Alaska - Any tips on Brooks Camp / Katmai National Park?

Heading out there in four weeks and I'm pretty pumped. I'm flying to King Salmon, hopping the Katmai Land floatplane, and then pitching a tent at the campground for two nights--pretty much have three full days there.

Anyone with experiences to share? My only concern is being able to sneak a battery charge in at the lodge without being a guest.

It's a pretty amazing place, but just know that the bears rule there. My mom once got stuck in a cabin there for four hours because a bear went to sleep in front of the door.

You will be required to take a bear-education class upon arrival. If you have any kind of food or lotions that have scents, prepare to store those inside, or sealed in plastic bags.

You can fish there (and the fishing is good), but with all the grizzlies around that might be more trouble than it's worth. Bears have learned that fish on the line = free meal for them.

Have fun!

You'll have a great time. Katmai is marvelous. Be sure to head out to the valley of 10,000 smokes. Non-guests can eat in the lodge, so you might be able to plug something in then. The lodge is actually one central building and a series of small cabins, and is hilariously overpriced. The campground is great.

I had a great time kayaking in Naknek Lake, so you might check in to that.

Thanks, y'all! I'll report back soon...

Also, looks like a ranger at Katmai is getting his Twitter on this summer: http://twitter.com/BrooksCamp.

Unbelievable trip that certainly didn't disappoint.

I've posted a little report and some photos at my site (http://www.klugusamy.com/archives/trip-reports/katmai-national-park/) if anyone is interested.

And absolutely no troubles plugging in for power at the lodge while drinking $6.50 Alaskan Ambers.

Unbelievable trip that certainly didn't disappoint.

I've posted a little report and some photos at my site (http://www.klugusamy.com/archives/trip-reports/katmai-national-park/) if anyone is interested.

And absolutely no troubles plugging in for power at the lodge while drinking $6.50 Alaskan Ambers.

Simply wonderful! Thanks for sharing your experiences and photos with us. Looks like a great time to be had!!

Von

I've posted a little report and some photos at my site (http://www.klugusamy.com/archives/trip-reports/katmai-national-park/) if anyone is interested.

Excellent! I've been there three times (most recently in 2006) and have only seen one mom and cubs. Never spotted a wolf. The two cubs playing by the bridge gate is quite the highlight, so you did very well.

My only real close encounter was rounding the corner of a cabin with a bear coming right at me on the other side of the corner, maybe 20 feet away. The bear quickly turned away and ran - he must not have liked what I was wearing. ;)

I've never stayed at the campground. Other than the cost, the main downside of staying in a cabin or flying in on a daytrip is having to eat at the lodge. The meals were OK, but nothing more.

riftime

I'd really love to do Katmai/Brooks but don't know if I can handle the camping in a tent aspect, and know I can't afford a cabin. Did I read it correctly, $700/night? Is that per person or per cabin (and if so with how many inside)?

The day trips flyins are running $550 to $600pp. I just don't know what I'll be able to do when we go back to AK in 2010.

I'd really love to do Katmai/Brooks but don't know if I can handle the camping in a tent aspect

If you've camped at all in the past, it's actually a pretty luxurious group campground. Nice sheds to store your gear/food/fuel, picnic benches under shelters, running water to clean your dishes, etc. And there's an electric fence surrounding the camp--which I have to admit that I grabbed and wasn't shocked... :eek:

Great for $8 a night! And using miles to get to King Salmon on AS will cut down your costs considerably, as well.

I'd really love to do Katmai/Brooks but don't know if I can handle the camping in a tent aspect, and know I can't afford a cabin. Did I read it correctly, $700/night? Is that per person or per cabin (and if so with how many inside)?

The day trips flyins are running $550 to $600pp. I just don't know what I'll be able to do when we go back to AK in 2010.

Yep, you read that price right. The first two times I was there, it was on the order of $600-700 night per person. Cabins hold four people. Prices per person are slightly less with four people as opposed to one person.

The third time, we stayed overnight in King Salmon (actually in Naknek) for two nights, then flew in on a day trip, and it was a nice option. Got to see a little of King Salmon and Naknek that way.

The majority of the high cost for Brooks is airfare. That's why I really like how bigbrownboy used his miles (even though I would have been tempted to stay a few more days!). I haven't priced it lately, but Anchorage to King Salmon in 2006 was probably around $250 rt, and the float plane to/from Brooks was $150 or so, I think. When I subtracted out both airfares, I think the cabins wound up running around $175 per person.

I've never considered the day trip from Anchorage, mainly because flights from ANC would have taken too much time out of the day, resulting in just a few hours at Brooks. That's why we stayed at King Salmon, and it gave us about nine or ten hours on site.

riftime

Thanks for the reply and confirmation. I really want to do the Brooks Camp, however, so I'll have to figure out if I think it is possible we can tent camp. Never have done that, and at our age, might not be something we want to try for the first time while in Alaska :)

I guess given I'm spending over $3,500 to do six days and five nights for the polar bear adventure in Churchill later this year, I suppose it is really about the same total price for the experience.

I really do need to start buying the PowerBall tickets!!

Here'e the live bear cam at McNeil River

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/wildcamgrizzlies/index.html

Here'e the live bear cam at McNeil River

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/wildcamgrizzlies/index.html

Are you sure that is this year's "new" live feed? I think they are still working on the camera placement for 2008 at the new location.

BBG....those are incredible shots. I have always dreamed about doing a trip like that. I have been to Anchorage many times and even down the Kenai. I almost paid $500 for a day trip to the Katmai from Homer but they were booked. I will keep trying. In the meantime, thanks for sharing your adventures.