Katmai Wilderness
The Katmai Wilderness, located within Katmai National Park and Preserve, is characterized by active volcanoes, pristine lakes and rivers, glaciated peaks, and rugged coastline. The area contains the famed Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, a spectacular forty square mile, 100 to 700 foot deep ash flow deposited by Novarupta Volcano in June of 1912 during a major cataclysmic eruption. In addition to Novarupta, the Katmai Wilderness contains many other active volcanoes, including Katmai, Trident, Mageik, Martin, and Fourpeaked. The area is home to an abundance of wildlife. The most widely known is the brown bear, which resides throughout the coastal and lake regions of the Wilderness.
Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net).
| Designation | Wilderness |
| Managed by | National Park Service |
| State | Alaska |
| Size | 3.3 million acres |
| Designated | 1980, by Congress |
| Center point | 58.54° N, 154.95° W |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Where to camp
No federal campground is within ten miles of the boundary in the Campsite Atlas index. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from trails and water, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit and group-size rules.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- under 0.1 miFure's Cabin ↗King Salmon, AK
- 0.9 miBrooks Camp Boat House ↗King Salmon, AK
- 1 miBrooks River Historic Ranger Station ↗King Salmon, AK
- 1 miKukak Cannery Archeological Historic District ↗Kukak Bay, AK
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Guidebooks for Alaska
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is Katmai Wilderness?
3.3 million acres.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Who manages Katmai Wilderness?
The National Park Service.
Source: Wilderness Connect
What state is Katmai Wilderness in?
Alaska.
Source: Wilderness Connect
When was Katmai Wilderness designated?
Congress designated it in 1980.
Source: Wilderness Connect
How do I get to Katmai Wilderness?
A point inside the boundary is at 58.538° N, 154.950° W. Katmai National Park & Preserve is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Wilderness Connect
Which national parks are near Katmai Wilderness?
Katmai National Park & Preserve (adjacent) and Alagnak Wild River (5 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near Katmai Wilderness?
The National Register has 4 listings within 15 miles, including Fure's Cabin and Brooks Camp Boat House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.