Fat Bear Week, a celebration of Alaska’s plumpest brown bears, is about to begin, but that’s not the only way to admire these fluffy giants. Here’s how to safely view, and even camp or camp among, south-central Alaska’s famous brown bears..
Locking eyes with a 400-pound brown bear can send shivers down your spine, but I felt calm, even euphoric, as Roxie and her two-year-old fluffy cub, Pebbles, approached.
“She’s using us as a shield,” muttered expedition leader Mike Hillman. “Sit down and no sudden movements.”
Hillman, a veteran expedition leader with Alaska Bear Camp, a Natural Habitat Adventures safari getaway, was on hand. Roxie was a regular at this part of Lake Clark State Park located on the edge of Chinitna Bay, as was her suitor, Pom. Hillman had previously starred in several seasons of this bruin reality TV show. Pom couldn’t understand Roxie’s disinterest. So she ditched him, crossing a gurgling stream and climbing above our observation ridge, knowing full well that our presence would keep Pom away. It worked. Pom moved on to his next conquest: a mother and her cub who escaped from him while climbing a tree.
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These June encounters, we learned, are rituals at the start of the bear mating season in south-central Alaska. They are the prelude to the pre-hibernation bulking season, a time made famous by Katmai National Park’s viral Fat Bear Week, which begins October 2, 2024. The annual March Madness-style tournament invites the public to follow along virtually this period. vote for the plumpest brunettes of the year. This year’s edition marks the 10th anniversary of the event, but Fat Bear Week only scratches the surface of ways to enjoy the region’s four-legged giants.
During my four days at Alaska Bear Camp, a safari hosted by World Wildlife Fund travel partner Natural Habitat Adventures, I watched the fluffy titans struggle, climb trees, dig for clams, and finally mate. Here’s how you can also enjoy a breathtaking brown bear safari in Alaska.
Plan a Brown Bear Safari in Alaska
More than 100,000 brown, grizzly and black bears live in Alaska; that’s more than any other state. Many visitors spot them on hikes, cruises, paddle tours, and road trips, but the safest and most likely way to appreciate these giants, especially the brown bears made famous by the Fat Bear Week, consists of taking a guided trip to south-central Alaska.
“This small core of habitat at the foot of the Alaska Peninsula is the best place in the world to see bears,” Hillman said. “It has rich salmon rivers and sedge meadows that concentrate these brown bears.”
I chose Bear Camp, a 14-person glamping getaway on private property right next to Lake Clark, one of America’s least visited national parks, for its remoteness and safari-style approach to viewing the bear. Similar to, say, a Tanzanian safari, Bear Camp guests sleep in the wild in cozy glamping tents (protected by an electric fence), then spend mornings, afternoons and evenings on guided walks or drive to animal viewing platforms, including public national sites. park views and private observation decks reserved for Bear Camp guests. On special mornings, guests can start the day watching clam bears as the sun hovers over the Chigmit Mountains, all without leaving camp.
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Katmai National Park, about 150 miles south of Lake Clark, is the site not only of Fat Bear Week, but also of the famous Brooks Falls salmon run. This frenzied spectacle attracts dozens of voracious brown bears fishing for fish on their spawning journey upstream. Travelers can stay overnight here at Brooks Lodge, located just a short walk from Brooks Falls, if they’re lucky. The lodge requires a lottery that books at least a year in advance. Intrepid visitors could also score a coveted permit at nearby Brooks Camp; reservations open in early January and, like Brooks Lodge, are quickly snapped up.
Day trips to bear viewing at Lake Clark and Katmai are also available via seaplane tours from Anchorage or Homer, but spending the night in bear country has one major advantage: more time with the animals, in especially when they are most active and photogenic, early in the morning. and evening hours
When to See Alaskan Brown Bears
Visit southcentral Alaska, including the bear centers of Lake Clark and Katmai National Parks, from June to early September for the best brown bear sightings and weather conditions. Each month brings a different genre of Alaskan bear viewing, depending on your safari perch.
June, I discovered for myself, is mating time in the region. Bears emerge from hibernation in early summer in search of mates and feast on protein-rich sedges and clams.
All eyes are on Katmai in July, when the dazzling salmon run begins. At Lake Clark, bears continue to munch on sedges and search for clams this time of year. It’s also the perfect month to spot moms and their little assets, says Jessica Morgan, Bear Camp expedition leader.
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In August and September, bears continue to build up their muscles before hibernation. In early August, Lake Clark residents often have their own small run of salmon on the streams just beyond Bear Camp’s private observation deck. For night sky enthusiasts, mid-August brings another possible treat: the end of the midnight sun and the kickoff of Alaska’s northern lights season.
Most trips to the area end in September, but the fanfare continues in early October with Fat Bear Week, where Katmai bears become particularly numerous thanks to the prolific salmon run. Viewers can virtually join the fun by learning about group participants and voting for this year’s winner.
Safety Precautions for Bear Viewing
In Alaska, bear attacks are unlikely, but always remember that brown bears are wild animals and can be dangerous, even life-threatening, if provoked, the NPS says. When you’re adventuring alone, stop at the nearest visitor center or backcountry station for area-specific bear safety tips. Generally, it’s best to travel in a group and make your presence known, whether with a bear bell or by speaking loudly. You never want to catch a bear off guard.
Safety is one of the main reasons I recommend traveling with a guide. Hillman, for example, knows the animals around Bear Camp intimately. He knew he could trust Roxie and Pebbles, but he said we would have returned to the safari vehicle if Pom, the dominant male, had come near.
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Bear Camp guides are also strict about how travelers travel. All walks to and from the vehicle, or to the observation decks, require a close, single file line. “If we see a bear, we group up and I will put myself between you and the bear,” Hillman told us. “I’ll use the bear’s body language to see what it wants to do next.” Given protocols, Natural Habitat Adventures suggests a minimum age of around 10 for guests, although there is no hard limit.
Sleeping in bear country also comes with its own strict safety measures. Even though Bear Camp is surrounded by an electric fence, guests take extra precautions, such as not eating food in the tents and hiding toiletries or scented products in personal boxes in the main dining tent, to avoid unwanted visitors.
Maximize your Alaska wildlife sightings
Brown bears are the stars of the show in south-central Alaska, but you’ll also be able to see many other animals, large and small, during your stay. We saw foxes during our visit to the historic Bear Camp Farm and a grazing elk on the way to the airport in the fishing village of Homer, the start and end point of our trip to Bear Camp. If time in Homer allows, book a Kachemak Bay wildlife cruise to see sea otters, seals, whales, and puffins before returning to Anchorage.
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And, instead of booking an Alaska safari with nights in Anchorage proper, increase your chances of spotting wildlife with a cabin at the new BlueWater Basecamp, a boutique and wooded getaway located next to the park. Chugach State, just 40 miles and less than an hour away. drive from Anchorage International Airport. I was among the first guests to stay overnight at base camp when it opened this summer. Choosing these wilderness digs over a city trip, I ended my Alaska adventure with a very special farewell: spotting an adolescent black bear meandering around nearby Eklutna Lake.
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