Katmai National Park and Preserve

Katmai National Park and Preserve on the Pacific side of the Alaska Peninsula was first protected in 1918 after the 1912 Novarupta eruption and the collapse of Mount Katmai reshaped the region, burying a valley in deep ash and creating the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Now encompassing more than 4 million acres, it includes a long indented coastline, broad lakes, and a chain of volcanic mountains with numerous volcanoes, several active since 1900. Though originally preserved for its dramatic geology, Katmai is also renowned for its wildlife, especially its vast sockeye salmon runs and the world’s largest protected population of brown bears.

King Salmon, Alaska · United States