Alaska’s Valley of Steaming Vents Was Born From an Eruption So Violent It Reached Washington State

The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes

The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes earned its name when Novarupta coated it with hundreds of feet of ash in 1912, creating countless steaming vents. Today the steam is gone, but what remains is pure Alaska: a raw landscape of deep ash canyons and volcanic formations in Katmai National Park.

It Used to Be a Valley Teeming with Life

The valley was formed when the Novarupta volcano dumped tons of volcanic ash across the landscape in 1912. Before the eruption, this area was a lush green valley called Ukak River Valley (known to be a pass for the Alutiiq people), filled with salmon streams and wildlife.

Today, it’s a stark, otherworldly place, devoid of vegetation and covered in volcanic deposits going under 700 feet deep.

The Massive Novarupta Eruption

On June 6, 1912, the Novarupta volcano unleashed one of the five largest eruptions in recorded history. The eruption spewed material at a rate of 520 million tons per hour, equivalent to about 5,300 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

The eruption was so powerful that it collapsed the summit of nearby Mount Katmai, even though the actual eruption came from Novarupta and produced enough ash to blanket Kodiak, about 100 miles away.

People in the nearby village of Kodiak thought the world was ending when darkness fell at noon and ash rained from the sky for three days straight. The gritty ashfall made its way as far away as Washington, in Puget Sound.

The Ash Layer Is Over 700 Feet Deep

This valley lies under a massive ash blanket that completely changed the landscape. The ash reaches depths of 700 feet in places, wiping out the former ecosystem.

This superheated material raced down from Novarupta at over 100 mph. The intense heat baked the ground below, creating a natural furnace. Geological studies indicate that temperatures just 1 meter below the surface were around 97°C (206.6°F) in the 1910s.

The Eruption Changed Global Weather

The 1912 eruption affected the entire planet. The eruption’s ash plume was first observed in British Columbia on June 6. Ash reached Wisconsin within days and Algeria within weeks. Canada experienced acid rain as volcanic emissions mixed with moisture.

Global temperatures dropped about 1°F the following year. Ship captains also reported unusually colorful sunsets for years afterward due to ash particles in the atmosphere.

Thousands of Vents Once Covered The Valley

The valley got its name from thousands of fumaroles or steam vents that once covered the landscape. These formed when rainwater seeped through cracks in the ash and hit the hot deposits below.

When explorers first visited in 1916, they saw thousands of steam columns rising from the ground. Some were hot enough to boil water, while others released gases that smelled like rotten eggs.

Early explorers sometimes cooked their meals using these natural “stoves,” with some vents reaching over 600°F.

It’s Actually Not Smoking Anymore

Robert F. Griggs gave the valley its name during National Geographic expeditions between 1915 and 1919. When he first saw the thousands of steam columns in 1916, the name perfectly described what he saw.

But as the ash cooled over decades, the fumaroles started disappearing. By the 1930s, there were far fewer. By the 1960s, most fumaroles had disappeared as the ash cooled, leaving no more than 12 active vents.

Today, you’ll find virtually no “smokes” at all, making the name a historical relic rather than an accurate description.

Colorful Minerals Mark the Vents

Around former fumaroles, you can spot bright yellow, rusty red, and vivid orange patches against the grayish-tan ash background. These colors come from specific chemical reactions.

The yellow deposits are mostly sulfur, condensed from volcanic gases. Red and orange come from iron oxides formed when acidic gases mixed with iron-bearing minerals.

Some areas show greenish copper compounds and black manganese oxides. These colorful deposits form natural rings around extinct fumaroles, marking where steam once escaped.

It Paved the Way for Katmai National Park

President Woodrow Wilson established the Katmai National Monument in September 1918 specifically to protect this unique volcanic landscape for scientific study.

The protected area started at about 1,700 square miles but expanded several times in 1931, 1941, and 1968. In 1980, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act upgraded Katmai to full National Park status, growing it to over 4 million acres.

This protection preserves not just the valley but also important salmon runs, brown bear habitat, and other volcanic features. Katmai is one of few national parks created primarily for scientific value rather than scenic beauty.

Astronauts Trained In The Valley

NASA used the valley in the 1960s to train Apollo astronauts because it looked so similar to the moon’s surface. They learned to identify different volcanic rocks, collected samples, and tested equipment in this alien-like setting.

More Things to Do and See at Katmai

While the valley is impressive, approximately 30 miles away there’s plenty more to see. Brooks Falls is famous for brown bears catching jumping salmon, especially in July when you’ll see about 25 of them.

The Katmai wilderness has great backcountry hiking where you can spot wolves, moose, and caribou. Naknek Lake, the largest lake in any national park, offers clear-water kayaking and fishing.

For the ambitious hiker, Mount Katmai itself can be reached, offering views of its collapsed crater and turquoise lake.

Visiting the Valley of Ten Thousands Smokes

To see the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, you’ll need to take the daily bus tour from Brooks Lodge during summer (June through September). This is the only road (approximately 23 miles) in Katmai National Park and takes about two hours each way.

At the valley, you’ll find the Robert F. Griggs Visitor Center with displays and great views. Get backcountry camping permits for longer visits, but bring all supplies and be ready for quick weather changes.