Brown Bear Abound at Katmai National Park & Preserve

Occupying a peninsula in the Southwest region of Alaska, Katmai National Park & Reserve spans across four million miles of forests, tundra, lakes, and mountains. It has the largest population of protected brown bears at over 2,000. These magnificent fury mammals can be seen in the summer months preying on sockeye salmon as they jump into the air near Brooks River Falls. The Falls are on a private property, but the park offers viewing stations just down river, where you can almost be guaranteed to see a dozen bears or more during the peak salmon spawning season in July.

Also known for The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, an area of lava and ash formed by a 1912 volcano eruption, the Katmai offers a diverse ecosystem. It is well worth the short ride on a floatplane to get to the remote park.