Katmai National Park and Preserve is on the Alaska Peninsula in southern Alaska. Its wild landscapes span tundra, forests, lakes, volcanoes, and approximately 900 years of human history. The park is known for the many brown bears that are drawn to the abundant salmon in Brooks Falls. Lookout platforms at adjacent Brooks Camp offer close-up views of the bears.
The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is an area formed by an explosive pyroclastic eruption (great molten sand flows), similar to mt. St. Helens or mt. Vesuvius, that resulted in fumaroles. These fumaroles oxidize the ash around them resulting in the brilliant colors we see today.