Camping at Katmai National Park is one of the most unique experiences that you can have. Spend your nights under the stars and your days watching brown bears 🐻 in their natural habitat at Brooks Falls. Brooks Camp is some of the best wildlife viewing in Alaska, so don’t miss out!
After months of planning, we made it to Katmai and we had the best weekend ever! Before we went, we had a lot of questions 🤨 about camping which I had a hard time finding answers for. So, I’ve made this guide to make it easier for you!
In this post, you’ll find out everything you need to know about camping at Brooks Camp. Find out details on how to book a campground, what to expect at the facilities, and a complete packing list for your trip. I hope you have a fantastic trip!
You Might Also Like These Posts:
- Complete Guide to Visiting Katmai National Park
- How to Hike the Root Glacier Trail in Wrangell St Elias
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Camping at Brooks Camp
Brooks Camp Location
Brooks Camp is the most popular destination on Katmai National Park. This park is located in Southern Alaska on a remote peninsula.
Brooks Camp is about a mile from the iconic Brook Falls where bears try their luck at catching salmon during the salmon run 🐟. It’s the perfect location to stay if you want to see brown bears up close. You’ll be able to walk back and forth to Brook Falls easily.
Why You Should Camp at Katmai National Park
If you want to get close to the brown bears, then camping is one of your best options. There are only two places to stay in Katmai: Brooks Camp & Brooks Lodge.
But Brooks Camp 🏕 is an amazing choice because:
- Brooks Camp is significantly cheaper than Brooks Lodge. Brooks Lodge is $955 a room a night and holds up to four people. Brooks Camp is $12 a person per night or less.
- Brooks Camp is just 1 mile from Brooks Falls, so you can walk to the bear viewing easily and you may even see bears on your way!
- It’s a great way to get off-grid and experience camping in one of the most remote areas of Alaska.
How to Get to Brooks Camp
Getting to Brooks Camp at Katmai National Park can be challenging to plan. Unfortunately, it’s not cheap and it will likely be your highest cost for the trip. But, it’s totally worth it to see the bears!
The cheapest way to get to Katmai National park is to take an Alaska Airlines Flight to King Salmon and then get the Water Taxi or float plane to Brooks Camp.
Transportation Options:
- Take a float plane ✈️ from Homer (950+) or Anchorage (1000+) to Brook Falls
- Fly Alaska Airlines from Anchorage to King Salmon (350$ RT)
- Take the Water Taxi from King Salmon to Katmai ($400 RT)
- Take a float plane from King Salmon to Katmai ($450 RT)
How to Book a Campground
You’ll need to plan in advance to get a campground at Brooks Camp. They are very popular with only 60 people allowed a night.
Campgrounds are available on January 5th at 8 am Alaska Standard Time.
In order to book a campground, you’ll go on recreation.gov and put the dates that you want into the search bar as well as how many people. You can make bookings for up to 6 people.
Then, make sure you’re online on January 5th, because they sell out immediately for peak dates. Both my husband and I were online in order to secure reservations. During the peak dates it’s $12 a person per night 💵 and in the shoulder season it’s $6 per person per night.
Things to Know about Camping at Katmai
⛺️ Campgrounds are first-come, first-served if you have a reservation. So, you’ll check in at the visitor center and then pick out a spot in the campground. There are plenty to choose from.
🚧 There is an electric fence around the campground to deter bears from getting in. However, they still occasionally get into the area, but it’s rare.
🥾 Brooks Camp is about a quarter of a mile from the visitor center and a 1.2 mile walk from Brook Falls.
🥪 All food and gear can be stored in the food and gear caches to protect them from the bears. There are picnic areas in the campground where you can eat.
💦 There is a water spigot where you can brush your teeth and fill up your water bottles. So, don’t worry about packing water for the weekend.
🚽 There are pit toilets in the campground, so you do not need to worry about going to the restroom out in nature.
🐻 You’ll have a mandatory bear viewing orientation when you arrive that will tell you the guidelines on how to interact at Brooks Camp. Then, you will check in at the visitor center.
📵 There is no cell service at or around Brooks Camp. So, you’ll only be able to contact anyone if you have a satellite phone.
Packing Guide for Brooks Camp
Honestly, before we went camping in Katmai National Park, I was so stressed 😩 about packing. I couldn’t find any articles that answered exactly what I needed to bring. So, I hope that this section will help you so you don’t have the same concerns.
Also, if you fly Alaska Airlines (like we did) then you will be allowed one checked bag per person!
Food & Cooking
Brooks Camp has very specific rules when it comes to food and cooking. There are designated areas where you are allowed to cook and eat your food.
Then, you will store your food in a designated food cache at the camp. Because of this, you do not need to bring any separate bear containers.
Now, you may be wondering how you can get propane for your camper stove. If you are bringing a stove, then you can purchase propane at the Brooks Lodge shop. However, you should check the fuel storage locker first, because often there are leftover propane tanks from previous visitors.
Showers
If you want to get a shower 🚿 during your stay, then you can pay for a shower at Brooks Lodge. You can purchase a token for a few dollars and the showers are nice and hot.
We only stayed for a couple nights, so we didn’t think it would be worth it to bring shower supplies. However, if you’re staying for longer, than this is a great place to clean up!
Complete Packing List
- Tent
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping Pad
- Inflatable Pillow
- Comfortable Hiking Boots
- Sandals or Shoes for Camp
- Rain jacket
- Rain Pants
- Light winter jacket
- Hiking Socks
- Layerable Clothing
- Gloves
- Beanie
- Bathing Suit
- Warm Pajamas
- Turkish Towel
- Shower Shoes (optional)
- Day Pack
- Water Reservoir
- Snacks
- Dehydrated Meals or Ramen or Pasta
- First Aid Kit
- Sunscreen
- Bug Net
- Bug Spray
- Headlamp
- Satellite phone
- Camera
- Extra Batteries
- Portable Charger
- Games or Cards
- Toiletries
Brooks Lodge Facilities
While you are camping in Katmai, you can use the facilities at Brooks Lodge and hang out in the main lodge area.
There, you’ll find a large fireplace 🔥 that you can sit and warm up around, electric outlets to charge things, a bar to get a drink, and games that you can play. We spent a lot of time in the lodge because it was so cold and rainy.
Also, they offer buffet meals at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, these meals are pricey for average lodge food. When we went dinner was around $44 a person, so just keep that in mind. We still ate there because we wanted a hot meal out of the rain!
Final Tips for Camping at Katmai
The key to having a successful camping experience at Katmai is to plan ahead and pack well. Weather changes at Katmai quickly and you may have a warm day that turns cold and rainy. So, bring plenty of layers and pack enough food to last you the weekend! Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments and you can read my other guide on all things Katmai.
Let me know if you enjoyed this camping guide in the comments!
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Hi. We are heading to Brooks Campground at Katmai Park this coming 9/1-9/4. I’m wondering what time of year you visited and what you took to combat bugs.
That’s exactly when we were there last year! Over Labor day weekend. We brought bug nets to wear over our heads, which I highly recommend! We also brought bug spray as well, but honestly the best thing to do is just wear long sleeves/pants and a bug net
Hi Lita! I’m going to Katmai in a couple weeks and this is so helpful! Thank you! I noticed you included a bathing suit in the packing list, are there opportunities/places to swim/hottub at the lodge?
Have such an amazing time! Honestly, no there isn’t a great place to swim, but I always pack one. I think I’ll take that off the packing list for this trip though, thanks for pointing it out!
Thanks for this info! Wondering if small travel trailers (we have a 10’ teardrop) are allowed in the campground? Or only tents?
The only way to get to Katmai is to fly on a seaplane, so no trailers would be able to get there!