Katmai National Park and Preserve

The Katmai National Park (English: Katmai National Park and Preserve ) is the fourth largest national park in the United States. Like all three major parks also is the embossed area of volcanoes in Alaska and is known for its Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and its brown bears. The park was established on December 2, 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act and is located on the Alaska Peninsula opposite the Kodiak Island. A small part of the area to the north is subject to less protection status of a National Preserve where hunting is permitted. At the National Park, a chain of nature reserves on the peninsula joins, which includes the Katmai National Park, Becharof National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska Peninsula National Wildlife Refuge, Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve and Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.

The management of the National Park is located in King Salmon, about 470 km southwest of Anchorage. The place can be reached by scheduled flights and serves as a base from which the other protected areas in the region can be approached via chartered seaplane.

In the park there are at least 14 active volcanoes. The most important are Katmai, Trident, Mageik, Martin, Griggs, Juhle and Novarupta.

1912 broke the Novarupta from - one of the largest volcanic eruptions in historical time - and was its inaugural Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. In order to protect this area, it was declared on September 24, 1918 National Monument.

When the Novarupta broke out, encamped within 65 km ² a stone and dust layer up to 200 m from, and it was reported that a lantern that was held only an arm's length away, could not see for two days.

The park is also known for its brown bears and salmon. The salmon attract both people and the bears. Many bears congregate at the Brooks Falls between Lake Brooks and Naknek Lake, where they can be observed from a viewing platform. Many well-known photos of brown bears were included here.