Brooks Falls Hike Part 1 - Boardwalk Trail - Katmai National Park

Hiking to Brooks Falls from Brooks Camp requires using a boardwalk to cross the Brooks River, then walking down a gravel road, and finally taking a hike on a natural surface trail to a second boardwalk with two viewing platforms. The first boardwalk is about 1000 feet long, while the entire distance one-way from camp to the falls is 1.2 miles. This is an easy hike, as there is almost no elevation change, with the area being between 50 and 100 feet above sea level. However, this is not a hike where you can go on "autopilot", as each visitor must remain alert and aware of the presence of brown bears nearby.

The park service rangers have seemingly done an excellent job of keeping bears wary of people as there have only been two incidents over the past five years. 

The first leg of the journey is the boardwalk. It starts near the concessionaire's office and the dining hall. Multiple gates have been installed to preclude the use of the boardwalk by the numerous brown bears. However, that can lead to situations called bear jams, where visitors are stuck on the boardwalk while bears loiter at one end or the other. In addition, visitors are encouraged not to pause while walking over the river to reduce changes in bear behavior. Viewing platforms have been constructed on both sides of the river.

Topographic map with GPS route overlay

Beginning of the elevated boardwalk

A bear fishing in the Brooks River

The Brooks River flowing into Naknek Lake

A solitary duck floats on the river

A gull photobombed my picture

Two bears fishing in the Brooks River

A brown bear sits on the spit of land separating the Brooks River (foreground) from the aquamarine Naknek Lake

Looking for salmon

North Platform and footbridge as seen from the South Platform

Brooks River below Dumpling Mountain

Three bears in the river

Social distancing

Footbridge, South Platform, and Mount Kelez (3250') as seen from the North Platform

One more look at a brown bear with a salmon snack

There is no entrance fee at Katmai National Park.

The Katmai National Park website is https://www.nps.gov/katm/index.htm.