Closest airports
| Airport | City | Drive to the park | Straight-line miles | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| King Salmon Airport (AKN) | King Salmon, AK | Fly or boat in | 59 | Regional |
| Iliamna Airport (ILI) | Iliamna, AK | Fly or boat in | 78 | Regional |
| Egegik Airport (EGX) | Egegik, AK | Fly or boat in | 91 | Regional |
| Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) | Anchorage, AK | Fly or boat in | 248 | Large hub |
There is no road to the park, so plan a flight or boat from the town in the table.
Regional airports have fewer flights, so compare fares with the larger hub.
Directions from the park service
Katmai National Park & Preserve is located on the northern Alaska Peninsula, northwest of Kodiak Island and southwest of Homer, Alaska. The park’s headquarters is in King Salmon, about 290 air miles southwest of Anchorage. Unlike most national parks in the United States, Katmai is almost exclusively accessed by plane or boat.
Hours
Open 24 hours, every day. Katmai is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
Visitor centers
- King Salmon Visitor Center: Daily, 9:00AM - 6:00PM. The King Salmon Visitor Center is open weekdays during the summer season from 9am - 6pm. The VC is closed during the winter and will open in Mid May.
- Brooks Camp Visitor Center: Daily, 8:00AM - 5:00PM. The Brooks Camp Visitor Center, open June 1, late September, is the point of entry for all visitors to Brooks Camp. A park ranger is on duty to provide information, campground check-in, mandatory bear etiquette and safety talks, and backcountry planning. An Alaska Geographic Association (AGA) bookstore offers books, maps, and other Katmai-related items.
- Robert F. Griggs Visitor Center: Daily, 11:00AM - 4:00PM. These hours are estimated because the visitor center is only open during ranger-led Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes tours.
Gas, groceries and charging
There is no road into Katmai; you arrive by plane or boat. Buy food, fuel and supplies in the town you leave from, and pack everything you need for the trip.
Getting around
Most parks are best seen by car. Fill up before you enter, since gas inside parks is limited or absent. Parking at popular trailheads fills early in summer.
Sources
- National Park Service Data API: directions, hours and visitor centers (public domain)
- OurAirports: airport list and locations (public domain)
- OSRM drive-time estimates on OpenStreetMap road data (ODbL)
- OpenStreetMap: gas stations, grocery stores and EV chargers (ODbL)
Last checked 1 November 2026.