiest way to get a place to sleep in the park. AK PO Box 7 When to Visit If Katmai National Park is a priority during your visit to Homer, you'll want to come between May and September. Inland brown bears are called grizzlies. Brown bear refers to coastal bears that feed on salmon. The meals are served buffet-style and all you can eat, and the food is decent. You can bring it on the float plane, but its also hard to get it in King Salmon. Katmai National Park and Preserve is only accessible to the public by boat or plane. From here, you can look upriver to see Brooks Falls. 99613, Download the official NPS app before your next visit. In this guide, I'll give you an overview of visiting Katmai National Park and give you some hints and tricks for planning your visit. Republishing this articleand/orany of its contents (text, photography, etc. Looking for a bear viewing guide, an air taxi, or a sport fishing guide? A, Although you may encounter a bear at any time, your chances of seeing bears are best when they gather to feed on seasonally concentrated food sources like salmon and sedges. Day trippers get lower priority when flights are limited than those who have campground or lodge reservations. If youre on a day trip theres a good chance youll be able to see at least some of the mountains and volcanoes. From 10 am to 4 pm, the viewing platforms are swamped with day trippers. AK Katmai was originally protected in 1918 after an epic volcanic eruption changed the landscape of the entire area in the 1912 Novarupta volcanic eruption. Katmai Water Taxi is the official water transportation option to Brooks Falls and Katmai National Park! Brochures: Here you can download several brochures to help plan your visit. Although the Water Taxi experiences fewer delays and cancelations, it is not invincible to extreme adverse weather conditions! Katmai National Park & Preserve (view park map) is located on the northern Alaska Peninsula, northwest of Kodiak Island and southwest of Homer, Alaska. You can also squeeze in bear viewing and the Valley of 10,000 smoke tour in the same day. The park service does an excellent job with this campground, but it is not an easy place to camp!