Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the lodge?

At Kukak Bay on the coast of Katmai National Park and Preserve about 250 miles southwest of Anchorage.

How do I get there?

Take Alaska Airlines or Era Aviation from Anchorage to Kodiak. At the Kodiak airport, guests are met by KWL staff and taken to float plane charter companies for transport to the lodge.

Katmai Wilderness Lodge strongly encourages you to obtain travel insurance, however it does not endorse any particular travel insurance provider.

Below are hyper-links to 3 of the larger travel insurance providers:

www.travelguard.com www.accessamerica.com www.csatravelprotection.com

What time should I arrive at/depart from Kodiak?
Guests should take a morning flight from Anchorage to Kodiak (there are currently three flights before noon). Guests depart Kodiak for the lodge at mid-day. The same plane brings guests back from the lodge, arriving in Kodiak between 2:00 to 3:00 PM. There are currently three afternoon departures from Kodiak to Anchorage with the first departing Kodiak at about 4:45 PM.

How much time will I get to spend away from the lodge bear viewing, sports fishing etc.?
You will arrive at the lodge around mid-day. Stow your gear and get going right away your first afternoon. Leave the lodge early, stay gone late everyday, eating a sack lunch on the boat. The day you leave we take you out a final time before the plane arrives to take you home.

How many guests can the lodge accommodate?
Twelve guests; six double occupancy rooms, five with private bathrooms.

What is included in your rates?
Everything: float plane charters to and from the lodge, meals and guided trips. No hidden charges.

Are sports fishing and wildlife viewing/photography trips guided?
Definitely, this is a true coastal wilderness setting. Only about 200 people visit Kukak Bay where the lodge is located annually. No crowds, no bear viewing platforms with time restrictions - guests can stay out all day with the guides to maximize their wilderness experience, photography and sports fishing opportunities.

What is the best time to see bears?
We guarantee that our guests will see bears from mid-May to the end of September. They hibernate from early November to mid-April.

How do we get to the bears?
Via aluminum boats (6 passengers per boat) that are covered and have landing craft type bows for easy boarding and disembarking. The bears congregate at the tidal flats about 20 minutes away from the lodge. The skippers/guides are licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard.

How close do we get to the bears?
About 150 feet; farther if that suits our guests' comfort level. Note that bears are on wide open tidal flats, so the risk of surprising them and triggering an attack is virtually eliminated. Also, guests are kept together in a group, as we are not aware of any documented bear attacks on adult humans in groups of 3 or more.

Besides bears, what other wildlife can be seen?
If weather permits, the float plane pilots will fly near the peak of Mt. Sharatin on Kodiak Island while en-route to and from the lodge. A herd of 35 Mountain Goats hangs around Mt. Sharatin's peak. Occasionally, moose, fox, seals, sea lions and orcas can be seen in the Kukak Bay area. Sea otters and bird life are abundant in the area.

What is the best time for fishing?

King Salmon, Halibut, Pacific Cod, Black Sea Bass, Tanner Crab and Shrimp are in Kukak Bay year-around. To a lesser extent, so are strange sea critters like Skate, Octopus and Sharks.

The approximate dates that the fish arrive in or about Kukak Bay:

Dolly Varden Trout ~ June 25th
Pink Salmon ~ July 1st
Chum Salmon ~ August 1st
Silver Salmon ~ August 25th

King Salmon, Halibut, Gray Cod, Flounder, Sole and various rockfish can be caught at any time.

The approximate dates that the fish arrive in or about Kaflia Bay (next to Kukak Bay):

Sockeye (Red) Salmon ~ June 25th

Wind conditions may temporarily prevent travel to Kaflia Bay, the next bay South of Kukak bay, accessible via the Shelikoff Straights.

Is fishing gear provided?
Yes, but guests can bring their own gear if they wish.

Do I have to go fishing, if other guests want to and I prefer not to?
With 2 boats we try to accommodate all our guests by taking those that want to fish out on one boat, while taking those guests preferring to view/photograph wildlife and explore the bay on the second boat.

What should I wear?
Rubber boots and rain gear are provided by the lodge. Bring clothing suitable for outdoors that can be worn layered. If guests want to store some of their baggage in Kodiak instead of taking it all to the lodge, that can be arranged at no charge.

How can Katmai Wilderness Lodge actually guarantee guests will see bears?
The coast of Katmai National Park, where our lodge is located, is one of the four places with the highest concentration of brown bears on earth. Since the lodge opened in 1994, NONE of our guests have failed to see bears at or near our location. In fact, most of our guests have said �you can�t help but see bears here, they�re all over the place. So, we are very, very confident that we can deliver on this guarantee. In the extremely remote chance that a guest does not see a bear at or near our location, that guest is entitled to come to the lodge again for a free stay. However, that guest will have to provide his/her own transportation from his/her home to Kodiak and return.

How do I book a reservation?
Guests can e-mail a reservation from this website, or call our toll free number. The booking is considered confirmed when the deposit is received. Deposits are $500 per person with the balance payable by May 1st. Refund Policy