The park service operates a visitor 's center there from June 1 through September 17 , and the area offers fishing , anthropological history and world-class bear watching . Katmai 's 4 million acres are home to more than 2,100 brown bears . Always maintain a 50-yard distance from bears and never separate a mother from her cub . The bear population in Alaska is estimated at about 10,000 - 12,000 bears. The eruption created the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes , 40 square miles of volcanic ash .
Katmai 's 4 million acres are home to more than 2,100 brown bears . Always maintain a 50-yard distance from bears and never separate a mother from her cub . The bear population in Alaska is estimated at about 10,000 - 12,000 bears. The eruption created the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes , 40 square miles of volcanic ash .