Katmai National Park & Preserve
Katmai National Park & Preserve
PO Box 7
King Salmon, AK 99613
Phone:907-246-3305
Fax:907-246-2116
Web: www.nps.gov/katm/
Size: 3,674,530 acres (park) and 418,669 acres (preserve).
Established: Proclaimed as Katmai National Monument on September 24, 1918; established as a national park and preserve on December 2, 1980. Wilderness designated on December 2, 1980.
Location:On the Alaska Peninsula, across from Kodiak Island. Park Headquarters is in King Salmon, about 290 air miles southwest of Anchorage. Several commercial airlines provide daily flights into King Salmon as there is no road access. Brooks Camp, along the Brooks River approximately 30 air miles from King Salmon, is a common destination for visitors to the park. Brooks Camp can only be reached via small float plane or boat.
Facilities:Campground, picnic area, lodging, groceries, restaurant/snacks, boat rental, boat ramp, visitor centers (é), self-guided tour/trail.
Activities:Camping, hiking, mountain climbing, boating, kayaking, whitewater rafting, boat tours, fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, cross-country skiing, interpretive programs, ranger-led walks.
Special Features:Variety marks this vast land with lakes, forests, mountains, and marshlands that all abound in wildlife. The Alaska brown bear, the world's largest carnivore, thrives here, feeding upon red salmon that spawn in the many lakes and streams. Wild rivers and renowned sport fishing add to the attractions of this subarctic environment. Here, in 1912, Novarupta Volcano erupted violently, forming the ash-filled "Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes" where steam rose from countless fumaroles. The park-preserve contains part of the Alagnak Wild River (see separate entry).
See other parks in Alaska.