Katmai National Park

Katmai National Park

Katmai National Park and Preserve is an area of vast wilderness and unique geological features in southwest Alaska, at the tip of the Alaska Peninsula, in the Shelikof Strait. In 1918, Katmai was designated a national monument after the massive eruption of the Novarupta Volcano in 1912. The boundaries of the monument were modified several times between 1931 and 1980, when it became a national park and preserve. The park covers an area of 14,869 square kilometers and the preserve an additional 1,694 square kilometers. The eruption of Novarupta in 1912 turned a green valley into the ash-filled wasteland known as the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. When the valley was first visited in 1916, a huge number of fumaroles were found, but these have subsided as the ash has cooled, and only a few are active today. The park is characterized by its lakes, wild rivers, mountains, forests and marshes, as well as its abundant wildlife, especially the grizzly. In summer, visitors can observe bears feeding on sockeye salmon along the Brooks River. Other wildlife in the area includes moose, wolves, caribou, Snowshoe Hare, Timber Wolf, beaver, lynx, river otter, mink, weasel, porcupine, marten, foxes and wolverines, and the birdlife is also very diverse. Among the marine mammals are Harbor Seal, Sea Lion, Sea Otter, Beluga Whale, Killer Whale and Grey Whale. The park is home to a total of 29 mammal species, 137 bird species, 24 freshwater fish species and four anadromous fish species. The picturesque coastline, which can be reached by boat or floatplane, features fjords, cliffs, bays and waterfalls.