Katmai National Park Day Tour $1255
- Katmai National Park is home to North America’s largest protected population of brown bears, the valley of ten thousand smokes and is world renowned as the best rainbow trout and salmon fishing region. This Alaska tour is a once in a lifetime experience where you will get to see brown bears feed on wild Alaskan salmon or if you choose bring your fishing rod and indulge in do it yourself fishing, anyway you want enjoy the Brooks Falls bear viewing experience in Katmai.
- The Katmai Tour begins as you depart our Anchorage Aero office aboard one of our aircraft and embark on a scenic flight to Katmai National Park. Your flight path initially takes you southwest bound over Cook Inlet. Keep an eye out as there is often beluga whales spotted below. As your flight continues you'll pass several active volcanoes including Mt Spurr, Reboubt Volcano, Mount Iliamna and Augestine Volcano. Once approaching Katmai see one of the many beautiful watersheds which are the head waters to Bristol Bay including the Alagnak Wild River drainage. Annually all of these waters fill with salmon, bears and rainbow trout and you'll have the opportunity to see this en route to your bear viewing, fishing or sightseeing destination. Once you have arrived at Brooks Camp, a park ranger will provide a brief orientation to instruct you on proper (and safe) bear country etiquette you will now have the opportunity to visit the world famous Brooks Falls. While viewing brown bears feed, the friendly National Park Service rangers will gladly answer all of your questions about this incredible park. You will have a chance to see bears from several viewing platforms walking on the same trails as you, or even from the front porch of the Brooks Lodge while getting a snack.
- With our expert Katmai region experience we know all of the bear viewing and fishing locations but the premier destination is Brooks Falls (seasonal destinations may vary). During the month of July and again in September migrating salmon fill the Brooks River on the journey to complete their life cycle, come see this magical phenomenon.
Katmai National Park History
Formally known as Katmai National Monument, Katmai National Park and Preserve was proclaimed a National Monument in 1918 after the eruption of Novarupta (now known as the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes). In 1950, the National Park Service stationed a full-time ranger in the park and began construction on Brooks Camp ranger station; that original building is now the Visitors Center.
Tourism increased dramatically in the 1950's after aviation pioneer, Raymond Petersen, established several camps around the Katmai region. In the beginning, most visitors were sport fishermen but as word spread of Katmai’s brown bears during the 1980’s, the Brooks River became a popular wildlife viewing destination.
It is estimated that there are around 2,200 bears in Katmai National Park, with the total number of bears exceeding the population of people on the entire Alaska Peninsula. However, there is an unusually high concentration of brown bears around rivers from July to September as they congregate to feed on spawning salmon, making Brooks Falls bear viewing tours the perfect trip for seasonal adventurers.