What to See in Katmai National Park and Preserve - Top Sights and Attractions

The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is a valley within Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska which is filled with ash flow from the eruption of Novarupta on June 6–8, 1912. Following the eruption, thousands of fumaroles vented steam from the ash. Robert F. Griggs, who explored the volcano's aftermath for the National Geographic Society in 1916, gave the valley its name, saying that "the whole valley as far as the eye could reach was full of hundreds, no thousands—literally, tens of thousands—of smokes curling up from its fissured floor."

Prior to the eruption, the area now called the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes was an unremarkable and unnamed portion of the Ukak River valley. Although never permanently inhabited by humans, it served as a pass for the Alutiiq people, as well as animals such as grizzly bears.

The 1912 eruption was the largest eruption by volume in the 20th century, erupting a magma volume of about 13 cubic kilometers (3.1 cu mi). As many as 14 major earthquakes between M s {\displaystyle M_{\text{s}}} 6 to 7, and over 100 earthquakes greater than M s {\displaystyle M_{\text{s}}} 5, resulted from the collapse of the caldera at Mount Katmai and movement within the magmatic plumbing system.

The ash-filled valley covers a 40-square-mile (100 km2) area. The ash can be up to 700 feet (210 m) deep. In places deep canyons have been cut by the River Lethe, allowing observers to see the ash flow strata. Since the ash has cooled, most of the fumaroles are now extinct and despite its name the valley is no longer filled with 'smoke' (i.e. steam). Vegetation still does not grow in the valley. The signs of volcanic activity are still visible on nearby hills.

Katmai's most recent eruption was in 1927, but there have been non-eruptive events as recently as 2003. The Alaska Volcano Observatory still monitors Katmai's activity as part of the Katmai Cluster, where there are five active stratovolcanos within 15 kilometers (9 mi) of Katmai.

Visitors to the valley most commonly arrive via bus along the 20-mile (32 km) road from Brooks Camp, which is the only road in Katmai Park. The valley is a source of creative exploration by photographers and naturalists.^[3]

Stratovolcano in Alaska. Mount Griggs, formerly known as Knife Peak Volcano, is a stratovolcano, which lies 10 km behind the volcanic arc defined by other Katmai group volcanoes. Although no historic eruptions have been reported from Mount Griggs, vigorously active fumaroles persist in a summit crater and along the upper southwest flank. The fumaroles on the southwest flank are the hottest, and some of the flank fumaroles can roar so loudly that they can be heard from the valley floor. The slopes of Mount Griggs are heavily mantled by fallout from the 1912 eruption of Novarupta volcano. The summit consists of three concentric craters, the lowest and largest of which contains a recent summit cone topped by two craters. The volume of the volcanic edifice is estimated at about 25 cubic kilometers. Isotopic analysis indicates that the source of Griggs' magma is distinct from the other Katmai volcanoes.

The mountain was named for Dr. Robert Fiske Griggs (1881–1962), botanist, whose explorations of the area, after the eruption of Mount Katmai in 1912, led to the creation of Katmai National Monument by President Woodrow Wilson in 1918.^[4]

Stratovolcano in Alaska. Mount Denison is a stratovolcano and one of the highest peaks on the Alaska Peninsula. Discovered in 1923 by Harvard professor Kirtley Fletcher Mather, the mountain was named for the geologist's alma mater, Denison University. The mountain's connection to Denison also include its first climbers: all members of the first two ascent teams as well as the group that attempted in 1977 were either students, alumni, or faculty of the University.

Mount Denison is located at the end of a volcanic chain in a heavily glaciated and very remote section of Katmai National Park. It is possibly the tallest mountain in the national park, though some sources list Mount Griggs as the highest. Mount Griggs, on the other hand, is much more accessible, being next to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, which can be reached via the road from the national park's visitor center.

There is no record of an eruption, but Mount Denison was probably active some time in the last 10,000 years (the Holocene epoch).^[6]

Stratovolcano in Alaska. Mount Douglas is a stratovolcano located south of Kamishak Bay, near the northeasternmost part of the Alaska Peninsula. It lies in the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Kenai Peninsula Borough. The mountain was officially named in 1906 after nearby Cape Douglas based on a 1904 report by USGS geologist G. C. Martin. The Alaska Volcano Observatory currently rates Douglas as Level of Concern Color Code Not Assigned.

The volcano has a warm and highly acidic crater lake approximately 160 m (525 ft) wide. In 1982, the lake had a temperature of 21 °C and a pH of 1, and temperatures of 114-118°C were measured in 1991. At the north flank of the volcano unglaciated and relatively uneroded lava flows are found. The last eruption is not known, but probably occurred during the Holocene.^[7]

Stratovolcano in Alaska. Trident Volcano is an eroded volcanic complex on the Alaska Peninsula in Katmai National Park, Alaska. Up to 23 domes comprise the complex stratovolcano, with the greatest elevation of 6,115 feet. The most recent major activity produced a 3,599-foot dome in an amphitheater on the southwest flank of the southwest peak. Volcano Novarupta formed on its slopes in the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the descriptive name, Trident, was given by Robert Fiske Griggs of the National Geographic Society, in 1916, because there were three major peaks. The volcano has been known by several variants of the name. The feature was officially named Mount Trident by the United States Board on Geographic Names in 1928. The board assigned the current name in 1968.^[11]