Getting to Brooks Camp, Katmai National Park - In Light of Nature

Getting To Brooks Camp, Katmai National Park & Preserve

Katmai Air float plane approaching on the last day of the season in late September

Anchorage to King Salmon

Getting to Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park & Preserve typically requires first flying into King Salmon (AKN), Alaska.

You can fly from Anchorage (ANC) to King Salmon (AKN) on Alaska Airlines or Katmai Air.

Flights into and out of Alaska are sometimes at strange hours in the middle of the night or early morning. Most of the time, I opt to do a long layover in the Anchorage airport versus booking a hotel for a long layover. It is common to see other travelers resting/sleeping in the airport while waiting for their flights. You can pay for overnight luggage storage at the airport. Bring some earplugs.

You won’t be able to change into “Katmai clothes” until you arrive at Brooks Camp. I recommend wearing a long-sleeved shirt and long pants in Anchorage and keeping your bug spray easy to access when you land in King Salmon and then Brooks Camp. Also, keep a rainjacket on your person when you leave Anchorage.

King Salmon to Brooks Camp

The standard way to reach Brooks Camp is via a round trip float plane trip to/from Brooks Camp from King Salmon. In recent years a water taxi service has been providing another option. I recommend taking a float plane with Katmai Air.

The King Salmon (AKN) airport is small and can be chaotic during salmon season. There you will wait for your luggage to be deplaned. You will then need to grab your bags and bring them to a Katmai Air / Brooks Lodge shuttle bus waiting in front of the King Salmon luggage terminal. Keep an eye out for the shuttle out front of the luggage terminal.

The Katmai Air / Brooks Lodge shuttle bus will drive you and your luggage, with other visitors, to the Katmai Air float plane terminal in King Salmon, on the Naknek River. You will have your luggage and yourself weighed when you check in. Your luggage may fly on a different float plane. No worries, they have an excellent track record. If the float plane crew wants to take your camera and stow it, please abide; they handle thousands of cameras yearly with no problems.

Bear spray is not allowed on any flights, including float planes. If you have bear spray, you need to declare it. This is serious; if a bear spray canister opened in the cabin, it would be a disaster! Do not sneak bear spray onto any flights. If you declare bear spray, they will make you fill out paperwork and stow it inside the plane’s floats.

Please listen and follow the instructions of the float plane pilot. The pilot will seat you in a dedicated seat to balance the plane. You need to sit in your assigned seat. If you are lucky enough to sit in the cockpit with the pilot, please follow their instructions and ask them if it is ok for you to take photos or not. The pilots often do not want you taking pictures from the co-pilot’s seat.

The float plane flight is quick (20-30 minutes). Enjoy seeing the sights of Katmai as you fly into Brooks Camp.

I will meet you on the beach when you land on Naknek Lake at Brooks Camp. You will be led to the NPS Visitor Center where you will take a mandatory bear safety class. Do not worry about your luggage, the “ramp dogs” will unload your luggage from the float plane and take it to the designated inbound luggage location at Brooks Lodge.

Do not be shocked if there are bears on the beach when you land. Please just follow the instruction of the ramp dogs and/or rangers, or me.

After your bear safety class, you will receive an official bear safety pin. Please wear this when you are at Katmai. After bear school, please walk to the Brooks Lodge. We will load your luggage in a luggage cart and walk together to the Brooks Campground.

We will photograph as soon as possible after you arrive in Brooks Camp.

What can go wrong?

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Flying into a fog bank, Naknek Lake, Katmai National Park & Preserve

Weather delays flying into/out of Brooks Camp and/or King Salmon
- “East Wind” days are when strong willawa winds cause huge waves on Naknek Lake, preventing planes from landing or taking off. On some east wind days, they will use Brooks Lake instead of Naknek Lake and then bus passengers to Brooks Lodge.
Your luggage might arrive later that day. Carry on a small bag with a camera onto the float plane. The float plane operators will still stow it for you, but it is on the plane with you.
The days of “bear jams” on the old floating bridge are gone now that there is a new raised bridge. Sometimes a mother with cubs may be on the beach with the float planes, causing a delay.

What can go right?

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Spring cubs waiting in the grass while Mom fishes, Katmai National Park & Preserve

You experience the wild beauty of Katmai
You get some great photographs of the wildlife in Katmai while they go about their natural behaviors
You return home safely with forever fond memories of Katmai

In nature photography, it pays off to be prepared, aware and ready for anything — but not too goal-driven. Relax and get into the environment you are in and you will then have the best photo opportunities present themselves to you.

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