Brooks Camp Campground sits within Katmai National Park, accessible only by bush plane from King Salmon after flying into the remote Alaska hub. The National Park Service manages this highly sought-after site where campers stay within electric fencing designed to keep bears out of the camping area. Wooden food caches and covered picnic areas serve each site, with wagons provided to transport gear from the nearby lakeshore.
Reservations open January 5th for the following summer and typically fill within minutes, though last-minute cancellations sometimes create openings. The campground operates from June through October at $22 per person, with no pets allowed. For those exploring other remote Alaska options, campsites near Katmai National Park provide additional wilderness experiences in this bear-rich region.
Description
Overview:
Katmai National Monument was established in 1918 to protect the volcanically devastated region surrounding Mount Katmai and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Today, Katmai National Park and Preserve remains an active volcanic landscape, but it also protects 9,000 years of human history as well as important habitat for salmon and the thousands of brown bears that feed on them. Reservations for both Brooks Camp and Fures Cabin become available for reservations each year on January 5. Brooks Camp Campground: With its wildlife viewing opportunities, access to Naknek Lake and stunning views of nearby mountains, the Brooks Camp Campground is considered by many to be one of the top campgrounds in North America. Camping at Brooks Camp is only permitted within the designated campground. Campers arriving without a reservation, especially in July when the campground is usually full, must be prepared to backcountry camp outside of the Brooks Camp Developed Area (see Backcountry/Wilderness Camping below). Backcountry/Wilderness Camping: More than 4 million acres of Katmai are open to backcountry/wilderness camping. Backcountry camping is not permitted within the Brooks Camp Developed Area (the area within 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of Brooks Falls) year-round or within the core Hallo Bay meadows from April 1 through October 31. No permits are required for backcountry camping. Fure's Cabin: Fure's Cabin, a beautifully constructed one-room house, is a public use cabin. Now a refuge for kayakers, canoers and hikers, the cabin was once the home of trapper, miner and famed Naknek local Roy Fure. The cabin is located on the north side of the Bay of Islands in Naknek Lake. There is anchorage and limited beach access. Primary heat at the cabin is wood. This cabin is not a substitute for the Brooks Camp Campground. Fure's Cabin is over 20 miles by water from Brooks Camp and no public transportation is available. GPS: 58 degrees 40'10.19"N, 155 degrees 25'51.02"W Katmai email: http://www.nps.gov/katm/contacts.htm
Location
Public CampgroundBrooks Camp Campground — Katmai Bay National Park is located in Alaska
Directions
Katmai National Park & Preserve headquarters is in King Salmon, about 290 air miles southwest of Anchorage. Katmai is almost exclusively accessed by plane or boat. Regularly scheduled commercial flights to King Salmon (AKN) are available from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) via PenAir, Ravn Alaska, and Alaska Airlines. Fure's Cabin is over 20 miles by water from Brooks Camp and no public transportation is available.
Address
PO Box 7
King salmon, AK 99613
Coordinates
58.6694972 N
155.430838889 W
Connectivity
T-MobileNo Coverage- VerizonNo Coverage
- AT&TNo Coverage
Connectivity
- T-MobileNo Coverage
- VerizonNo Coverage
- AT&TNo Coverage
Access
- Drive-InPark next to your site
- Boat-InSites accessible by watercraft.
Site Types
- Tent Sites
- Cabins
Features
For Campers
- Reservable
- Fires
