Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park - All You Need to Know
Two brown bears fishing at the top of Brooks Falls
There’s a good chance you have seen the iconic photo of a large brown bear standing on the edge of a waterfall, waiting for a fatty salmon to jump into its mouth. This image is on the front of postcards, travel magazines, posters, and more. Now you can stop visualizing this photo because Brooks Falls is a place you can easily visit during your trip to Alaska! Continue reading to learn why you should visit, how to get there, when to visit, and everything else you need to know about going to Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park.
For clarity - Katmai National Park and Preserve is the large National Park on the Alaska Peninsula. Brooks Camp is a small area within Katmai National Park. This is where water and air taxis will take passengers. There is a campground, overnight lodging, a small cafe and shop, and a ranger station. Brooks Falls, the main waterfall, is located within Brooks Camp.
Where is Brooks Falls?
Brooks Falls is a picturesque waterfall on the Brooks River in Katmai National Park and Preserve. Katmai National Park is a remote national park in Alaska, so the only way to get there is by air or water transportation. You can not drive to Brooks Falls as no roads connect this part of Alaska.
Elizabeth and Damian at Brooks Camp
Damian on the gated boardwalk
About Katmai National Park
Katmai National Park and Preserve is located on the Alaska Peninsula, about 300 miles as the crow flies, southwest of Anchorage. The park's history dates back to 1918 and is tied to The Great Eruption, which took place in 1912. The eruption of the Novarupta Volcano in this area was the world’s largest volcanic eruption of the 20th Century. The eruption created the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, which you can easily visit on a bus tour within the park.
There is more to Katmai National Park than just Brooks Falls. Katmai is the fourth largest National Park in the United States, covering over 4.3 million acres of land. The park is home to over 2000 brown bears and other wildlife, including caribou, moose, and wolves.
Katmai also has a long history. For thousands of years, Native Alaskans inhabited the land in this region. The first archaeological evidence dates the presence of people in the area from 6 to 9 thousand years ago.
It is also important to remember that prior to the eruption of Novarupta, there were four year-round villages in this area and numerous seasonal camps. Unfortunately, the amount of ash that fell after the eruption forced the inhabitants of Savonoska, Katmai, Kukak, and Kaguyak to evacuate.
Map from National Park Service
Brown bear walking below a viewing platform
Why is Brooks Falls famous?
Brooks Falls is one of the world’s best places to safely observe brown bears at a close distance. Numerous bears flock to the Brooks River in the summer in anticipation of the arrival of sockeye salmon. A waterfall is a natural obstacle for fish, meaning many salmon are gathered in a relatively small area. This is very fortunate for the bears, which do not have to work hard to eat well.
The exceptional excess of food means that a few, a dozen, or even a few dozen brown bears can feed in one location. The large number of bears so close together makes Brooks Falls an attractive destination for photographers and visitors from around the world. The spectacle that happens at Brooks Falls is truly unique.
The Best Ways to Get to Brooks Falls
To reach Brooks Falls, you must venture off the beaten path. Despite this, Brooks Falls is a place that is easily accessible, provided that you have the right amount of time and a decent budget. There are currently two ways to get to Brooks Falls:
Fly from Anchorage or Homer to Brooks Camp (Day Tour)
This option is best for those with limited time to explore Alaska. It is also one of the simplest solutions that does not require additional transfers. The downside to this is the price. The cost for a one-day trip out to Brooks Falls and back currently ranges between $1000 to $1500 per person, depending on the company, length of the trip, and departure location. Note that trips from Anchorage will take longer as they involve a much longer flight to Katmai National Park than from Homer. The flight from Anchorage typically takes about two and a half hours, while the flight from Homer is only one and a half.
Sample cost of flights from Anchorage to Brooks Falls in 2023:
Fly Rusts: $1202 (including taxes)
Sample cost of flights from Homer to Brooks Falls in 2023:
Alaska Bear Adventures:: $1100 (including taxes)
Larger groups can easily charter a small plane for their needs. Most companies now offer these services, but books are recommended well in advance. In the past, we have chartered planes for our guests from Trail Ridge Air in Anchorage and Emerald Air in Homer, and we can confidently recommend both companies.
With day trips, there is always the risk of cancellation due to bad weather, which can happen regularly. In this situation, guests are offered an option to reschedule their flight (usually the next day) or a full refund of the unused services.
Fly with Alaska Airlines to King Salmon and take a water taxi
For those who want to save a little bit of money (and maybe increase your chances of getting to Brooks Falls despite the weather), an interesting option is to fly Alaska Airlines from Anchorage to King Salmon and then take a water taxi to Brooks Camp. This solution can sometimes avoid the obstacle of bad weather.
Water taxi companies pick up passengers from King Salmon airport and transfer them by boat to Brooks Camp in just 45 minutes. Water taxis operate all day in the summer. In 2023, a round-trip water taxi costs $330 per person.
You can also get to Brooks Camp from King Salmon by air taxi.
The float plane that took us from Homer to Katmai National Park
Float planes lined up at Brooks Camp and water taxi in the background
How do you move around Brooks Camp?
Moving around Brooks Camp is relatively easy, largely thanks to the fact that the employees and national park volunteers are so helpful. After landing on the lake, the pilot of your plane will escort you or show you how to reach Brooks Camp. There are a few things you need to take care of before you head out to see the bears.
All visitors to Brooks Camp are required to attend a brief presentation on park safety. Park rangers will present all information about how to travel in the park safely. Compliance with their rules greatly reduces the risk of any problems. After the presentation, visitors are required to leave all food items in a special locker. There is also an area to leave all unnecessary items.
Remember that this area is the only place where toilets are located. Be sure to use them before you set out on the trail.
There are several trails in Brooks Camp, and on each of them, there is a good chance of coming face-to-face with bears, which is important to keep in mind at all times. The most popular trails lead to the South Platform and the famous Brooks Falls Platform. A portion of the trail is located on an elevated and gate-enclosed boardwalk, a nice area to watch some of the bears. After the boardwalk, the trails are open but regularly traveled by other visitors. If you don’t feel confident walking alone, it is worth waiting for another group and tagging along.
Top Left: Food storage closet Top Right: Designated eating area with electric fence Bottom Left: Damian with Brooks Camp sign Bottom Right: Pin from park rangers received after attending informational session
We found a larger group to walk with on the Brooks Falls Trail
Brooks Falls Trail
Brooks Falls Trail is the area's most popular trail, leading to the famous observation platform. The majority of the trail is flat. Part of it is located on a special elevated boardwalk with lockable gates (so that bears do not enter them), and part of the trail is in forested areas. Bears are regularly encountered on this trail, so following all safety rules from the beginning of your stay is necessary. The bears regularly use the same trails as visitors.
Brooks Falls Trail is 1.2 miles round trip (nearly 2 kilometers) and takes an average of 20 to 35 minutes to hike. The route can take much longer, especially if bears are on the trail.
Gated boardwalk area with brown bear and angler in distance
Brown bears along the Brooks Falls Trail
Brooks Falls Viewing Platform
The Brooks Falls Viewing Platform is the place that wildlife lovers dream of. The platform has two elevated levels where visitors congregate. Many travelers visit Brooks Camp daily during some parts of the summer, especially in July. Because there are so many people, the park rangers monitor the platforms to rotate visitors. When the platform is full, the park ranger starts a waiting list for visitors. The time allowed on the viewing platform depends on the number of people. In theory, the time of the platform is limited to one hour, but in practice (such as the 2022 season), it was limited to 20 to 30 minutes. After this time, participants are asked to leave the platform, and others take their place. If you feel you had too little time, you can again add your name to the waitlist.
In the peak of the summer, the lines to the platform can be very long, and the waiting time can be well over an hour. It is also important to remember that setting up camera tripods on the platform is not permitted.
An alternative observation location is the Riffles Platform, which offers a slightly different view of the wildlife and the waterfall.
Damian and Elizabeth on the Brooks Falls viewing platform
Brown bear fishing as seen from Brooks Falls viewing platform
Best Time to Visit Brooks Falls
The best time to visit Brooks Falls is in July and September. However, visitors must keep in mind that the number of bears will always depend on whether the salmon have arrived in these areas, so it is impossible to give a specific date. The second half of July is often a safe period to choose. At this time, you should expect the largest number of bears as well as the largest number of visitors.
August is usually a pretty quiet month, but the bears return to the waterfall in September to gain weight before retiring for the winter. During this time, the bears feed primarily on dead fish that float down the Brooks River. By this time, the bears are very impressive in size, but little activity is happening at the waterfall or the river. The bears are full and do not want to waste their valuable energy.
It does happen that bears are at the waterfall in the second half of June or in August. We visited Brooks Falls at the end of June 2022 and saw many more bears there than we expected and were able to avoid the crowds. It was perfect.
Can you spot the brown bear taking in the view with the other visitors?
Mama bear teaching bear cubs how to fish
Where to Stay When Visiting Brooks Falls
Most visitors to Brooks Falls do not stay overnight, but that doesn’t mean they can’t! It is possible to stay at Brooks Lodge or Brooks Camp Campground. To stay at Brooks Lodge, you need to consider the high price (in 2022, it was $850 per night for four people) and luck. To get a spot at Brooks Lodge, you need to enter a lottery system. The number of people interested in staying at the lodge far exceeds the amount of availability, especially in the high season.
At Brooks Camp, there is also a campground surrounded by an electric fence to deter bears from entering. The campsite offers space for 60 people. In this case, there is a reservation system, which is important to book well in advance. The month of July often sells out within a few hours of the system opening. Reservations usually start in early January.
There is also an option to camp in the backcountry outside Brooks Camp if there is no availability at the campground or the lodge. You can read more about backcountry camping here.
Brown bear taking a break in the middle of the river
View from the Riffles Platform
How much time should you spend at Brooks Falls?
Most visitors will spend 5 to 7 hours in Brooks Falls, which usually turns out to be enough time to see the bears and take pictures of them. If you have the opportunity to spend the night at the campground or Brooks Lodge, it is worth taking advantage of this opportunity. If you decide to stay more than one day, it is also worth taking a coach tour to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. It all just depends on the time you have available and your budget.
Is it safe at Brooks Falls? - Bear Safety at Brooks Falls
Before visiting Brooks Falls, you should be aware that encounters with bears are very, very common here. For this reason, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with the rules of safe travel in bear country and, above all, to comply with them. Only then, if everyone works to take care of this unique place, will we still have the opportunity to admire brown bears in these wonderful and natural habitats.
Bears often use the same trails as humans in Brooks Falls, so you can meet them almost anywhere. When we visited, we saw bears from the very beginning of our trip - on the trails, on the river, at the waterfall, and even in front of the door of a small gift shop where we were stuck inside for a while.
Following all safety rules minimizes the risk of dangerous encounters with a bear. However, we must remember that we are only guests in the natural habitat of these wild animals.
Brown bear and anglers in the river
Brown bear outside the gift shop at Brooks Camp
Visit Brooks Falls
If you are interested in learning more about visiting Brooks Falls contact us! If you are ready to start planning your trip to Alaska head over to our Design Your Trip page!
