Katmai National Park and Preserve

One of the best parks in the system. Bountiful bear viewing occurs between late June/mid September, and is the main draw here, but there is also the valley of 10,000 smokes which makes this worth a multi day visit. Worth the logistical difficulties to spend more time here!

My wife and I flew from Homer over to Katmai last Wednesday and enjoyed the visit. The bears were definitely out in force. We didn't get to Brooks Falls due to the trail being closed by park staff to protect a sow with a couple of cubs. Fully understandable...what we witnessed was amazing. When we first arrived we had to attend mandatory "Bear School" which was presented by one of the park rangers. The school basically explained the do's and dont's while visiting. Don't carry any food. They allowed water only. They also went over safe distances and what to do if a bear appeared near by while on the trail. This did happen as some of the posted pictures show.

Go in season and you are guaranteed to see a ton of bears. You will walk among them on the trails (they mostly stay in the woods.) Amazing stuff.

Once in a lifetime experience… just stunningly amazing 🤩 great opportunity to witness bears 🐻 in their natural habitat

Not a whole lot of activity at Brooks Falls when I was there so had to go explore and look for bears myself and it didn’t disappoint. Hang out near the bridge and you’ll be very happy. I had a close encounter with a grizzly down by the river (20 feet away) and it was epic! I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that lol but I’ll have a video and story to share for life. There are a few hiking trails there as well, I hiked Dumpling Mountain and the views up top were stunning. I honestly liked my trip to Lake Clark better, but Katmai was awesome as well.

First National Park, bear tour with J Bear Tours was amazing!

Outstanding National Park. Wildlife in wilderness settings much as they have been for thousands of years. It can be challenging to go further than Brooks Falls and the area around that spot, but it is worth it if you can. The remote lakes have much natural beauty unique to each one. There are two old trapper cabins that can be visited. The further you go into the mountains and the areas of the volcanoes, the more challenging the rivers and streams become. Do not go into the back country ill prepared. Rescue can be difficult because of weather conditions, and may come too late.

Katmai is a breathtaking place. The bears are truly every where and the lakes and rivers make for gorgeous views. There aren't a ton of established trails but the ones they have are very enjoyable. I really recommend hiking to the summit of Dumpling Mountain if it's a clear day. The trail is long and steep in some places but the view is worth it. Brooks camp turned out to be a great place to camp and the near by lodges were nice if you wanted a small break from outdoor life. At the lodge they had showers, flushing toilets, a small store and daily buffets all available to buy. The actual campground offered a gear/ food cache, pit toilets and cold potable water. It's steps from the beach and has semi-private spots. I'd honestly love to go again and check out more of Backcountry. We went the first week of August and the weather was perfect everyday. The salmon run was technically over but there were still plenty of bears and plenty of salmon in the river but a lot less people.