Most people who visit Katmai fly to their destination. Above the land and water, people see a land pock marked with ponds and lakes, cut with deep valleys, and rippled with glacial moraines—all of which is set next to the rugged spine of active volcanoes. Katmai National Monument was established in 1918 because of its geology. The stories of the rocks, volcanoes, fossils, and glaciers of Katmai reveal the formation of this landscape.