The world's most iconic bear-viewing region, combining two legendary Alaskan parks. Katmai's Brooks Falls, home to 2,000+ brown bears, is where dozens of bears line up in July to catch sockeye salmon leaping upstream — the image every wildlife photographer knows, with elevated viewing platforms for safety. Lake Clark's coastal flats (Chinitna Bay, Silver Salmon Creek) offer unrivalled ground-level bear viewing on foot, often within just a few metres, as grizzlies graze sedges, dig for clams, and fish for salmon. September brings a second peak as bears feed on weakening salmon, and the annual Fat Bear Week contest in October is an internet phenomenon. Floatplane access from King Salmon, Homer or Anchorage.
