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King Salmon

A group of men showing off their trophy fish
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King Salmon is located 284 miles southwest of Anchorage on the Alaska Peninsula and serves as the gateway to Katmai National Park and Preserve, one of the best places in Alaska to view grizzly bears in the wild.

About King Salmon

King Salmon is a former World War II military base, and as a result has a runway long enough to accommodate commercial jet service in the summer. The community is located on the north bank of the beautiful Naknek River. The expansive, often-treeless landscape that surrounds King Salmon gives it a quiet, edge-of-the-world appeal. 
King Salmon isn’t connected by road to other Alaska communities, but the seasonal jet service allows access from Anchorage. During the rest of the year, smaller air services provide scheduled access as well.

Things to do

Most visitors pass through King Salmon on their way to Katmai National Park and Preserve, which is known for its giant grizzlies and the moon-like landscape of the Valley of 10,000 Smokes, a post-volcanic landscape created after the eruption of Novarupta in 1912. In the midst of this vast, 4.2-million acre park, a great deal of activity centers at Brooks Camp, which is the base for both bear viewing and bus tours to the Valley of 10,000 Smokes, which are led daily by National Park Service ranger/naturalists. Bear viewing takes place near Brooks Camp along the Brooks River and Brooks River Falls, where grizzlies gather by the dozen during salmon runs to fish and feast. Carefully managed viewing platforms and boardwalks allow visitors to safely experience this natural wonder. The outstanding fishing at Brooks Camp and at wilderness fishing lodges scattered throughout the park also attracts sport anglers from around the world.
King Salmon also offers access to numerous fly-in fishing and adventure camps and lodges on the Alaska Peninsula as well as wildlife viewing expeditions in Becharof National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge and McNeil River State Game Sanctuary. Information about all the parks is available at the King Salmon Visitor Center, which is staffed by both the National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Other than the parks, the most interesting tour in the area is by road to the village of Naknek, the site of the world’s largest sockeye salmon run from mid-June to the end of July.

King Salmon

King Salmon is located on the Naknek River on the Alaska Peninsula and is inaccessible by road. The community is reached by scheduled, year-round air service from Anchorage and charter air service from other communities.

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Port Alsworth Iliamna Naknek King Salmon

King Salmon

Nearby Parks


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Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge Lake Clark National Park and Preserve Aleutian World War II National Historic Site Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve McNeil River State Game Sanctuary Becharof National Wildlife Refuge Katmai National Park and Preserve Kodiak Area State Parks Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Walrus Islands State Game Sanctuary Togiak National Wildlife Refuge Wood-Tikchik State Park Izembek National Wildlife Refuge Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge

Attractions

  • Bear Viewing +

    Katmai National Park and Preserve has the world's largest population of protected brown bears and has become a prime destination for bear viewing. The most popular spot is at Brooks Camp where bears congregate around Brooks River for the easy fishing of sockeye salmon. Most of this occurs from late June through July, when 40 to 60 bears gather along a half-mile stretch of the Brooks River. Visitors can stay at the lodge or camp for several days or arrive on a day trip out of Anchorage.

  • Fishing Lodges +

    Scattered in and around Katmai National Park and Preserve are a number of fishing lodges that offer package adventures to visitors. Such packages include accommodations meals and guided fishing outing for salmon in the national park and usually float plane transportation from King Salmon to their remote location.

  • Kayaking +

    The large lakes in Katmai National Park and Preserve as well as the Naknek River offer excellent paddling opportunities including the Savonoski Loop, a five- to seven-day adventure in the heart of the park. Other popular trips include a 30-mile paddle from Brooks Camp to the Bay of Islands and a 10-mile paddle to Margot Creek for bear viewing. At Brooks Camp kayaks can rented for a day or multi-day outings.

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