Visitor Centers

Floatplanes, a common mode of transportation to Brooks Camp in Katmai, parked along the beach of Naknek Lake.

NPS Photo/A Kraft

 

The King Salmon Visitor Center is the first stop for visitors heading out to Katmai National Park and Preserve or other local area attractions.

NPS Photo/A Glore

King Salmon Visitor Center

Location: Right next to the King Salmon Airport in King Salmon, Alaska.

Open: The hours of operation vary by season.

Store: An Alaska Geographic store, run by Visitor Center staff, enables visitors to purchase clothing, books, pictures, cards, plush toys and more.

Programming: NPS programs are often offered to the public, as well as programming put on by partner organizations for this Visitor Center including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Bristol Bay Borough, and the Lake & Peninsula Borough.

 

Exhibits showing life cycles of salmon, indigenous subsistence techniques and geology of the area as well as an interactive map.

NPS Photo/A Kraft

Exhibits: Learn more about the natural and cultural resources of the local area through the interactive and informational materials. Topics include local animals (salmon, bears, birds), dinosaurs, geology and volcanoes as well as the more than 9,000 years of human history in this area. A 3D Virtual Reality exhibit of the Griggs Expedition of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is available for viewing. Visitors can also explore touchscreen exhibits.

Information: Maps, brochures and pamphlets are available for area National Park sites, area Fish & Wildlife refuges, Bristoal Bay Borough, Lake and Peninsula Borough and the local community. The Ends of the Earth, the National Park Service video focusing on Katmai and Aniakchak, is available for viewing as are several other films. Interpretive staff will also be available to provide information and answer questions.

 

Resources: Visitors can check out bear resistant canisters for personal use and purchase duck stamps at this location.

Passport Stamp: There is a NPS Passport Stamp at this Visitor Center. If you are unable to come to us to get the stamp, however, feel free to use this virtual stamp, found on the right of this page. Simply right click and save this image, then print it, put the date of your virtual visit on it, and paste it into your personal passport book.

 

A glimpse of the goods for sale in the store section of the Brooks Camp Visitor Center.

NPS Photo/A Kraft

Brooks Camp Visitor Center

Location: Along the shore of Naknek Lake in the heart of Katmai.

Open: The hours of operation vary by season.

Store: An Alaska Geographic shop, runs by park staff, enables visitors to purchase clothing, books, pictures, cards, plush toys and more, some of which is exclusive to this location.

Programming: Events at Brooks Camp include a variety of ranger-led programming.

 

Visitors first stop at Brooks Camp, the Visitor Center is home to the mandatory bear orientation as well as a small gift shop and friendly rangers.

NPS Photo/A Kraft

Bear Orientation: All visitors must stop by the Brooks Camp Visitor Center to get their bear orientation with one of our friendly rangers. Everyone will learn proper ettiquette to live more harmoniously with bears, an integral part of having a good time at Brooks Camp.

Information: Maps, brochures and pamphlets are available for Katmai National Park and Preserve. Visitors checking in for their campsites should do so here. The Ends of the Earth, the National Park Service video focusing on Katmai and Aniakchak, is available for viewing as are several other films. Help with planning backcountry adventures is provided here. Interpretive staff will also be available to provide information and answer questions.

 

Resources: Visitors can check out bear resistant canisters and wheelchairs for personal use. Lost and found services are also offered here. One of the food and gear caches for visitors to use is next door, along with some pit toilets. A picnic area, enclosed with a bear resistant electric fence, can be used to enjoy food since carrying food throughout Brooks Camp is not permitted.

Passport Stamp: There is a NPS Passport Stamp at this Visitor Center. If you are unable to come to us to get the stamp, however, feel free to use this virtual stamp, found on the right of this page. Simply right click and save this image, then print it, put the date of your virtual visit on it, and paste it into your personal passport book.

 

Visitors on a Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes tour will stop at the Robert F. Griggs Visitor Center which has magnificent views like this.

NPS Photo

Robert F. Griggs Visitor Center

Location: Overlooking the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, 23 miles from Brooks Camp on the only road within Katmai.

Open: The hours of operation vary by season.

Programming: This visitor center is best experienced as part of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes ranger-led tour. No other programming occurs at this site.

 

The Ukak River, winding its way through the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.

NPS Photo/B Lutes

Exhibits: Learn more about the Novarupta eruption of 1912, the largest eruption of the 20th century. Furthermore, visitors can explore the impact on those who inhabited the area at the time, how people thought Mount Katmai was the source of the explosion, learn about the Griggs expedition, the geology of the surrounding area and why this area is called the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.

Information: Visitors who are part of the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes ranger-led tour have the option of continuing on a ranger-led hike to the valley floor, learning more about the area along the way.

 

Resources: Pit toilets are nearby. An emergency shelter for backcountry campers and hikers is available should the need arise.

Passport Stamp: There is a NPS Passport Stamp at this Visitor Center. If you are unable to come to us to get the stamp, however, feel free to use this virtual stamp, found on the right of this page. Simply right click and save this image, then print it, put the date of your virtual visit on it, and paste it into your personal passport book.