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Together with:
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The hairs on my neck stood on alert as the massive coastal grizzly ambled closer and closer. I've watched brown bears like these in nature documentaries for years, but where once we were separated by a 55-inch Vizio television screen, now the only things between us were a few yards of grass and air. I could hear the breath escaping from his lungs as the nearly 1,000-pound bear moved to within a dozen yards or so.
Any fear I may have had quickly dissipated, replaced by an overwhelming sense of joy and awe. The bear sat, much like a kindergartner on a woven rug-to show he wasn't a threat, explained my guide Brad Josephs-before beginning to graze on the meadow of sedge beneath him. The moment made such an impression on me that I'd later get a tattoo of that same bear on my leg.
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The bear-viewing capital of the world
At the time, I was on a Natural Habitat Adventures trip to Katmai National Park and Preserve. Several years later, I did a second bear-viewing trip with the company to Lake Clark National Park.
Alaska is home to more than 70% of North America's brown bears, and the stretch of the state's southeastern coast from Lake Clark National Park and Preserve to Katmai National Park and Preserve may offer the best brown bear-viewing opportunities in the world. Why?
First, both areas have a particularly high concentration of bears. And perhaps more importantly, bears haven't been hunted in these areas for generations, so they don't fear humans. To them, we're harmless, hairless curiosities, not prey. That mutual understanding and respect is what makes this area unique.
The key to maintaining that inter-species stalemate is predictability. As long as humans maintain their distance, don't make much noise, and resist that unshakable urge to snuggle with the yearling cubs, the bears don't have to remind them who's actually the boss out here in the wilderness.
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Choose your own bear adventure
Because you can reach this area only via plane or boat, the number of visitors is fairly limited (both Lake Clark and Katmai see fewer than 25,000 visitors per year compared to parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite, which each see more than 3 million).
You can visit on your own without a guide (though you'll still need to pay for boat or plane transport to the parks), but it's not recommended you travel outside of Brooks Falls unless you're a bear expert. If you're looking for a quick experience, a day trip will likely suffice. But if you're looking for a safari-like experience with North America's apex predator, then consider a multi-day adventure with an outfitter.
You can pretty much choose your own experience at Katmai, world-renowned thanks to the photos of bears standing and catching salmon in their mouths. On one hand, you could get dropped off at Brooks Falls for a day or three. On the other, you could travel into the park's interior, where the bears congregate along the meadows and beaches bordering the bays. The former will give you an unforgettable image for Instagram, while the latter will give you a better understanding of the bears' day-to-day lives.
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The bear necessities
During my four-night stay at Bear Camp in Lake Clark, we had our pick of multiple viewing spots, depending on where the bears were congregating-sometimes just a few hundred yards from our camp. On any given day, we'd see a dozen or more bears grazing, fishing for salmon, or nursing their young. They were living their daily lives while we were living a tremendous adventure ripped from the pages of National Geographic.
Outfitters typically have strict rules to prevent coastal grizzlies from associating humans with food. (Remember the phrase: A fed bear is a dead bear.) At Bear Camp, no food or toiletries are allowed inside individual tent cabins; instead, they're stored in a central, more secure location. The last thing you want to wake up to in the middle of the night is a brown bear rifling through your belongings, looking for your tube of Crest. (Fun fact: Bears love toothpaste.)
Over the years, I've learned a great deal about bear behavior from guides. Because adult male bears typically prefer to avoid humans, mama bears will often bring their cubs close to groups for security; this can lead to adorable photos of cubs wrestling while mama grazes on sedge in the background. One of my favorite memories is of a blonde cub charging toward us, before stopping and rearing up on his hind legs.
"He's practicing a bluff charge," I remember Josephs saying. "He knows we're not a threat, and if he does get into trouble, his mom is right there to bail him out."
Sometimes, a cub can get a little too curious about humans, but a few gentle admonishments from the guide-or a warning huff from mom-is typically enough to keep them away.
They'd be much more hard-pressed to keep me away.
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How to do it
Want to see coastal brown bears in Alaska? Read our guide for the best time to go, average costs, safety considerations, and more.
Note that Brooks Lodge operates a random lottery system for the opportunity to book a room. The lottery application for the 2025 season has closed, but applications for the 2026 season will be available from December 1st, 2024, through December 31st, 2024.
Keep an eye out here if you plan to enter the lottery.
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Getting there
Most visitors fly into Anchorage's Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC), then take a commuter flight to either Kodiak or Homer (the latter is roughly four hours from Anchorage by car). From there, you can do either a guided day trip or spend multiple days with an outfitter.
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$319 Average Going deal
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$650 Normal ticket price
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Interested in a trip to Anchorage?
Premium and Elite members can find, watch, and get alerts for specific destinations on their Watchlist.
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With local expert:
Robert Annis
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Over the years, Robert's byline has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including National Geographic, Outside, Travel + Leisure, Inside Hook, Hemispheres, Departures, Midwest Living, Lonely Planet, Afar, Sierra, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, RV Magazine, and Hidden Compass. Find examples of his work at robertannis.contently.com.
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