Katmai National Park & Preserve

Katmai covers 4.1 million acres in the north of the Alaskan Peninsula and is known particularly for it's volcanoes. In 1912 a huge volcanic eruption created what is now call Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes; a forty square mile area as deep as 700 feet in some areas.

Following the eruption the peak of Mount Katmai collapsed forming a caldera which filled with water.

From the air it is possible to see this incredibly green lake as well as other volcanoes in the area. The park currently contains 14 active volcanoes.

Also of interest in the park are about 900 prehistoric human dwellings.

Katmai National Monument is home to over 2,000 brown bears and the world's largest sockeye salmon run each July, which is the reason the monument was created in 1918.