Dumpling Mountain Overlook is one of the only established Katmai National Park hikes and it’s also the closest hike to the Brooks Camp Campground.
Hiking to this overlook offers incredible and expansive views of Naknek Lake, Brooks River, and Lake Brooks. You can also see the lower and upper platforms from here, which is really cool!
In this post, I’m going to share how to hike Dumpling Mountain Overlook in Katmai National Park and Preserve.
Dumpling Mountain Overlook Trail Summary
Traditional Land: Alutiiq (Visit Native-Land.ca to identify whose land you live, work, and play on.)
Distance: 2.55 miles roundtrip
Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Elevation Gain: 869 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Season: May to October
Dogs: No
Quick Tips
- Hike starts from Brooks Camp Campground
- Bring enough water to drink
- Watch for bears!
How to get to Dumpling Mountain Trail
You’ll find the trailhead to Dumpling Mountain on the north side of the Brooks Camp Campground in Katmai National Park. You will exit out of one of the electric fence gates that surround the camp.
Hike Dumpling Mountain Overlook
Dumpling Mountain Overlook Route Map
You can find a trailhead sign within the Brooks Camp Campground. You can decide if you want to hike to the overlook or go all the way to the summit.
If it’s a hot day, make sure you bring enough water! There are no sources to refill your water along the way.
From Brooks Camp Campground
The trailhead to Dumpling Mountain Overlook starts on the north side of Brooks Camp Campground. After exiting the electric fenced gate, you will enter the forest and onto the maintained trail.
The trail gains over 800 feet and is rated as moderate to strenuous. It’s definitely a good workout!
Even though the trail is maintained, there are still some areas that are overgrown with Devils Club and other plants.
The trail is also covered with watermelon berries! These are edible and you should try them if you see any that are ready to be picked.
It’s important to stay bear aware while hiking the trail to Dumpling Mountain. I mean.. you are hiking in one of the most densely populated areas with brown bears!
Although, we didn’t see any bears over here. Fortunately, they were too busy fishing for salmon or napping on the beach.
As you continue hiking, you will finally start to see Naknek Lake emerge in the distance. The view continues to get better as you climb up Dumpling Mountain.
Dumpling Mountain Overlook
There is a false overlook. It’s the first place that really gives you a good view of the surrounding area. Make sure to continue on to the actual overlook.
It takes about 45 minutes (or 1.2 miles) to hike to the overlook from the trailhead. The total mileage that I recorded was 2.55 miles and 869 feet of elevation gain.
From the overlook, you will enjoy stunning views of Naknek Lake, Brooks River, Brooks Falls, and Lake Brooks.
If you have a zoom lens on your camera, you can get great photos of the platforms and even some of the bears in the area.
Beyond Dumpling Mountain Overlook
You can continue hiking beyond the Dumpling Mountain Overlook to reach the summit of Dumpling Mountain.
The summit of Dumpling Mountain sits at 2,440 feet. Hike an additional 2.5 miles from the overlook to get to the summit.
Happy hiking!
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Do you have any questions about hiking dumpling mountain overlook? Let me know in the comments.
