Katmai National Park & Preserve
- Location
- Alaska
- Designation
- National Park & Preserve
- Entrance fee
- Free entry
- Track it
- Free in Park'd
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 in Katmai
Katmai offers a range of activities for visitors in Alaska:
When to visit & weather
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.
Getting to Katmai
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.
Track your visit to Katmai
Check Katmai off your national parks passport, log the trails you hiked and the wildlife you spotted, and see it on your personal map — free on iPhone with Park'd.
Explore more national parks
Planning a bigger trip? Browse the full list of all 63 US national parks, or keep exploring: