Parking
No road access or public parking; arrive by plane or boat at Brooks Camp and start near the Brooks Camp Visitor Center.
Overview
About Brooks River Elevated Boardwalk
Brooks River Elevated Boardwalk is an easy, mostly level visitor route from the Brooks Camp Visitor Center to the Brooks Falls viewing area. It links camp-side paths and wooden boardwalk sections with the Brooks Falls Trail, ending at the Falls Platform beside Brooks River. Brown bears gather along the river to feed on sockeye salmon.
Why go
- Elevated, gated boardwalk keeps you moving safely even with bears below.
- Riffles Platform offers solid viewing with no capacity limit while you wait for the Falls.
Heads up
- Timed, capacity-controlled access at the Falls Platform can mean 1–2 hour waits in July.
- Seasonal 10 p.m.–7 a.m. platform closures limit late-light viewing during peak season.
Map & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Katmai alerts
- InfoBrooks River Corridor permit required through Oct. 31A permit is required for most activities in the Brooks River Corridor from June 15 through October 31.Official details
- ClosureSeasonal camping closures at Hallo Bay and Geographic CreekCamping is prohibited April 1–October 31 in designated areas of Hallo Bay Meadows and Geographic Creek.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Katmai Tour Guide
Your drive to Brooks River Elevated Boardwalk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Katmai National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this trailhead
Arriving at Brooks Camp, Katmai's Bear Viewing HubListen
“You're approaching Brooks Camp, the main hub for bear viewing and history in Katmai.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Katmai Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lower River Bear Viewing Platform
- Gateway to the Run
- From Ash to Life
- Old Savonoski: When Noon Turned to Night
- 81 audio storiesacross Katmai’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Brown Bear, Sockeye Salmon, Wolf, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 4 trails, 51 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Brooks River Elevated Boardwalk
Route and DistanceThe mapped corridor is about 1.
The mapped corridor is about 1.22 miles one way; the National Park Service lists the Visitor Center-to-Brooks Falls Platform walk as 1.2 miles one way, or about 2.4 miles total out-and-back. The route begins near the visitor center, follows Brooks Camp paths and elevated boardwalks past the South and North Platform area, then follows Brooks Falls Trail west to the Falls Platform. The stored line is the one-way corridor; the listed distance and duration are for the full out-and-back visitor experience. Surfaces include natural tread, gravel, and wooden boardwalk, with short grades along the approach. Allow extra time for bear right-of-way, gate controls, or waits at the Falls Platform.
Access and SafetyThere is no road access or public parking at Brooks Camp; arrive by plane or boat and start…
There is no road access or public parking at Brooks Camp; arrive by plane or boat and start near the visitor center. National Park Service information notes that unpaved trails can be muddy and most facilities are wheelchair accessible, but bear encounters may require leaving the trail. Bears have priority: follow ranger instructions, keep at least 50 yards away, never approach or feed wildlife, and close gates. A bear-safety briefing is provided on arrival. Viewing-platform access and hours can be seasonally managed; check current park conditions.
Wildlife ViewingBrooks Camp has four viewing platforms along the river.
Brooks Camp has four viewing platforms along the river. The Falls Platform is the destination of this route; Riffles, South, and North Platforms are nearby viewing options. July is peak salmon and bear-viewing season, and waits can be longest around midday.
Getting ThereMost visitors arrive at Brooks Camp by float plane or boat, then walk from the visitor center.
Most visitors arrive at Brooks Camp by float plane or boat, then walk from the visitor center. There is no road access to the camp.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Katmai
752 sightingsBrown BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
55 sightingsSockeye SalmonMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
15 sightingsWolfMost seen around 9 PMSighting map
68 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
17 sightingsMooseMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
19 sightingsBelted KingfisherMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Katmai. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
