Katmai National Park and Preserve is home to more than hungry bears and desperate salmon. This 4-million-acre Alaskan park is also the site of the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century and was set aside in 1918 to protect what was thought at the time, to be a geothermal area the size of Yellowstone.
Guide to Katmai
Katmai National Park
In 1912, a large volcanic discharge brought the previously unknown area to the attention of the entire west coast of North America and indeed, the entire globe. The resulting ash from the eruption cooled global temperatures, caused darkness and acid rain over much of Canada’s western mountains and cities, and left Seattle residents washing the ash from their homes, sidewalks and streets.
A few years later, in 1916, the National Geographic Society sponsored an expedition to the relatively unknown area led by botanist Robert Griggs. Crossing from Shelikof Strait to Katmai Pass, Griggs witnessed a scene which he described in writing:
Griggs named this area of fumaroles sending steam up to 1,000 feet into the air, the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, and the name stuck. Griggs soon thereafter returned to Washington DC and spearheaded the campaign to protect this area in order to provide for research of the powerful forces at work here.
Today, the valley’s steam vents are much less active, however such features may be observed elsewhere in the park. Katmai National Park holds at least 14 active volcanoes as of 2017 and lies in southwestern Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, which rest prominently at the northern boundary of the famed Ring of Fire.
Although the volcanic activity was the impetus for this area’s protection, with an estimated 2,200 brown bears living in Katmai, these lovely beasts are today the park’s most famous resident and their fishing exploits are the subject of nearly any photo shoot set in this stunning locale.
“The whole valley as far as the eye could reach was full of hundreds, no thousands, literally, tens of thousands of smokes curling up from its fissured floor.”
Robert Griggs – 1916
Sockeye salmon returning to lay eggs in the more stable waters of rivers that run between lakes are easy prey for the bears, with a healthy salmon delivering a meal of up to 4500 calories. The scene of these fish jumping up rock overflows at Brooks Falls, while bears of up to 900 pounds wait patiently for the opportunity to snag the fish in mid air, brought nearly 40,000 visitors to Katmai in 2016.
The park is home to many species of animals aside from those discussed above. Moose, caribou, grey wolves and lynx share habitat with river otters and wolverines while bald eagles and tundra swans exist among the more than 150 avian species found within the park.
While some visitors are content to watch the feeding frenzy from comfortable creekside platforms, other activities exist that invite guests further into the wild. Daily ranger led tours are available to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes from June 7 thru September 17. This 7-hour tour includes a 46-mile roundtrip bus ride and a moderate 3 mile hike into the valley. There is a fee and reservations are required. See the activities page for a link to the reservations page.
More adventurous souls are beckoned by the massive wilderness of Katmai and enjoy backcountry travel both by foot and by watercraft. There are only 6 miles of maintained trail in the park, so nearly all hiking will involve navigation and route-finding.
Experienced backpackers with the requisite skills are free to wander the expanse of the park and can access incredibly wild landscapes and otherworldly scenes. Trips to the park’s high points may lead fit and competent mountaineers to numerous highlights including to the caldera of Mt. Katmai, which collapsed after the 1912 eruption and today houses Crater Lake, where upon peering over the edge, you may witness the same scene Griggs recorded as: “a wonderful lake, of a weird vitriolic robin’s egg-blue”.
Those who seek to explore via water will find ample opportunity here. Kayaking and canoeing are popular pursuits in the park, and rentals are available in Brooks Camp. Boaters may choose among numerous itineraries and wilderness waterway trails from here where they easily access Naknek Lake (the largest lake within the park service system). Bring your fishing gear, as there are obviously opportunities to create great fish tales from the waters of Katmai.
Travel to Katmai involves logistical planning as there are no roads which offer access to this remote park. Most visitors fly into nearby King Salmon, where the park headquarters is located. From here, floatplanes or boats transport guests to Brooks Camp, where most adventures begin.
Lodging facilities exist within the park at Brooks Camp and Grosvenor Lake, with both locations providing limited food services as well. The park’s only campground is located at Brooks Camp, and is surrounded by an electric fence to lessen the likelihood of bear encounters in the camp.
This park is wild and invites adventure seekers with its remote solitude and unique physical composition. A trip to Katmai should be on every park junkie’s list….
See ya there…
Guide to Katmai
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