Get Inspired To Explore Wild And Wonderful Katmai!

Katmai National Park and Preserve is located in the vast, remote southwest corner of Alaska. It is home to North America’s largest protected population of brown bears and has some of the best bear-viewing spots in Alaska! If seeing bears is on your Alaska bucket list, taking advantage of the awesome Katmai vacation packages offered by local tour operators may just be for you.

How Many Bears Live In Katmai National Park?

Katmai is home to not one, but many, of the best bear-viewing areas in the world. What makes this remote wilderness paradise such a hotspot for bear-watching excursions? Well, more than 2,200 brown bears are estimated to live in the park, making trips to Katmai National Park very popular with those who want to see bears in their natural habitat. The number of bears in the park is greater than the number of people estimated to be living on the Alaska Peninsula!

This park is also popular with nature lovers for another reason – as many bear populations worldwide decline, Katmai vacation packages offer wildlife viewers a unique opportunity to observe bears in their natural habitat. The park’s staff works hard to ensure that the bears’ habitat remains unaltered - so even though visitors are able to enjoy incredible viewing opportunities, the bears continue their life cycle without interruption.

The Best Bear Viewing At Katmai National Park

No trip to Katmai National Park is complete without a stop at Brooks Camp. Brooks Camp is a private lodge near Brooks River Falls, where visitors can observe bears fishing in the river from the safety of multiple viewing platforms along the water. The Brooks River is a popular location with brown bears, who congregate there to feed on sockeye salmon during the annual salmon run. The wildlife viewing platforms along the river offer safe viewing locations for visitors, while minimizing human interaction with the bears. The platforms are popular with guests, too – enjoying guaranteed bear-viewing opportunities makes the trip to this remote location worth it!

How many bears can a visitor see at Brooks Falls? The local Park Service has counted up to 50 bears at the falls and alongside the river during peak salmon runs and estimates that between 80 and 100 bears gather in the square mile around the river and lodge each year. For that reason alone, Katmai is considered to be the premier bear-viewing location in Alaska!

7 Fun Things To Do After You See The Bears!

While Katmai vacation packages often focus on bear viewing, there are many other things to do when you visit this incredible national treasure. Please keep reading for seven of our favorite things to do in Katmai National Park during your visit!

• Walk the Brooks Falls Trail – this flat, easy-to-walk trail connects Brooks Camp to the Brooks Falls Viewing Platform. Used by both people and bears, the trail is where many visitors spot their first bear in the wild. For this reason, it is a good idea to walk the trail with a group.
• Go fishing – Katmai National Park is a world-class sport fishing destination. Rainbow trout, arctic char, lake trout, Dolly Varden, arctic grayling, and five different species of Pacific Salmon can be found in the lakes and rivers of Katmai. During the month of July, you can even see people fishing just a short distance away from bears at Brooks Falls!
• Take a photography tour – to get a different perspective of Brooks Falls during your tour to Katmai National Park, you can reserve a spot on a guided photography tour. Don waders and boots with the other members of your party, and follow your guide to incredible photography spots in and around Brooks Falls.
• Kayak Naknek Lake – Brooks Lodge is located on the shores of Naknek Lake, which is the largest lake to be located completely within a national park. The lake is a perfect spot to go both fishing and kayaking. Or, you can extend your bear-viewing activity to the beach, where it is not uncommon to see bears napping in the afternoon sun!
• Climb Dumpling Mountain – Dumpling Mountain is a 3-mile out-and-back hike that takes you up to a viewpoint over Brooks Camp and Naknek Lake. The climb is moderately difficult, but on a clear day, the effort is worth it for the view of the camp and lake.
• Explore the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes – located 23 miles from Brooks Lodge, this unique area of the park was home to an epic volcanic eruption in 1912 that left the ground smoking from falling ash. Today, the ground is no longer smoking, but the unique landscape is worth a visit if you have the time. There are many hiking routes located within the valley, allowing visitors to explore glacier-covered volcanoes, hot springs, and the area’s other incredible sights.
• Take a flightseeing tour – trips to Katmai National Park may include a flightseeing tour. This is a great way to get a real understanding of the size and grandeur of the park. Fly over the coast and river valleys, experience the Aleutian Range, and marvel at the sight of wildlife down below.

A Bear Viewing Adventure At Brooks Falls

Katmai National Park is one of the best bear-viewing places in the world. Each year, during the annual salmon run, the brown bears flock to Brooks River to feast on salmon. And each year, thousands of visitors flock to the river’s viewing platforms to watch the bears. If bear viewing tops your list of Alaska must-do activities, consider booking an exclusive Katmai vacation package today.