Bears, fish and Valley of 10,000 Smokes make Katmai well worth the trip – and the price tag

We now are in the midst of your great Alaska summer!

July is the sweet spot for visitors and residents alike. The fish are running, the weather is better than average and the bears are out. Many folks are making plans to go to our popular national parks on the road system to see bears, catch fish and hike in the mountains.

One park has a bountiful supply of bears to view and fish to catch. Plus there are the remnants of a giant volcanic explosion that occurred 105 years ago. In fact, Katmai National Park is famous for all of these features: bears, fish and volcanoes. There's just one big challenge: you have to fly to get there.

Clever travelers will cash in 20,000 Alaska Airlines miles to reach King Salmon. In any month but July, you could find tickets for 15,000 — but this is peak season! From there, you can catch a $220 roundtrip ride on Katmai Air up to Brooks Camp. The lodge is the most-visited place in the park and home to "bear school." Everyone who lands at the beach is met by a national park ranger and escorted into a mini-theater to watch the video detailing the "bear protocol" in the camp and at the popular Brooks Falls viewing area.

During the peak sockeye salmon run, brown bears flock to the Brooks Falls to feast on the migrating fish. The park service has set up a couple of viewing platforms that are a short walk from the lodge and the campground.

I recommend you stay at least two days, so that you can spend one day on the tour up to the valley that was covered in ash and pumice after the 1912 eruption of the Novarupta volcano. The Valley of the 10,000 Smokes tour is a great way to get a sense of the power of nature. It's a 23-mile drive from Brooks Camp up to a special overlook station. As far as the eye can see is a blanket of ash and pumice— up to 700 feet in some areas. The 1912 eruption was 10 times the size of the Mount St. Helens volcanic eruption in 1980.

In fact, it was the volcano that led to the creation of the national park in the first place.

The ranger will lead you on a hike from the overlook to the valley floor, where the Ukak River carves away at the soft stone. The cost of the tour is $96, including lunch.

The cost to stay at the campground, which is completely surrounded by electric fencing, is $12 per night. Because of the bears, there are strict guidelines on where to eat and how to clean up after you're finished. I checked for space at the campground, and it's full until July 30.

Many travelers pack in their own food and fix their meals in the campground. Others simply sleep there and take their meals in the lodge, which is adjacent to the campground.

The bears are not the only ones fishing in the Brooks River. Because of the unique situation with the bears and Brooks Falls, the river is designated "fly-only, catch-and-release." I've hiked up and down the river more than once, and I've been chased off by the bears. Well, not "chased off." When I saw a bear coming up or down the river, that was my clue to reel in and fish somewhere else. Be sure to pay close attention at bear school. Thankfully, the bears are more interested in catching fish than in chasing human beings.

There are several cabins at Brooks Lodge, but they are very popular. In fact, there is a lottery to get rooms during the peak bear-viewing dates in July. There is a special between Aug. 10 and Aug. 25. For two nights at the lodge, it costs $1,030 per person. That includes roundtrip air fare from King Salmon to Brooks Camp. Most cabins hold four people, so you can buddy up with friends to bring down the costs. All meals are extra. You also can rent fishing gear at the office.

If you just want to come out for the day to see the bears, Brooks Lodge has a package from Anchorage for $778 per person. Roundtrip air is included from Anchorage to Brooks Camp.

The concessionaire that runs Brooks Camp, Katmailand, Inc., also operates a couple of other top-shelf fishing lodges in the region. Started by Ray Petersen in 1950, they were the first sportfishing lodges in Alaska. Ray's son Sonny Petersen recently sold the enterprise to Bristol Bay Native Corp. The two other lodges, Grosvenor Lodge and Kulik Lodge, are located in the park at strategic chokepoints between lakes and along rivers where the fish swim right by.

Grosvenor Lodge can only accommodate six guests at a time. But Kulik Lodge is a little bigger, with 12 cabins, for upwards of 24 anglers at a time. It's a full-service lodge that includes accommodations, meals and an open bar. It's just a 20-minute flight from Kulik to Brooks Lodge, so the Katmailand folks have a package for adventurers who want a taste of the nice lodge, as well as a chance to see the high concentration of bears at Brooks Falls, the Katmai Explorer Tour.

The three-day, three-night package starts at $3,325 per person. This includes your flight from Anchorage, your flights between Brooks Camp and Kulik Lodge, accommodations at the lodge, all meals, open bar, fishing gear (waders, rod, reel and tackle), boat and guide service. This package is designed for the peak season of bear viewing, which goes through July 31. Other packages at Kulik are available through Sept. 30, starting at $2,300 per person for two days and two nights.

On one of your days at Brooks Camp, you can add on the "Valley Tour" for $88. Or you can fish the Brooks River, see the bears at the falls and then return for dinner to Kulik Lodge.

Don't miss the chance to fish the Kulik River, right next to the lodge. Your guide and boat driver knows just where the fish are hiding. But there are fish all over.

The fly-in only nature of Katmai National Park boosts the price to visit this pristine wilderness. But using your frequent flyer miles and checking out the campground is a great way to stretch your budget. And since the Katmailand crew has operated the fishing lodges for more than 65 years — well, they know the territory if you want the "full service" experience.

Changes at Ravn Alaska

Air service is an important part of our life here in Alaska, and there have been some changes in ticketing arrangements between Ravn Alaska and Alaska Airlines. Effective July 1, Alaska Airlines has suspended its code-share ticketing arrangement with Ravn. That means if travelers are flying from Kenai to Seattle (or from any of Ravn's destinations around the state), they will have to purchase their Ravn tickets separately. Before July 1, travelers could book their Ravn flights at AlaskaAir.com in conjunction with their onward flights.

Representatives from both Alaska Airlines and Ravn Alaska said the change is temporary, but declined to say when the code-share arrangement might be restored. Joe Sprague, Alaska Airlines' senior vice president for external affairs, said that operational changes at Ravn led to the decision, but stressed that Ravn still is a valued partner for in-state travel.

Travelers still can earn and redeem Alaska Airlines miles for Ravn flights. Also, the airlines' interline baggage agreement remains unchanged. Ravn Alaska is the state's largest regional airline, providing service to more than 100 Alaska communities. From Anchorage, Ravn provides nonstop service to Homer, Kenai, Valdez, Aniak, Bethel, Cordova, Fairbanks, Kotzebue, Kodiak, St. Mary's, Unalakleet and Valdez.

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based marketing consultant, serving clients in the transportation, hospitality, media and specialty destination sectors, among others. Contact him by email at zoom907@me.com. You can follow him on Twitter (@alaskatravelGRM) and alaskatravelgram.com. For more information, visit alaskatravelgram.com/about.