Top 10 things to know before visiting Katmai National Park
I just came back from an incredible, awe-inspiring trip to Katmai National Park. Here are 10 things that I learned while planning and visiting Katmai.
For a more in depth post on camping in Katmai National Park, read my in depth post on costs and logistics!
View from Brook’s Falls Platform
3 mile round trip hike up to the viewpoint on Dumpling mountain
King Salmon airport - the smallest airport I have seen!
Katmai Air water plane from King Salmon to Brooks Camp
Sunrise on the beach outside the campground
Bear fishing on the beach next to the lodge
Bear viewing from the bridge next to Brooks Lodge
It’s very expensive to visit Katmai National Park
I did my research and booked the cheapest possible way to Katmai (without owning or knowing someone who could fly me there personally via a water plane), and it cost me $1,100 for 2 nights at Katmai. You can read about my in-depth experience on my blog post: Camping in Katmai National Park.
Believe it or not, this was the most budget way to do it!
If you stay at the lodge, you’re looking at nearly $1,200/night (can fit up to 4 people, but still!). And that doesn’t even include food at the lodge.
Be prepared for the cost if you are planning to visit!
Stay overnight - it’s a much better experience than the day trip
One thing I did not realize is just how many people come to Katmai on day trips. The area is quite small (campground, lodge, viewing platforms, etc) so the extra people definitely make it feel crowded! Plus, the Brook’s Falls viewing platform has a capacity of 40 people (which is extremely tight), so you might have to wait to see the bears.
From my research, a day trip can be more expensive than my 2-nights in Katmai. For a more relaxed experience and holistic time with the bears, you should definitely stay at least 2 nights!
Visit the viewing platforms outside of day peak hours
Building on my note above, the times that the day trippers are in the park (about 10:30am to 4pm), the viewing platforms get really congested. I found the best times to see the bears were from 7-10AM and 5-10PM. Note that the Brook’s Falls viewing platform is open from 7AM to 10PM.
There are not many hikes in the area
Most people don’t go to Katmai to hike at all, but for those staying a few days, it’s nice to do something new.
The only hike in the area is Dumpling mountain (8 miles round trip) and the overlook trail (3 miles round trip). It’s definitely worthwhile to do the overlook, but the trail was pretty overgrown when I was there. Wear pants due to the plant growth and bring water! The trail goes from the campground.
The other option is backpacking in Valley of 10,000 Smokes, which is a 23 mile bus ride from Brook’s Camp. You can read about my day trip in my detailed Camping in Katmai post.
One of the most underrated places to see the bears is on the bridge next to the lodge
There is a relatively new bridge that connects the Brook’s Falls trail to the lodge and campground. The viewing platform is an amazing place to see bears snorkeling and swimming to catch fish. There are lots of fishermen in the area. I saw a sow and 2 cubs multiple times from this platform. It’s much less crowded and easier to access than Brooks Falls.
If you have extra space, bring food for the rangers
Did you know the rangers have to pay for their plane travel to and from, plus all their food while working at Brooks Camp? That means they need to ship food to themselves, many of which ship via Amazon Prime to King Salmon and wait until there is space on a plane to bring it to them. I even heard a story of a ranger not getting his food for over a week and almost running out!
If you have space within the 50lb weight limit, bring some extra produce or food for the rangers. They love what they do and are so passionate about the bears. If I knew, I would have brought so much food from Anchorage!
You can buy food at the lodge, even if you are camping
And the lodge food is really, really good! You don’t need to book this in advance, just show up and pay before you grab food!
Buffet options: Breakfast: $25, lunch: $35, dinner: $45
There are also cheaper a la carte options (just soup, salad, and dessert) for approximately $10 less.
You can share leftover gas cans (for cooking) at the campground
Remember that you cannot fly with gas cans! If you are cooking at the lodge or campground, you can purchase gas cans at the lodge store. The other option is there are a lot of partially used gas cans that people leave behind at the campground. I didn’t need to buy any fuel because I found a lot of half used gas cans!
Carry on your most important items, in case your luggage gets lost (commercial flights only)
I heard a story about a woman who had all her camping gear lost by Alaska Airlines. Unfortunately, there is not gear to rent at Brook’s Camp! So plan accordingly. She luckily was able to sleep in the Auditorium, which is a building with a door, windows, etc. But she was pretty miserable to not have her things!
Make sure you at least have your essentials (medicines, sunscreen, etc) in your carry on so you are not stranded with nothing!
There’s no cell service, but everyone takes credit cards / Apple or Google pay
You don’t need cash when visiting Katmai. The lodge is set up with credit card and even tap to pay!
