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.
Between September 18 and 29, 2024, there were four known incidents in which a bear received fish from anglers on the Brooks River. To prevent further incidents of bears receiving food, the Brooks River corridor will be closed to all non-subsistence users below Brooks Falls effective immediately, and remain closed until October 31, 2024, or until rescinded by the Superintendent.
This morning bear #469 attacked and killed bear #402 at Brooks River, downriver from Brooks Falls, in Katmai National Park. Because of this incident the Fat Bear Week bracket reveal is postponed until tomorrow at 3 pm AKT (7 pm ET), October 1, 2024
Weigh-in with fat bears and vote for your favorite one as Fat Bear Week returns to Katmai National Park & Preserve October 2 – 8, 2024. Choose the bear that has what it takes to survive the winter and experience the crowning of the champion at fatbearweek.org.
On August 1, 2024, Katmai National Park and Preserve will begin removing a 200-foot-long gravel road near Lake Brooks. The road was improperly constructed by the park in 2014 and will be restored to its natural state.
Katmai National Park and Preserve is celebrating a winning design by Cianne Adams, a 13-year-old student from Newhalen, Alaska, that is featured on the Brooks Camp bear pins this summer.