Katmai National Park
Guide

Katmai National Park is ideal for paddlers and boaters who want to the enjoy the isolated lake or the running whitewater in the park. A popular kayaking and canoeing route in the park is Savonoski Loop. Some other routes include Funnel Creek, Moraine Creek, and American Creek.

With long stretches of rivers, streams, lakes and ponds, the waterways in Katmai National Park are beautiful travel corridors for campers and visitors who wish to explore the park’s wilderness.

Katmai National Park is a premier bear watching destination and is popular with campers and visitors for that reason. The brown bears in the park offer one of the most amazing sights in the world, with more than 2,200 estimated brown inhabiting the park. Want to know a fun fact? More bears live on the Alaska Peninsula than people. Because of the declining bear populations around the world, Katmai National Park is even more relevant for its preservation of these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.

Katmai National Park has, since its inception, offered ranger programs which allow campers and visitors learn about the history and features of the park. Through programs like talks, guided walks and campfire programs, rangers in the park share their knowledge with participants. You could join a ranger for a live chat on bearcam, explore the Brooks River on cultural walks, hike on Knife Creek, or can explore Katmai’s volcanic landscape on a day-long tour. Learn and have fun!

Katmai National Preserve is open to sport hunting and trapping opportunities. Hunting is however not allowed within the park itself. If you wish to hunt in the preserve, you should have all the required licenses and permits and abide by the regulations in place.

The commonly hunted species in the preserve are brown bear and moose. When you set out to hunt, pay attention to areas that are private lands and ensure you do not enter them without permission from the landowner.

The entire Katmai region has a rich history of sport fishing, as the area is equipped with fishing facilities specially designed for tourists and visitors. As a result, campers at Katmai National Park enjoy wonderful sport fishing opportunities. Fish species available in the park include rainbow trout, dolly varden, arctic char, lake trout, and arctic grayling. Pacific salmon species are also available in the park. State regulations are in effect in the park to prevent overfishing.

A spectacular way to see the beauty and magnificence of Katmai National Park is from above in a small airplane. From the air, you’ll get the chance to view the landscape of the park as well as its diversity and enormity. As you fly over the vast freshwater lakes, lowland tundra, and steaming volcanoes of the Aleutian Range, remember to take photographs. You should also get glimpses of schools of salmon, bears roaming the park’s landscapes, bird swarms, and some marine organisms.