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- Brooks Falls & Brooks Camp — The poster image of Katmai: huge brown bears shoulder-to-shoulder on the falls timing their jumps with the salmon run. Elevated viewing platforms make it possible to watch the action safely; if you want unforgettable wildlife theater, this is it. (Personal favorite — nothing beats a bald eagle circling above a bear mid-leap.)
- Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes / Novarupta — A surreal, lunar-like landscape born from the 1912 Novarupta eruption: ash-filled valleys, steaming fumaroles, and broad vistas you won’t find anywhere else in the U.S. Great for day hikes and to get a sense of how powerful volcanoes reshape a place.
- Hallo Bay coastline — Wide tideflats where bears come down to feed and sea otters and shorebirds hang out; floatplane access makes it remote and
- Brooks Falls & Brooks Camp — The poster image of Katmai: huge brown bears shoulder-to-shoulder on the falls timing their jumps with the salmon run. Elevated viewing platforms make it possible to watch the action safely; if you want unforgettable wildlife theater, this is it. (Personal favorite — nothing beats a bald eagle circling above a bear mid-leap.)
- Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes / Novarupta — A surreal, lunar-like landscape born from the 1912 Novarupta eruption: ash-filled valleys, steaming fumaroles, and broad vistas you won’t find anywhere else in the U.S. Great for day hikes and to get a sense of how powerful volcanoes reshape a place.
- Hallo Bay coastline — Wide tideflats where bears come down to feed and sea otters and shorebirds hang out; floatplane access makes it remote and dramatically scenic. Beach bear-viewing here feels more cinematic because the background is ocean, not forest.
- Naknek Lake & the rivers — Massive lake scenery, good fishing, and water-based travel routes that stitch the park together. Kayaking or a small boat trip gives a different angle on the landscape and wildlife—calmer, reflective, and often quieter than the busy Brooks area.
- Dumpling Mountain Trail — A relatively short but steep scramble that pays off with panoramic views over Brooks River, Katmai’s lowlands, and Naknek Lake. Perfect when you want elevation and a break from platform-based bear watching.
- Mount Katmai caldera rim — Hike or boat to see the huge volcanic caldera rim and peer into a dramatic crater—one of those rare places where geology is the main attraction. The scale and silence up there are humbling.
- Birdlife, tundra mammals & salmon runs — Beyond the bears: expect bald eagles, waterfowl, foxes and moose, all drawn by the salmon pulse. The whole ecosystem is on show during the run, making it a fantastic spot for photographers and wildlife nerds alike.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.