Katmai National Park & Preserve guide · 2 min read
Climbing Dumpling Mountain Above Brooks Camp
The Dumpling Mountain Trail is a moderately strenuous climb that begins in the Brooks Camp Campground.
Over 1.5 miles it rises 800 feet to Dumpling Overlook, a viewpoint that looks down on Brooks Camp. From the overlook, you can take in wide views across Naknek Lake, Brooks River, and Lake Brooks. The scenery shifts on the way up, moving from boreal forest to subalpine meadows and onto alpine tundra.
Hikers with more energy can keep going past the overlook to the summit of Dumpling Mountain, which rises to 2,440 feet. The summit lies another 2.5 miles beyond the overlook. That upper stretch is unmaintained, so expect to pick your own way toward the top.
Brooks Camp Campground, where the hike starts, is the only maintained place to camp anywhere in the park. The campground sits about 0.3 miles from the Brooks Camp Visitor Center, on the shore of Naknek Lake. Campers can store food and gear in caches, fill fuel in a locker, draw drinking water, cook under shelters, and use fire rings and vault toilets. An electric fence runs around the grounds.
Past the boundary sign that marks the edge of the developed Brooks Camp area, backcountry camping is allowed on Dumpling Mountain. Reaching that point means about 2.5 miles on the trail and roughly 1,000 feet of gain. Alder thickets can mean walking farther before you find suitable ground for a tent. Water is hard to come by up there, so campers usually collect it at Brooks Camp before setting out.
Pack a rain jacket and rain pants, because conditions can shift quickly and cold, wet weather can arrive even in summer. Bears and moose may show up anywhere near Brooks Camp, so hike in groups, keep up a conversation as you walk, and make noise so you don't startle wildlife. Store food and gear according to park rules no matter where you hike.
