Bus Tour to Ten Thousand Smokes

The valley's name comes from the many fumaroles, or steam vents, that rose from its ash-covered ground. That striking landscape is also why Katmai National Monument was first created.

Tours leave from Brooks Camp, and before the bus pulls out, a ranger offers a quick overview of the day. The concessioner's bus covers the 23-mile dirt road from Brooks Camp to the valley, with two overlook stops along the way. The all-day trip lasts about seven hours, and the buses run every day.

The route ends at the Robert F. Griggs Visitor Center, where guests stop for lunch. Afterward, anyone who wants to can join an optional ranger-guided hike down to the valley floor. The round trip covers 3.4 miles with about 1,000 feet of elevation change, so it is a real walk.

Reservations are required for the tour and can be made at Brooks Lodge or through Katmailand. The park is almost exclusively reached by plane or boat, and visitors reach Brooks Camp by float plane. Ranger and concession services at Brooks Camp run through a summer season, so plan the tour for that window. Weather permitting, scenic flights also pass over the valley and the site of the 1912 eruption.