You might think that a bear spray company would be telling you about how to reduce your chances of seeing a bear while you are visiting Alaska but we actually want you to see these beautiful animals. What we don’t want to happen is a negative human/bear encounter and we have advice all over our website on how to reduce the chance of this happening. We also want to encourage everyone to be prepared when you are entering an environment where you might encounter a bear and a big part of being prepared is to carry bear spray (one for every adult in your group!). Bears, however, are everywhere in Alaska and are “part of the show”. These majestic beasts are woven into many aspects of Alaskan culture, history and are even represented on our state flag (Ursa Major, the “Big Dipper”, is the great bear). If you come to Alaska we sincerely hope that you see one of these beautiful animals in their natural habitat and that you are moved by the experience. With that being said, we thought it would be worthwhile to write down a few of our favorites places for bear viewing while you are in Alaska. There are literally dozens of places we could list but we will start with three places that are accessible from Anchorage. We can and will list additional places in future posts but here are three of our favorite spots:
Eagle River Nature Center
If you are just visiting Alaska on a short trip and don’t have a lot of time to get out and see some of the more remote spots of the state then you might want to consider a short visit to the Eagle River Nature Center. Eagle River is technically part of Anchorage but is a community just north of the main city. The Nature Center is about 15 minutes east of the Eagle River (45 minutes from downtown Anchorage) in the Chugach State Park. The scenery here alone is worth the visit and the park has a very nice gift shop and museum that is also worth checking out. The best part of the Eagle River Nature Center, as you would guess, is nature (it is a “nature center”). There are a few very well maintained and traveled trails that take you out into the woods that will be your best opportunity for seeing a bear in the wild. This is probably the closest location to Anchorage where you still have a good opportunity to view a bear in the wild. When the salmon are running up the Eagle River (May – September) the bear activity can be very high here. So much so that some sections of the trails might be temporarily closed. The trail we recommend is the Albert Loop Trail which is about 3 miles in total. This trail leads to a great viewing deck where you can relax, enjoy the view, and hopefully catch a glimpse of a bear or two traversing the Eagle River looking for salmon. This spot is definitely worth checking out!
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
You are almost guaranteed to see a bear if you visit the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center which is located about an hour south of Anchorage on the Seward Highway. Note that these bears aren’t going to be bears in the wild which may be more of what some people are looking for. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center is a wildlife refuge center that cares for bears (black and brown), moose, wolves, reindeer, wood bison, muskox, elk, eagles, and many other animals that are native to Alaska. While you are not going to see/experience the animals in the wild they are in large zoo like enclosures that are very nice for viewing all the native wildlife. This is a great area for viewing Alaskan animals that are typically very difficult to view in the wild (e.g. a lynx). The center also has a very nice gift shop that is also worth checking out.
A related area (a bonus spot!) is the Alaska Zoo which is actually located inside the city of Anchorage. The zoo even has a polar bear which would make it possible to view black, brown, and polar bears if you are visiting Anchorage.
Katmai National Park
This is not an easy place to get to and it is definitely not an easy road trip from Anchorage. It is actually about 300 miles from Anchorage but this is where you would probably start if you were planning an adventure to Katmai. The only way to get here is by plane or boat with most people flying into the park. Why would you want to go to such a remote place? If you were to rank all of the bear viewing places in the world, Katmai would be right at the top. It would probably be the number one spot. The bear viewing here is about as good as it gets at the famed Brooks Falls. During peak season, when the salmon are running, you are almost guaranteed to see bears (yes, that was plural). There are literally thousands of bears that roam this very remote, secluded, and beautiful park. Getting to Katmai National Park is completely doable but can be a bit of an adventure in itself. That adventure is a little beyond the scope of this article but would suggest you check out this article if you are considering a trip – Visiting Katmai National Park – How to Plan a Perfect Trip?.
Be Safe and Smart!
Let us know if you visit any of these places and happen to see a bear (we hope that you do!). Just remember to play it safe and carry bear spray while you are in Alaska. Play it smart by renting it from Alaska Bear Spray Rental!
