June departures: Today offers another opportunity to further explore the area with your seasoned bear naturalist guide. While the bear activity here can vary according to seasonal and weather conditions, there’s always something interesting going on. Your low-impact presence ensures that the bears are never disturbed, granting you comfortable access to watch them go about their daily routines.
July/ Aug departures: Travel by floatplane to Katmai National Park and the world-renowned Brooks Falls, one of the best places to view giant Alaskan brown bears in their natural habitat. Katmai is home to the world’s largest population of these enormous coastal grizzlies, with some 2,200 individuals inside the park. As many bear populations around the world decline, Katmai’s 4 million acres of wilderness provides some of the last pristine habitat for these magnificent animals. From the safety of platforms built over Brooks Falls, you will able to get a close look at this iconic wildlife spectacle, which very few visitors to Alaska have the privilege of seeing. At close range, watch bears stand in the rushing whitewater, jaws gaping, trying to catch the salmon that leap up the falls once spawning season starts. July departures offer a good chance to see fishing bears, since this is when the salmon are running, but bear viewing is excellent in August with even more bears in the vicinity. You’ll take a break to relax over lunch at world-famous Brooks Lodge, an easy walk from the falls. Head back to King Salmon by floatplane or water taxi in the evening.