Brooks Lodge

Brooks Lodge sits on the banks of the Brooks River in Katmai National Park — the only full-service lodge within walking distance of Brooks Falls, where as many as fifty brown bears work the mile-and-a-half river at the height of the salmon run. Originally conceived as a fishing camp, the lodge has been in operation since 1950.

It is run by Bristol Adventures, the family of Alaska lodges that also operates Kulik Lodge, Grosvenor Lodge, and Katmai Air. Sixteen guest rooms sleep up to four apiece, the main lodge's big circular fireplace looks out on Naknek Lake, and hearty Alaska fare is served buffet style three times a day. Fly-only fishing for rainbow trout, grayling, and sockeye, plus tours to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes 22 miles away, round out a stay.