Best time to visit Katmai National Park & Preserve
The short answer
Best months to visit Katmai National Park & Preserve: June. Daily highs run around 60°F, with about 35% of July's visitors.
Hardest months: January–March and November, mostly because of cold weather.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Katmai National Park & Preserve month by month
Park-wide averages across 3 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 27° / 18°F | 1.1 in | 16.4 in | Quiet | – |
| February | Poor | 29° / 20°F | 0.8 in | 17.1 in | Quiet | – |
| March | Poor | 30° / 20°F | 0.6 in | 14.4 in | Quiet | – |
| April | Poor | 39° / 28°F | 1.2 in | 9.2 in | Quiet | – |
| May | Fair | 49° / 38°F | 2.8 in | 1.7 in | Quiet | – |
| June | Best | 58° / 47°F | 2.7 in | – | Quiet | – |
| July | Good | 61° / 51°F | 3.9 in | – | Peak | – |
| August | Fair | 60° / 51°F | 4.4 in | – | Busy | – |
| September | Poor | 53° / 44°F | 5.3 in | 0.6 in | Moderate | – |
| October | Poor | 42° / 34°F | 4.4 in | 4.1 in | Quiet | – |
| November | Poor | 32° / 24°F | 2.3 in | 14.7 in | Quiet | – |
| December | Poor | 28° / 18°F | 1.9 in | 23.6 in | Quiet | – |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25°F | 17°F | 1.2 in | 29.0 in |
| February | 28°F | 19°F | 0.8 in | 27.8 in |
| March | 28°F | 19°F | 0.7 in | 21.6 in |
| April | 36°F | 27°F | 1.8 in | 14.8 in |
| May | 47°F | 36°F | 4.0 in | 3.6 in |
| June | 57°F | 45°F | 3.4 in | – |
| July | 61°F | 50°F | 4.1 in | – |
| August | 59°F | 49°F | 5.0 in | – |
| September | 51°F | 42°F | 6.1 in | 0.9 in |
| October | 41°F | 32°F | 6.0 in | 6.8 in |
| November | 30°F | 21°F | 2.9 in | 24.4 in |
| December | 27°F | 17°F | 2.5 in | 38.2 in |
Brooks Camp
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28°F | 21°F | 1.1 in | 13.6 in |
| February | 30°F | 22°F | 0.8 in | 14.4 in |
| March | 30°F | 22°F | 0.5 in | 12.8 in |
| April | 38°F | 30°F | 0.9 in | 7.9 in |
| May | 48°F | 40°F | 2.1 in | 1.1 in |
| June | 56°F | 47°F | 2.5 in | – |
| July | 60°F | 52°F | 3.9 in | – |
| August | 59°F | 52°F | 4.4 in | – |
| September | 52°F | 46°F | 5.3 in | 0.6 in |
| October | 42°F | 36°F | 4.1 in | 4.1 in |
| November | 33°F | 26°F | 2.1 in | 13.0 in |
| December | 29°F | 21°F | 1.8 in | 20.7 in |
Naknek Lake
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27°F | 17°F | 1.0 in | 6.5 in |
| February | 31°F | 20°F | 0.7 in | 9.2 in |
| March | 32°F | 19°F | 0.6 in | 8.8 in |
| April | 42°F | 29°F | 1.0 in | 5.0 in |
| May | 53°F | 40°F | 2.4 in | – |
| June | 61°F | 47°F | 2.2 in | – |
| July | 64°F | 52°F | 3.6 in | – |
| August | 62°F | 52°F | 3.9 in | – |
| September | 55°F | 44°F | 4.6 in | – |
| October | 44°F | 35°F | 3.0 in | 1.3 in |
| November | 34°F | 24°F | 2.0 in | 6.7 in |
| December | 29°F | 18°F | 1.4 in | 12.0 in |
Katmai National Park & Preserve by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a difficult time to visit Katmai National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 30–49°F and lows 20–38°F. Expect about 1.6 in of rain a month and 8.4 in of snow, with up to 28 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 0–1% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a good time to visit Katmai National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 58–61°F and lows 47–51°F. Expect about 3.6 in of rain a month; some snow can linger on the ground. Visitor numbers run 33–100% of the busiest month, which is busy by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a difficult time to visit Katmai National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 32–53°F and lows 24–44°F. Expect about 4.0 in of rain a month and 6.4 in of snow, with up to 5 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 0–45% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a difficult time to visit Katmai National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 27–29°F and lows 18–20°F. Expect about 1.3 in of rain a month and 19.0 in of snow, with up to 24 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 0% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails, camping and things to do, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
Located between the stormy north Pacific Ocean and the even stormier Bering Sea, the Katmai region is often a battleground between weather systems. When you visit, be prepared to encounter all types of weather. On average, wet and cool conditions predominate in spring, summer, and fall. Winters are drier and colder.
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 3 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
