When my future husband asked where would I like to honeymoon, Katmai National Park was my first choice. Earlier in the year, I had watched a documentary on Katmai and had no idea that I would actually be there six months later. Although I had visited Alaska twice prior, the only information I had on Katmai was what I saw in the documentary. Therefore, we began an intensive online search to gather information. The more information we obtained, the more excited we became. We both were looking forward to seeing brown bears in their natural habitat. Much to our surprise, we saw several bears before our float plane landed. We were amazed as we walked in close, yet safe proximity to the bears. The rangers were phenomenal with their knowledge of the area. The experience was almost surreal as I fished in Brooks River for sockeye salmon right along with the bears! This was truly an experience of a lifetime and the memories are embedded deeply within our minds.
Sincerely,
Katmai National Park & Preserve
President Woodrow Wilson established Katmai National Monument in 1918 to preserve the "Valley of 10,000 Smokes," so named when the Novarupta Volcano filled the valley with a 100- to 700-foot-deep ash flow.
State(s): Alaska
Established: 1918
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