Camping in Katmai: Which Campground to Choose, Reservations, and Fees
Katmai National Park has just one public campground, no road access, and dozens of brown bears living a few feet from your tent. Yes, you can camp in the park. Brooks Camp Campground is the only official option inside the park, and you can reach it only by air. You need a paid permit, reservations are made through Recreation.gov, and sites fill up fast.
Campgrounds in the park (1)
- Campground Brooks Camp Campground recreation.gov · 32 sites Directions ↗
Base map © OpenStreetMap · © CARTO Can You Camp Inside Katmai?
Katmai is unlike any other American national park. No roads cross it. To get there, you'll take a flight from King Salmon (10 to 15 minutes in the air) or a floatplane from Homer, Alaska. Inside the park, just one developed campground opens each summer: Brooks Camp Campground. Outside this campground, backcountry camping is allowed throughout the park with a permit, in true wilderness with no services.
Campgrounds in the Park
Brooks Camp Campground
This is Katmai's only official campground. It's just steps from Brooks River and its bear-viewing platforms, offering an experience that's hard to match.
Available services: flush toilets, running potable water, and covered cooking shelters equipped with bear boxes. There are no showers on site.
Site types: tents only. Sites aren't set up for RVs, and no road vehicle can enter the park anyway.
Opening season: June through mid-September, timed around the salmon run and the presence of brown bears.
Capacity: about 60 sites. In July and August, the campground is practically full every night.
An electric fence surrounds the campground to discourage bears from entering at night. This isn't a symbolic measure.
RVs and Katmai: An Impossible Combination
You can't bring a vehicle to Katmai. The park isn't connected to any road accessible from outside. All your gear arrives in the hold of a small plane or a floatplane from King Salmon: a compact freestanding tent, a sleeping bag suited to cool nights (43 to 54°F is common in July), and a camp kitchen that follows the food-storage rules to the letter.
If you usually travel by van or RV, shift your plans toward a lodge or other lodging in King Salmon. The Alaska Peninsula camping alternatives and lodges and comfortable lodging in Katmai each have their own guide.
Camping Nearby: Options Outside the Park
King Salmon is Katmai's main gateway and the only access town with even a few amenities. Private campgrounds are scarce. Most travelers stay at a lodge or B&B for a night before and after their time in the park. The Katmai lodging guide reviews all the available options.
Homer, on the Kenai Peninsula, also serves as a departure point for floatplane flights to Brooks Camp. It's a practical alternative if you're combining Katmai with other destinations in Southcentral Alaska.
Wilderness Camping and Backcountry Trips
Katmai covers more than 6,200 square miles. Outside Brooks Camp, you'll find the most complete wilderness experience in the park. A backcountry permit is required and is available through Recreation.gov. There are no designated sites. You choose your site, purify your water, and pack out all your trash. An approved bear canister is essential.
This is an adventure for highly self-reliant, well-equipped travelers. The Katmai hiking guide covers routes and the logistical preparation needed for this kind of expedition.
How and When to Reserve a Campsite in Katmai
Reservations for Brooks Camp Campground are available exclusively through Recreation.gov (permit reference number: 249991). You reserve a site for the nights you want.
When should you book? The reservation window opens each January for the following season. Mid-July dates, when bear activity peaks at Brooks Falls, are the most sought after and disappear within hours. Outside the busiest periods, cancellations sometimes open up a few weeks out.
Our advice: set an alarm for the day January reservations open. Have two or three backup dates ready. That makes the process faster if your first choice is already taken.
Fees: How Much Does a Night of Camping Cost in Katmai?
The Brooks Camp camping permit costs money. The exact fee is listed on the Recreation.gov page for permit 249991 and may change from one season to the next, so check the page for the current price. This fee covers the campground site only.
You also need to pay for a round-trip flight from King Salmon or Homer, which is the main expense of the trip. A flight from King Salmon is considerably less expensive than one from Homer. For entrance fees and annual passes, see the National Parks Fees & Passes page.
Safety and Good Practices: Bears Are at the Center of the Experience
Brown bears are a constant presence at Brooks Camp during the season. This isn't occasional wildlife. When we visited in July, we shared the riverbank with around 20 bears, sometimes less than 330 feet away. The rules are strict and nonnegotiable.
Absolute rules:
- Mandatory orientation on arrival. A ranger briefs you before you enter the campground. The briefing is required.
- Strict food storage. All food, drinks, and scented items (toothpaste, sunscreen, cooking oil) must be locked in the bear boxes whenever you're not holding them. No exceptions.
- Communal cooking only. You can't cook or eat at your tent site. That's what the cooking shelters are for.
- Keep at least 165 feet from every bear, except on ranger-guided viewing platforms.
- Never run from a bear. Speak calmly and back away slowly.
These rules protect campers and bears alike. A bear that has learned to associate people with food has to be removed from the park. The Katmai wildlife guide explains brown bear behavior and what you'll see from the platforms.
Which Campground Should You Choose?
You're coming for bears and Brooks Falls: Brooks Camp Campground is your only option inside the park. Book as soon as the January reservation window opens, and target mid-July for the fishing spectacle.
You're looking for an extreme wilderness experience: get a backcountry permit and plan a self-sufficient, multiday expedition in a park that's practically empty.
Brooks Camp is full or outside your budget: base yourself in King Salmon, take a day trip by air, and stay outside the park. Our complete Katmai guide will help you organize this type of visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you camp in Katmai?
Camping in Katmai means reserving a Brooks Camp Campground permit through Recreation.gov (permit 249991), then taking a flight from King Salmon or Homer to Brooks Camp, with your tent and gear in your luggage.
How do you get to Katmai?
You can't reach Katmai by road. First, you'll fly to King Salmon (flights from Anchorage), then take a 10- to 15-minute flight to Brooks Camp, or a floatplane from Homer.
How do you get to Brooks Lodge in Alaska?
Brooks Lodge is served by the same flights as Brooks Camp: scheduled flights from King Salmon operated by local companies, or charter floatplanes from Homer. Check with your chosen operator as soon as you book.
Which campground should you choose in Katmai?
Brooks Camp Campground is the park's only developed campground. For a backcountry experience, you can get a wilderness permit through Recreation.gov, with no designated site.
When should you reserve a campground in Katmai?
Reservations for Brooks Camp open in January through Recreation.gov for the summer season (June through mid-September). In July and August, demand far exceeds the available supply.
Can you encounter bears at the Katmai campground?
Yes, and it's unavoidable. Dozens of brown bears frequent the area around Brooks Camp throughout the season. An electric fence surrounds the campground at night, and rangers strictly enforce the food-storage rules.