🌝 2024 Solar eclipse: Book now for 4/8

The best camping near Katmai National Park & Preserve

Discover the most magical spots to pitch your tent or park your rig on your next Katmai National Park & Preserve adventure.

Get up close with salmon-fishing brown bears at this remote peninsular park.  

Popular ways to camp

The best camping near Katmai National Park & Preserve guide

Overview

About

Situated on the Alaska Peninsula and accessible only by plane or boat, Katmai National Park and Preserve protects over 6,000 square miles of wilderness. It's best known for two key attractions: the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, which is filled with ash flow from a 1912 volcanic eruption, and Brooks Camp, famous for the numerous Alaskan brown bears that congregate here every July to catch salmon. Brooks Camp features a small lodge and a single campground for up to 60 guests, but backcountry camping is both abundant and free—just be sure to use a bear canister.

Tips for snagging a campsite

  • Reservations for the current calendar year go live on January 5th at 8 am Alaska Time and can be made on recreation.gov or over the phone.
  • There are no designated campsites at Brooks Campground, but there is a 60-person capacity limit.
  • Campers are limited to seven nights during July (and a total of 14 nights per calendar year).
  • If the campground is full, you can head out of the Brooks Camp Developed Area (BCDA), which comprises everything within a 1.5-mile radius of Brooks Falls. Backcountry camping is free with no required permits.

When to go

The most popular time to visit the park is during the peak bear-viewing season, which runs from late June through July and again in September. July gets the largest number of guests, and the Brooks Campground frequently books up for the month within a few hours of reservations becoming available. August offers great weather with better chances of snagging a campsite (and you’ll probably still see plenty of bears).

Know before you go

  1. Katmai National Park is not accessible by road, which means you'll need to take an air taxi or boat.
  2. There is no internet or cell service in the park, so you'll need a satellite phone if you plan to call home. The nearest place to buy groceries is in King Salmon Alaska, a 45-minute water taxi ride away.
  3. Hot meals and cocktails are available for purchase at Brooks Lodge, a concessionaire-run hotel located a short walk from the campground.
  4. Campers are required to store food in bear-resistant containers, available to borrow from the Brooks Camp and King Salmon visitor centers.

Top cities near Katmai National Park & Preserve

Safety at Hipcamp

Inclusion Policy
Inclusion Policy
Inclusion Policy
Hipcamp Hand

Safety partners

Recreate Responsibly

About us

Hipcamp is the most comprehensive resource for beautiful private campsites.

Discover and reserve tent camping, RV parks, cabins, treehouses, and glamping.

Download the Hipcamp App

Hipcamp is created with ❤️ and hope for our future.