Katmai National Park & Preserve

Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park

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.

Salmon jumping at Brooks Falls

Each year, 200,000 to 400,000 sockeye salmon jump Brooks Falls.

Bear catching jumping salmon

In July, brown bears often stand on the lip of Brooks Falls to try to catch leaping salmon.

Bear family walks near sleeping bear

Salmon streams in Katmai attract high numbers of brown bears.

Mount Katmai caldera

Mount Katmai's summit collapsed during the 1912 Novarupta-Katmai eruption. Today, the caldera is filled with a deep lake.

sedge meadows and volcanoes at Hallo

Glacially clad volcanoes loom over the sedge meadows of Hallo Bay

Campsite D 106

Campsite D-106

RecAreaDirections

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.

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Permits info

Facilities

Robert F. Griggs Visitor Center Visitor Center

The Robert F. Griggs Visitor Center overlooks the famous Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and is the starting point of the Ukak Falls Trail. The posted hours are estimated because the visitor center is only open during ranger-led Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes tours.

Fure's Cabin Campground

List of Campsites

Overview

Fure's Cabin, a beautifully constructed one-room house, is a public use cabin in Katmai National Park and Preserve. The cabin is located on the north side of the Bay of Islands in Naknek Lake and accessed by float plane or boat. Now a refuge for kayakers, canoers, and hikers, the cabin was once the home of trapper, miner, and famed Naknek local Roy Fure. The cabin was built in 1926, a labor of love. The roof, walls, and floor are made of hand-hewn spruce logs with dovetail notching reminiscent of European craftsmanship. In 1931 the land on which the cabin stands was incorporated into the expanded Katmai National Monument. Fure's cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Recreation

Fure's Cabin is a key stopover for those attempting the Savonoski Loop paddle trip, or as a beautiful destination in its own right. It is not an alternate for Brooks Camp Campground and requires a full day of paddling to reach, or the use of a boat or plane. View a list of authorized commercial partners that may provide transportation services to Fure's Cabin. Paddlers originating from Brooks Camp should allow one to three days to travel the 32 miles along shorelines from Brooks Camp to Fure's Cabin in the Bay of Islands.

Facilities

The cabin accommodates up to four people and is furnished with a bunk bed, table, chairs, and a wood burning stove. Limited firewood is available on site. Guests must bring all supplies including bedding, sleeping pad, water, food, toilet paper, flash light or lantern, garbage bags, cook stove and cooking supplies. Consider packing all the supplies needed when camping. A fire ring is located in front of the cabin. Dead/downed wood may be gathered for campfires. One vault toilet is available 50 yards uphill from the cabin.

Natural Features

Charges & Cancellations

Fure's Cabin follows the standard Recreation.gov cabin cancellation policy.

Brook's Camp Camping Permits Permit

Overview:

Katmai National Monument was established in 1918 to protect the volcanically devastated region surrounding Mount Katmai and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Today, Katmai National Park and Preserve remains an active volcanic landscape, but it also protects 9,000 years of human history as well as important habitat for salmon and the thousands of brown bears that feed on them.

Reservations for both Brooks Camp and Fures Cabin become available for reservations each year on January 5.

Brooks Camp Campground:
With its wildlife viewing opportunities, access to Naknek Lake and stunning views of nearby mountains, the Brooks Camp Campground is considered by many to be one of the top campgrounds in North America.

Camping at Brooks Camp is only permitted within the designated campground. Campers arriving without a reservation, especially in July when the campground is usually full, must be prepared to backcountry camp outside of the Brooks Camp Developed Area (see Backcountry/Wilderness Camping below).

Backcountry/Wilderness Camping:
More than 4 million acres of Katmai are open to backcountry/wilderness camping. Backcountry camping is not permitted within the Brooks Camp Developed Area (the area within 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of Brooks Falls) year-round or within the core Hallo Bay meadows from April 1 through October 31. No permits are required for backcountry camping.

Fure's Cabin:
Fure's Cabin, a beautifully constructed one-room house, is a public use cabin. Now a refuge for kayakers, canoers and hikers, the cabin was once the home of trapper, miner and famed Naknek local Roy Fure. The cabin is located on the north side of the Bay of Islands in Naknek Lake. There is anchorage and limited beach access. Primary heat at the cabin is wood. This cabin is not a substitute for the Brooks Camp Campground. Fure's Cabin is over 20 miles by water from Brooks Camp and no public transportation is available. GPS: 58 degrees 40'10.19"N, 155 degrees 25'51.02"W

Katmai email: http://www.nps.gov/katm/contacts.htm

Brooks Camp Visitor Center Facility

The Brooks Camp Visitor Center, open June 1 – late September, is the point of entry for all visitors to Brooks Camp. A park ranger is on duty to provide information, campground check-in, mandatory bear etiquette and safety talks, and backcountry planning. An Alaska Geographic Association (AGA) bookstore offers books, maps, and other Katmai-related items.

King Salmon Visitor Center Facility

Located next door to the King Salmon Airport, the King Salmon Visitor Center provides information on the many federal public lands of Southwest Alaska, particularly those in the Bristol Bay area. A large collection of films is available for viewing and an Alaska Geographic bookstore sells maps, charts, videos, posters, clothing and more.

Recreation Areas and Campground Database