Katmai National Park & Preserve

In July, brown bears often stand on the lip of Brooks Falls to try to catch leaping salmon.
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.
Map showing location of park.
#32 Chunk NPS image by Christine Loberg
Something Big is Coming!
Fat Bear Week returns to Katmai National Park September 23-30, 2025. Choose the bear that has what it takes to survive the winter and experience the crowning of the champion on September 30, 2025, at www.fatbearweek.org.
a brown and white caribou with large, velvet antlers walks through a field of grass with tree stands in the background.
Federal Subsistence Hunt and Public Meeting Notice
The National Park Service (NPS) will open a federal subsistence hunt on September 14, 2025 for the Kukaklek Shelf caribou in Katmai National Preserve. This hunt is limited to residents of Kokhanok and Igiugig, Alaska who are federally qualified subsistence users.
Wreckage of Cessna aircraft at Brooks Camp
Small Plane Crash in Katmai National Park
On July 5, 2025, a small float plane crash landed near Brooks Camp within Katmai National Park. The four occupants of the plane were transported to an Anchorage area hospital with non-critical injuries.
bear pin 2025
Bear Pin Design Contest Winner
Katmai National Park celebrates the winning Brooks Camp bear pin design by Jess Thomas from King Salmon, Alaska. Park staff distribute the pins to thousands of visitors each year who complete mandatory Brooks Camp bear safety training, also known as “bear school.”
salmon jumping at waterfall
Photo by NPS/David Jacob
Bear standing at the edge of a waterfall while a salmon is leaping towards it.
Photo by NPS/David Jacob
Three bears walk near a sleeping bear
Photo by NPS/Bryanna Plog
lake inside of an ash and glacier covered volcano
Photo by NPS/Roy Wood
meadow in foreground and snow capped volcanoes on the horizon
Photo by NPS/Michael Fitz