Katmai National Park & Preserve
Brown bears fishing the falls at Brooks River, beside a valley buried by a 1912 eruption.
- 20named trails
- 12trail miles mapped
- Alaskalocation
Popular hikes in Katmai
- Cultural Site Trail · about 0.5 mi · Easy
- Brooks Falls Trail · about 2.4 mi · Easy
- Dumpling Mountain · about 4 mi · Moderate
- Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes · about 3.4 mi · Strenuous
Best months to visit
- July: July is peak season at Brooks Falls, when brown bears line up to catch leaping sockeye salmon. It's one of the most famous wildlife sights on Earth.
- September: The second bear season. Bears gorge on spawned-out salmon along the Brooks River as they fatten up for winter, the lead-in to Fat Bear Week in early October.
Permits and reservations
No permit or reservation is needed to enter. No permit is needed for backcountry camping either, but anyone camping at Brooks Camp inside the red circle must have a Brooks Camp Campground reservation.
- Brooks Camp Campground: Released in three blocks at 8 a.m. (Alaska time). In 2026: Jan 7 for May 1–Jun 30, Feb 7 for Jul 1–Aug 31, Mar 7 for Sep 1–Oct 31. Peak bear dates sell out almost immediately.
All 20 trails in Katmai
- Brooks Bridge Trail to Viewing Platform · 0.18 mi round trip · Easy
- Brooks Camp Boundary Trail · 0.08 mi round trip · Easy
- Brooks Camp Foot Trail · 0.58 mi round trip · Easy
- Brooks Falls Trail · 1.2 mi round trip · Easy
- Brooks River Elevated Bridge and Boardwalk Trail · 0.44 mi round trip · Easy
- Camp Trail · 0.26 mi round trip · Easy
- Campground Beach Trail · 0.88 mi round trip · Easy
- Confluence Trail · 1.16 mi round trip · Easy
- Cultural Site Trail · 0.2 mi round trip · Easy
- Dumpling Mountain Trail · 6.46 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Falls Platform/Boardwalk/Ripples Platform · 0.4 mi round trip · Easy
- Fishermen Trail · 0.1 mi round trip · Easy
- Margo Creek Falls Trail · 0.62 mi round trip · Easy
- Oxbow Overlook Trail · 0.52 mi round trip · Easy
- Park Avenue Trail · 0.22 mi round trip · Easy
- Qit'rwik Trail · 1.98 mi round trip · Easy
- Savonoski Loop Portgage Trail · 3.04 mi round trip · Easy
- Ukak Falls Trail · 1.64 mi round trip · Easy
- Ukak River Trail · 1.66 mi round trip · Easy
- Windy Creek Trail · 3.04 mi round trip · Easy
Trailbound shows every one of these on an interactive map with live weather, park alerts and elevation profiles. It's free to browse.