Directions to Katmai National Park & Preserve

Katmai National Park & Preserve is in Alaska, on the Alaska Peninsula to be more precise, just across the Shelikof Strait from famous Kodiak Island. The Katmai National Park & Preserve Headquarters are located at King Salmon, which is around 290 miles to the southwest of Anchorage, Alaska – 290 air miles that is, there are no roads to King Salmon.

There are daily flights to King Salmon provided by a number of commercial airlines. Many visitors to Katmai National Park & Preserve head to Brooks Camp, which is around 30 air miles from King Salmon and can only be reached by boat or float plane. I told you it was an out of the way, wilderness type place didn’t I? You don’t get much more remote locations than Katmai National Park & Preserve.

Flying to Katmai National Park & Preserve

You can fly to the majority of the destinations in Katmai National Park & Preserve using air taxi flights, which can be chartered from King Salmon, Anchorage, Kodiak, Homer, Iliamna, Soldotna or a choice of other Alaska towns and villages close by. There are also regular commercial flights scheduled to King Salmon (AKN), many adventurers use this as the starting point to their trip. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) provides these flights via Alaska Airlines and PenAir.

Brooks Camp is around 30 air miles from King Salmon, and is a popular starting point for many visitors on their Katmai National Park & Preserve adventure. A float plane or a boat is needed to reach Books Camp, both of which can be chartered from many of the nearby towns and villages (see above).

Traveling to Katmai National Park & Preserve by Boat

The many towns and villages along the Pacific Ocean coastline can be accessed by boat. Many locations along the Naknek River (including Brooks Camp) can be reached by power boat from King Salmon or Naknek village, which are situated a little to the west of the park boundaries along the Naknek River.