The Full Guide on: How to get from King Salmon to Katmai
To get from King Salmon to Katmai, you can choose to use Katmai Expeditions, and we will take care of the rest!
Or will need to Fly with one of the three Air taxi operators or hop on Katmai water taxi all based out of King Salmon.
Hi, I’m Steven!
I moved to the small Alaskan town of King Salmon in 2017 to pursue my dream of fishing and living in Alaska. In this post, I want to help you understand how to get from here in King Salmon to Katmai. I have visited Katmai and the Brooks camp area over 35 times over the last 6 years & assisted thousands of visitors successfully visit Katmai since.
In case you didn’t know, there are no roads into Katmai NP. There is a new option (Katmai Expeditions) our sister business for visiting Brooks Camp that has both modes of transportation so you no longer need to choose between flying fly or taking Katmai Water Taxi so let’s cover the important stuff!
We will cover how to get from King Salmon to Katmai.
The different transportation options & how much they cost.
Lodging in King Salmon because no one likes to be rushed, and staying in King Salmon allows you to maximize your time in Katmai.
How to get from King Salmon to Katmai
I think at this point, you are probably aware of where Katmai National Park is located, but in case you are not. Katmai National Park is 280 miles southwest of Anchorage on the Alaskan Peninsula, And the nearest commercial airport is, of course, King Salmon!
Most visitors looking for how to reach Katmai are also looking to visit Brooks camp, which is located within Katmai NP, so we will cover visiting Katmai and Brooks camp.
Getting to Katmai to visit Brooks camp.
To get from King Salmon to Katmai, you will need to Fly or boat with one of the operators based out of King Salmon. Our newest addition at Katmai B&B is Katmai Expeditions; with our in-house service, you no longer need to choose between Float planes or Katmai water taxi. When booking with Katmai Expeditions, let us decide which mode of transportation is more appropriate based on weather conditions. Read more about how Katmai Expeditions Works.
If you are ready to Book, Give us a call at (833) 252-8262
The remaining options for reaching Katmai are the three Air taxi operators or Katmai water taxi, all based out of King Salmon. The three float plane operators are as follows;
But if flying isn’t your thing, there is also
*Katmai B&B / Katmai expeditions can not guarantee your trip to Brooks Camp if you travel with one of the other operators
A little more about who can get you to Katmai
I figured you might have some questions regarding the operators, so I’ve gathered the info for the most commonly asked questions.
How much does it cost to visit Katmai from King Salmon
Katmai Expeditions
Visiting Brooks Camp with Katmai expeditions
The price per person will be $400 in 2024.
Uses both watercraft and Float Planes to reach Brooks camp, so you don’t need to choose.
Most trips are between 8 and 12 hours in length, depending on the existing schedule.
Can be customized.
If you want to ride in a float plane with
Katmai Air, as of (October 2023) is $450 per person round Trip.
Branch River Air does not have seat fares; they only Charter by the hour. Typically, the flight to Katmai would be around $1500-$2200.
Trygg Air is also charter only, and the least expensive charter starts at around $1500.
If you want to ride with Katmai Water Taxi, As of (October 2023), the price is $400 per person round trip.
When do they depart?
Katmai Expeditions has a highly customizable schedule, but we have also taken our years of expertise and created trip times based on ensuring you have optimal time at Brooks camp with time before and after the crowds have dissipated.
Katmai Air typically has flights leaving King Salmon for Katmai every hour starting at 8 am, & Katmai water taxi runs every 2 hours from King Salmon starting at 7 am. The charters are subject to previous commitments, so if you want to charter, it is best to get on their schedule as soon as you know when you would like to visit Katmai.
How long does it take to get to Katmai?
Katmai Expeditions using the boat can make the run in as little as 25 minutes but takes 35-40 minutes on average, depending on weather conditions. If you take a float plane, it would be roughly 35 minutes from take-off to landing.
If you would rather take the Katmai Water Taxi, it is approximately 45-60 minutes from leaving the dock to the beach at Brooks Camp. Both are good options, it really is up to you which one you would rather use.
Visiting other parts of Katmai
If you want to visit other areas of Katmai that are not Brooks camp, Katmai Expeditions / Katmai B&B can help you coordinate those excursions for you. These trips will cost a little more as these will be charters charged by the trip rather than seat fares.
Katmai Expeditions is an excellent option for seeing some of the less visited areas of the park and offers a completely unique perspective from the air as well as the ability to land in some of the most remote Alaskan back-country.
Lounge at Katmai B&B overlooking the Naknek river
Lodging in King Salmon
We have very limited options when it comes to staying in King Salmon & most of the hotels and B&Bs are similarly priced but what they offer can vary in some cases pretty significantly. In 2020 we realized that even with all of the existing lodging in King Salmon that it just wasn’t enough so we knew we wanted to provide visitors with an amazing yet affordable lodging experience.
Below I will list out the different lodging options that exist in King Salmon so you can decide which might be the best fit for you.
Katmai B&B
For a completely tailored and distinctive stay, Katmai B&B offers a staff-to-guest ratio of 2:1 and can accommodate a maximum of 6 guests. Here are some things you can expect when you stay with us at Katmai B&B. (Rates avg $340 per room @ double occupancy + bed tax) (depends on room type)
Trip planning services (If you need help planning your trip we can help you do that at no additional cost)
Daily continental-style breakfast
Coffee bar and snacks Available all-day
Daily transportation into King Salmon & the Brooks Camp transportation service providers
In-house fishing guide service
Free unlimited Wifi
Private Facebook group & telegram channel for 24/7 customer support
Bear trail cabins is now under the same management at Katmai B&B!
Has six rustic cabins located approximately 2 miles away from the center of King Salmon, although there isn't much of a town to speak of. Additionally, Bear Trail Cabins provides a fenced campground for those who prefer camping. (Rates approx $320 per night per cabin + bed tax) Here are some things you can expect when you stay with us.
Trip planning services (If you need help planning your trip, we can help you do that at no additional cost)
Daily transportation into King Salmon & Exclusive transportation to Brooks Camp is available thru our sister business, Katmai Expeditions.
In-house fishing guide service
Free unlimited Wifi
Antlers inn is in town next to the only grocery store; they also run the sockeye cabins across the street. (Rates approx $350 per night + bed tax)
King Salmon Suites is just a little further than Bear Trail Cabins. (Rates not listed on their website + bed tax)
King Salmon Lodge is about 5 miles from King Salmon and is the most expensive of all the lodging. (Rates approx $390 per night for single occupancy, and it goes up from there.)
There are also some Airbnbs as well, although they are not clear on what support they offer, if any.
Click here if you would like to read our Full guide on the town of King Salmon!
Afternoon on the Naknek river with Katmai Fishing Guides
Thank you!
Thank you for stopping by I hope this answered any questions you might have had about visiting Katmai from King Salmon. If you have any questions feel free to leave a comment below or send us an email!
If you found this guide helpful we would really appreciate it if you could share it so that we can start to overcome the lack of information available to travelers about visiting King Salmon & the Katmai area.
Thank you,
Steven Benjamin
About the Author
Steven J. Benjamin is a highly regarded, Fishing guide, USCG Capitan, Save Bristol Bay Guide Ambassador, Fly Fishing Instructor, and Rainbow trout and Arctic grayling record holder. He has successfully guided guests from around the world helping them catch wild salmon & trophy Rainbow trout. Together with his wife Tiara, all of their guests’ expectations are met.
