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A wilderness camping set up is seen at sunset in the Moraine/Funnel creek area. This group has a good wilderness camping set up with an electric fence surrounding their tents
NPS Photo/ A. Ramos
There are two types of camping in Katmai National Park:
Wilderness camping is allowed everywhere in Katmai National Park outside of a 1.5-mile radius outside of Brooks Camp.
There are no fees or permits required for wilderness camping.
Wilderness camping is available to those who want to camp near Brooks Camp but don’t have a Brooks Camp Campground reservation. Be aware though, the hike outside the 1.5-mile radius may actually accumulate to more than 3-miles due to terrain and trail access.
Common Wilderness Camping Areas
Camping in one location for more than 14 consecutive days is prohibited. If you wish to camp for longer than 14 days, your second camp must be at least two miles away from your original campsite. The 14-day clock starts as soon as you set up your tent. Established campsites are scarce. The 14-day restriction is to reduce lasting impacts to the land, as many operators and visitors try to use the same established site. There are also seasonal camping closures. More information on these closures on the Maps page.
Wilderness Camping is permitted outside the Brooks Camp Developed Area (BCDA). See the map below for more details.
Getting there
To get outside the BCDA, you must hike approximately 3 miles from the Dumpling Mountain trailhead and gain roughly 1,000 ft of elevation. This trail is considered moderately strenuous. There is a sign posted that indicates you have crossed the BCDA boundary. As the elevation increases, Dumpling Mountain offers open tundra and expansive views.
Know what to expect:
There are no designated camping sites and no bathrooms or other facilities. Upon immediately reaching the point where backcountry camping is permitted, alder thickets may necessitate hiking further to reach a good area to camp.
You are camping in bear country. We recommend an electric fence when camping in the wilderness. As a reminder, electric fences are bear deterrents; they are not bear proof.
People camping outside the BCDA usually get water in Brooks Camp Campground, as there is no access to water on Dumpling Mountain.
While visitors can leave extra food and gear in the designated caches at Brooks Camp, know that these caches were not intended to accommodate people camping beyond the BCDA and space may be at a premium.
Know the regulations:
The BCDA is defined as a 1.5-mile radius outside of Brooks Camp. A sign is posted along the Dumpling Mountain trail indicating when you have reached the BCDA boundary.
The use of bear-resistant food containers (BRFCs) is mandatory in all backcountry areas. A limited supply of BRFCs are available to borrow free of charge at the visitor centers in King Salmon and Brooks Camp.
Wilderness camping is permitted outside the Brooks Camp Development Area (BCDA).
Getting There
Some visitors prefer to hike southeast from the BCDA along the road to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes to set up camp, as it is an easier route to travel compared to Dumpling Mountain. It's a 1.5 mile hike along the road with approximately 150 ft of elevation gain to reach the point where backcountry camping is permitted. A sign is posted along the road indicating when you have reached the BCDA boundary.
Know what to expect:
There are no designated camping sites and no bathrooms or other facilities. There are no cleared sites for backcountry camping along the Valley Road. The terrain is spruce forest with many standing and fallen dead trees. Take care choosing a spot among the spruce trees as winds in Katmai can be fierce. In addition, it may be difficult to find an area big enough for a tent and electric fence in the dense forest. Finding an adequate camp spot often requires exploring beyond the 1.5 mile point. The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes Road is a one-lane road that has pullouts. These are not good places to camp because vehicles use them to turn around and let other vehicles pass.
You are camping in bear country. We recommend using an electric fence when camping in the wilderness. As a reminder, electric fences are bear deterrents; they are not bear proof.
While visitors can leave extra food and gear in the designated caches at Brooks Camp, these caches were not intended to accommodate people camping beyond the BCDA and space may be unavailable.
Know the regulations:
The BCDA is defined as a 1.5-mile radius from the Brooks Camp. A sign is posted along the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes Road indicating when you have reached the BCDA boundary.
The use of bear-resistant food containers (BRFCs) is mandatory in all backcountry areas. A limited supply of BRFCs are available to borrow free of charge at the visitor centers in King Salmon and Brooks Camp.
Hallo Bay sits on the Pacific Coast of Katmai in the shadow of Kukak Volcano. A rich sedge meadow nestled between the mountains of Katmai and the Cook Inlet, Hallo Bay provides abundant food sources for all types of wildlife. Most commonly in June, bears roam about feasting on the nutrient dense sedges. Other wildlife in Halo Bay include wolves, foxes, and migratory birds.
Getting there
Getting to Hallo Bay requires air taxi transport from the towns of King Salmon, Homer, Kodiak, or Anchorage. Find more information about air taxis on the Directions and Transportation page.
Hallo Bay is tidally influenced and checking tide tables and times is imperative for a safe camping in the area.
Know the Regulations
The core meadow areas of Hallo Bay are closed to camping from April 1st through October 31st to prevent conflicts between bears and visitors at prime bear feeding sites. Check the Map for closure areas before you depart to ensure you are camping in designated areas. Download the PDF of these closures to bring with you.
The use of bear-resistant food containers (BRFCs) is mandatory in all backcountry areas. A limited supply of BRFCs are available to borrow free of charge at the visitor centers in King Salmon and Brooks Camp. Follow all food and gear safety regulations on the Bear Safety page
Amalik Bay is a shared use area, meaning some visitors only visit for the day, while others may have extended stays either via camping or boating in the fjord.
Amalik Bay is on the Pacific Coast of Katmai and provides sheltered entry into Geographic Harbor. Unlike Hallo Bay, this area was formed by glaciers, creating a fjord. The topography here is very different from the coastal meadow areas along Katmai’s coast. There are minimal flat areas for a camp set-up. Be sure to look at tide tables and any designated areas that are closed to camping before setting up. Check the Map for any closure areas.
Getting There
Getting to Amalik Bay requires air taxi transport from the towns of King Salmon, Homer, Kodiak, or Anchorage. Find more information about air taxis on the Directions and Transportation page.
Know the Regulations
No food is allowed on the bear viewing island. The use of bear-resistant food containers (BRFCs) is mandatory in all backcountry areas. A limited supply of BRFCs are aavailable to borrow free of charge at the visitor centers in King Salmon and Brooks Camp. Follow all food and gear safety regulations on the Bear Safety page.
The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, or VTTS, is rife with camping and backpacking opportunities, but it comes with a unique set of safety considerations.
Getting There
Getting to the Valley often means taking a float plane from King Salmon to Brooks Camp, then taking a shuttle bus from Brooks Camp to the Three Forks Visitor Center. From Three Forks, there are a few routes to get down onto the Valley floor.
From Windy Creek Social Trail
The best route into the Valley is via the Windy Creek social trail. This trail is not maintained but is used by many visitors and staff each year. When driving the Vally Road, ask your bus driver to drop you at the trailhead, or when you arrive at Three Forks, it is about a mile walk from the Visitor Center to the trailhead. This social trail takes you across Windy Creek, through an ashen landscape, up to an alder-covered hillside, before opening to the vast Valley floor. Around five to six miles out from the trailhead, the social trail ends. You can still explore the Valley via map and compass orienteering.
From Ukak Falls Trail
The Ukak Falls Trail is a maintained trail taking visitors down to Ukak Falls and the confluence of the River Lethe, Knife Creek, and Windy Creek. The trail begins at the steps of the Valley Visitor Center and is maintained for about 1.5 miles one-way. This offers limited access to areas further out in the Valley like Novarupta and other volcanoes.
Be Aware
Be sure to find a place to camp that is sheltered from any high winds that often rip through the valley and turn up tons of ash. Water sources can be scarce. The rivers that flow through the valley have ash sediment that is difficult to filter. Some springs and snow-melt are available on the slopes of various hills and ridges throughout the Valley. Filtering or purifying this water is imperative to minimizing the risk of water-borne diseases and infections like giardia.
Be aware of wildlife while exploring the Valley. Though this landscape looks almost inhospitable to wildlife, bears, caribou, wolves, and lynx are often seen or heard throughout the Valley.
In Katmai National Preserve, these two creeks drain from lakes that lay to the east. In mid to late summer, the arrival of salmon attracts an abundance of bears, great for bear viewing. There are also sport fishing and rafting opportunities.
Getting to this area requires a chartered flight or guide service from the towns of King Salmon, Homer, Kodiak, or Anchorage. Find more information on air taxis on the Directions and Transportation page.
Between July 1st and August 31st camping is not permitted within one half of a mile upstream and downstream from the confluence of Moraine Creek and Funnel Creek, in order to prevent conflicts between bears and visitors. Check the Map for closure areas. Download the PDF of these closures to bring with you.
The use of bear-resistant food containers (BRFCs) is mandatory in all backcountry areas. A limited supply of BRFCs are available to borrow freeof charge at the visitor centers in King Salmon and Brooks Camp. Follow all food and gear safety regulations on the Bear Safety page.
To protect water resources, human waste must be packed out if the waste event occurs within 0.25-miles of any lake.
The inserted map shows the whole of Katmai, which is mostly open to wilderness camping except for locations inside the red circle in the main map image
NPS Photo
Katmai's wilderness areas include everything outside of the red circle in the image to the right. Inside the red circle, campers must have a reservation in the Brooks Camp Campground.
The red circle is a 1.5 mile radius from the famous Brooks Falls. It includes the "Brooks Camp Developed Area," or BCDA, where facilities like a Visitor Center, restrooms, lodge, campground, and ranger services are located.
If you are wanting to camp near Brooks Camp but don't have a campground reservation, you can wilderness camp outside this 1.5 mile radius.
The hike outside of this radius may accummulate to more than 3 miles due to terrain and trail access
These are suggested best practices for camping in Katmai's wilderness areas and bear country. All otherbackcountry camping regulations still apply.
Avoid surprise encounters with bears by making noise, hiking and camping in open areas, avoiding thickets and brush, and do not camp on bear trails.
In heavily visited areas, camp in places that have already been impacted. Not only does this reduce damage to vegetation, but it also has the added bonus that bears are likely to be less curious about your campsite as they have seen humans in that spot before.
Erecting an electric fence around your campsite is highly recommended and is the best practice for bear safety.
When using an electric fence, properly stored food may be be kept within the electric fence.
If you are not using a bear fence, tents should be placed in a line to allow bears to pass through and food must be properly stored 100 yards away from tents.
Camp at least 100 feet away from moving water. Bears commonly use waterways as trail systems, and during the salmon run, bear activity is high along these corridors.
Keep a clean campsite.
More Information on Specific Katmai Wilderness Locations
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Last updated: May 1, 2026
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Contact Info
Mailing Address:
PO Box 7
1000 Silver Street, Building 603
King Salmon,
AK
99613
