Naknek Lake, Katmai National Park and Preserve, AK
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About
#2 of 7 Specialty lodging in Katmai National Park and Preserve
Location
4.8
Cleanliness
3.8
Service
4.0
Value
3.4
Travelers' Choice
In the Heart of the Magnificent Katmai Wilderness Brooks Lodge overlooks the world famous Brooks River in the heart of Katmai National Park. The lodge, originally conceived as a fishing camp, has been in operation since 1950. The facilities have seen continuous upgrading and have gained a world-wide reputation, attracting visitors from all continents. Bear viewing at Brooks Falls is only a short walk away. Guest accommodations consist of sixteen modern rooms all with modern private facilities. Rooms accommodate two to four persons. The beautiful main lodge building boasts a spectacular view of aquamarine Naknek Lake. Its large circular fireplace is popular for evening relaxing and reminiscing about the day's adventures. Hearty Alaska fare is served three times a day buffet style in the dining area of the lodge. Cocktails are available for purchase at the lodge bar each afternoon and evening. The world famous bear viewing at Brooks Falls is only a short walk from Katmailand's Brooks Lodge. As many as fifty bears live along the mile and a half long Brooks River during the salmon season. Many visitors see bears within minutes of arrival. All visitors are instructed by the National Park Service on how to conduct themselves in "Bear Country". Superb sportfishing is available adjacent to the lodge on the Brooks River and on the Brooks and Naknek Lakes. The Brooks River is fly fishing only. The Brooks Lodge fishing packages are for independent minded fly fishermen who want to experience the great sportfishing of the Katmai area without the expense of a fully guided sportfishing lodge. Including fly outs in your stay will provide the means to fish other hot spots and allow you to take advantage of the variety of species of fish available in southwest Alaska. At Brooks Lodge you are just 22 miles from the volcanic "Valley of 10,000 Smokes". The Valley is the sight of one of the most violent eruptions in modern history. Novarupta Volcano exploded in 1912 with blasts of hot winds and gas which spewed hot glowing pumice and ash, destroying all living things and burying more than 40 square miles of lush green valley under ash deposits to depths of 700 feet. Daily tours of "Valley of 10,000 Smokes" depart from Brooks Lodge daily. Comfortable accommodations in the heart of the magnificent Katmai wilderness make this a truly perfect vacation spot.
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Property amenities
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast buffet
Non-smoking hotel
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Location
Full view
40Car recommended
Grade: 40 out of 100
0Restaurantswithin 5 miles
2Attractionswithin 5 miles
218Reviews27Q+A64Room tips
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Yes, it is remote and pricey. But worth every single penny. The cabins are definitely not lavish but comfortable and worth it so you can get more bear viewing in. The staff and rangers are friendly. We stayed two nights, but next time we will stay four. This is my happy place!
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Date of stay: August 2021
Helpful
Had a great trip to Brooks Lodge for two nights on September 16th and 17th. We flew to King Salmon and then took the floatplane by Katmai Air to Brooks Lodge. For our family of four, it was a tight fit in the cabin (where do we put our carry on luggage), but no matter as it was a quick stay. The bear viewing is spectacular and we were so fortunate to have wonderful weather, which is not usually the case I understand.
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Date of stay: September 2021
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We spent 3 nights at the loge. What an experience it was. Loved it from the first minute! There are 2 things I would like to comment on. First, the bear viewing is out of this world. Many years ago, I had seen a National Geographic photo of bears catching fish on the falls and it has been on my bucket, ever since. Things could not be better. The National Park Service looks after the park side of things and safety of people as well as that of the bears very well. We had excellent views, both from the bridge as well as the viewing platforms. Being the shoulder season, there was not much rush and we could spend as long as we wished, viewing the majestic animals! Second, the lodge. It is such a well oiled machine. We stayed in furnished cabins with attached toilet and shower. The beds were bunked, 4 to a cabin but very comfortable. The food served is restaurant quality fine dining and chef inspired. There is unlimited coffee and tea for the lodge residents but the campers need to pay for it. Post dinner bar is such an excellent idea as after dark, there is nothig to do so people buy drinks and sit around the beautiful fireplace and exchange the day's notes/photographs. There is no wifi and no phone signal and thank God for that. All time is for the bears! Though I undertand the reason for not including meals, a place that remote (and with no other dining options available), the price should be inclusive of meals. This is the reason for 4 stars, otherwise the whole experience was really 5 star!!! I forgot to mention, reaching Brooks lodge is very complicated and needs a lot of home work. One has to fly to King Salmon from Anchorage and then either take a water taxi or a float plane to the Katmai National Park. Both modes of transport can get cancelled at a short notice. You would only know after having arrived in King Salmon, as they are extremely weather dependant so DO NOT come without travel insurance. Mind you, this comfort in such a remote place comes at a price so be prepared for that. Everything has to be booked months ahead and paid in advance so do not even think of just walking in even if you plan to camp!…
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Date of stay: September 2021
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1 Helpful vote
Helpful
+1
A warning for those hoping to make a day trip to Brooks Lodge. Booked this day trip through Katmai Air; the Brooks Falls Lodge advertises the day trips. Departed Anchorage and got to King Salmon essentially as scheduled; no suggestion at Anchorage that there would be an issue getting to Brooks Lodge from King Salmon. Upon arrival at the riverside Katmai Air cabin we were told weather was unfavorable at Brooks. So we waited for our delayed departure to Brooks. Took off Brooks then turned around after . Floatplane Lodge filled up with other passengers when we got back. Some were lodge guests and the others appeared to be a filming crew. We were told day trippers were not longer going out. Only float plane trip to be refunded. We complained about this and supposedly full fare to be refunded. We had not asked to go to King Salmon and Also only one flight back that morning with space for 15 and so 9 had to stay for a 5pm return to Anchorage. Almost 6 wasted hours were ahead of those left behind. Not only that but the Katmai Air staffer told us we had 15 minutes to choose who was to stay and to let him know. We told him that was not our job. So he chose the early leavers. Lunch would be courtesy of Katmai Air. Lunch at Eddie’s was so-so. Staffer asked us if enjoyed lunch and if it was a belly-buster. He might have been genuinely interested in our dining experience Nothing to do in King Salmon. Saloon and Trading Post were closed for the season. There was no cell signal. There was no WiFi at the Katmai Air waiting lodge either. Came back and both planes gone and waiting room empty. They had been brought out. We would have happily skipped lunch and could have been taken out even for just an hour on the viewing platform. Katmai staffers basically gave a shrug of the shoulders and said it’s the weather. It was their job to get us to Brooks and when they decided they couldn’t it was “have lunch on us and waste 6 hours waiting for a 5 pm flight”. I overheard them discussing who would fly the “non-revenue” flight back to Anchorage. Clearly a reference to us. We were all adults. We understand weather conditions and the need for safety. Explain to us why you couldn’t go the extra mile to fly a plane back and give guests even 1 hour viewing bears. Clearly Katmai Air got the Lodge guests and film crew out. How do Katmai Air even thought it was OK to still charge us for the round trip to King Salmon when what we are all paying for is a trip to Brooks Falls. Their immediate response to inquiries as to reschedule was it is was all fully booked. Only when one couple kept asking did the staffer find an alternative arrangement. They were fortunate to have that flexibility. Turns out there were water taxis available to Brooks Lodge. This failed trip was it for the rest of us. Only saving grace is that the return flight came in at 4pm as opposed to the 5pm we had been told. Easy for a company to shine when it goes well but true colors show up when it doesn’t. Part of this blame lies on Katmai Air staff and lack of respect or initiative. Part of it lies with Brooks Lodge for not planning any alternatives for day guests stuck in King Salmon. Better to. It have wasted not just our money but our day. It brings no pleasure to me to write such reviews. I would clearly have rather had a great day viewing bears. But I know the Katmai Air staff take all this natural wonder around them for granted, and they know that they will most likely not see us again, that there will be a job for them because visitors will always want to view the bears. There seemed no effort to make alternative arrangements. Once again I appreciate the need for safety and no bear-viewing is worth anyone’s life. But Katmai Air needs to learn more about customer service I cannot recommend you risk money - and more importantly, time - with a day trip to Brooks. When the chips are down you are the lowest priority guest.…
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Date of stay: September 2021Trip type: Traveled as a couple
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Brooks lodge is an ideal place for bears viewing. We were there late July during salmon run and saw over 40 bears by the falls. We loved the fly fishing experience as much as viewing bears from the platform. It was exhilarating to learn fly fishing in the river with bears, we had to yield to bears and got out of water frequently. The close encounter when a bear got close to within arm length unexpectedly was unforgettable. I was extremely lucky to get a room late July by cold calling Brooks Lodge in Jan. They happened to have one room available despite over 100 people on the wait list. I suspect most people prefer longer stay due to the cost to get there. There is still a chance even if you don't win the lottery.
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Date of stay: July 2021
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Helpful
Spent five days/four nights at Brooks Lodge. 4 to a cabin. LOVED IT! Spending multiple days with the bears was fantastic. Go for as long a stay as you can. Staff and customer service were excellent. Would return again and again. Hiked, kayaked, bear watched . . . great food as well. So enjoyable.
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Date of stay: August 2021
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Room Tip: Cabin 27 is the best!
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+1
Put an I-calendar reminder in now for December 1 - so that you can enter the housing lottery for one of these cabins at the incredible Katmai National Park. Rules - - Lottery entry 12/1 to 1/5 - Random selection and notification by 2/5 - must reserve 3 nights / if any one night falls in July - 50% deposit is required within 7 days of "winning" the housing lottery. Just know the cabins are hella-expensive and fall into the category of basic NPS spartan accomodations - even though they are very comfortable with adequate bedding, comfortable bathrooms including shockingly hot showers. The real highlight of Brooks Lodge is of course the incredible national park with the worldest largest gathering of brown bears, chasing millions of salmon in the stunning setting of volcanic mountains in the primordial soup of volcanic ash and pumice that is part of this beautiful ecosystem. The lodge dining hall was fantastic with energetic staff, a terrific bar with a shocking selection of beers, wines and spirtis for such a remote location. The lodge staff bragged about their NPS Aficionato but also Michellin 5-star-rated chef who prepared huge breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets each day with surprisingly very good meals with a diverse offering of choices. We also found the housing staff to be very accomdating including arranging a short-notice float-plane day-trip for us to Lake Clark NP. Wonderful (but expensive) visit.…
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Date of stay: August 2021
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2 Helpful votes
Helpful
We were at Brooks Camp two years ago and I was lucky to get 3 nights in July this year. The cabin seemed larger as we had a free standing one. Meals were buffet style and not included in the price. There were servers and seating was limited but overnight guests had priority on the tables. Take out was available to eat in a picnic area. Food was very good 2 of the 3 days, then they ran out of ice and milk and the dishes were improvised ( due to bad weather their supplies had not arrived). We saw lots of bears, at the falls, the beach and a few in camp.
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Date of stay: July 2021
Room Tip: free standing cabins seemed larger
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1 Helpful vote
Helpful
First of all let me begin my review by debunking the review posted by Zoboxx. If you choose to fly in from Anchorage, yes the air fare is $950, if you are flying on Alaska Air you can fly to King Salmon for the same price as Anchorage coming from the lower 48. The Katmai air fare from King Salmon is $290. There is no cost to visit the lodge only to stay there. Another falsehood is the statement that it costs $300 to get from the island airport to the lodge. There is no island airport as the seaplanes land 20-30 yards from the lodge. Due to COVID, I was able to obtain a room for three nights the first week in May. Next year the lottery for rooms will be in place again. While a room cost us just over $900 per night, it could accommodate 4 people in cramped conditions (bunkbeds on either side of the room). Unfortunately my adventurous friends had conflicts so it was just the two of us. While there may be no insulation between rooms, we never heard a sound at night. The problem with the rooms though is that the windows have blinds which do not keep the room dark in the Alaskan summer. They should have blackout curtains. While the shower was small, the hot water was plentiful and hot. The restaurant prices were very high, but everything has to be brought in by air. On our three dinners there was salmon every night and pork options nights 1-2 that were quite dry. The third night was a delicious chicken option. It is a buffet served by staff (shoutout to Ell) and desert was included and it was all you could eat. Breakfast included bacon, scrambled eggs, yogurt and fruits, oatmeal, toast, bagels, and other options in which I did not partake. A big breakfast enabled us to skip lunch as we preferred to be at the Falls. This year the salmon were late arriving about June 20th about 10 days later than normal. Our first day at the Falls the bears were there and at Riffles but the salmon were mostly missing. Only a few bears got to eat. The next day we spent 6 hours going between the Falls and Riffles viewing decks. At the Falls you are limited to one half hour at a time. This is due to the huge number of day visitors who fly in, but they are mostly all gone in the evening when you can stay as long as you like. So on our second day the salmon were attacking the Falls in force and there were 24 bears between the two areas. All the bears were catching fish. Of course the best spot is at the top of the falls where the big boars catch the salmon in the air. On the third day we went mid morning and there were no bears, but even more salmon jumping the falls or trying to. There were half eaten carcasses all over as the bears were eating the fatty parts of the salmon. The lack of bears made it much less entertaining so we went back to the Lodge for an early dinner. After dinner my wife went to shower and I took a walk to the bridge and was informed that there were bears at the Falls. I was walking the trail along and about 30 yards in front of me was a big boar walking towards me. Remembering Bear School, I froze as did he and we looked at each other for a minute or so and I started backing up and went around a bend while he went about 10 yards off the trail to bed down for the night. I continued and a few minutes later two sub adult sibling raced past me on the trail from behind so I had no time to react, but I could have grabbed fur, they were that close. On the way back just past the trail outhouse there was another big boar on the side of the road. I stopped and signaled those behind me to stop and he started towards me. I was backing up and was beside another guy when he started running towards us. I grabbed his hand to lift up to be big and he dashed off into the woods. I believe what caused him to run was a vehicle coming behind him. In any case that short visit was the highlight of the 3 days for me and really got my adrenaline flowing. The entire staff Of Books Lodge were amazing, Cayla in the office, Wanda in the store, the serving staff in the restaurant were some of the names I remember. Also the Rangers were all great too, Griffin and Andrea among others. There is a camping option which is quite cheap at $12 per night and you can cook there if you come in by water taxi as no fuel or bear spray is permitted on the seaplanes. Campers and bring their own tents or rent gear there. Campers and day trippers can eat at the restaurant. I did have Churchill, Manitoba on my bucket list to see the polar bears, but in my opinion, bears from a tundra buggy cannot compare to bears everywhere at Brooks. While we were waiting for out plane to King Salmon, two subadults visited just in front of the store. The staff raced to take pictures as we did and the Bear Ranger chased them away by banging sticks together.…
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Date of stay: July 2021
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2 Helpful votes
Helpful
I do not, at all. regret my experience staying here but you need to make sure you understand what you are getting in terms of food and lodging. The bear viewing is phenomenal. You will likely see bears at the falls, in the river, on the trails and in the lodge area. Probably more bears than you might want to see! We were in a cabin that was connected to other cabins. The walls are so thin that they tell you not to flush the toilets at night during quiet hours! The food is expensive but I would go again if I had the chance. Hanging out in the lodge common room is a great place to share photos and bear stories!
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Date of stay: July 2021
Value
Rooms
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Room Tip: Cabins that are not attached to others is best. Try not to be in the Skytel area.
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ALSO KNOWN AS
brooks hotel katmai national park and preserve
LOCATION
United StatesAlaskaKatmai National Park and Preserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
16
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Brooks Lodge
Which popular attractions are close to Brooks Lodge?
Nearby attractions include Brooks Falls (0.00 miles) and Brooks River (0.06 miles).
What are some of the property amenities at Brooks Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and breakfast buffet.
What food & drink options are available at Brooks Lodge?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant and a lounge during their stay.