When planning my trip to Alaska, the number one thing I wanted was the chance to photograph bears feeding on salmon. No guarantees that I made the right choice but from everything I read the best oportunity was to go to Brooks Lodge around the middle of July. Now that it is a few months latter and I have had the chance to read more I wonder what I have gotten myself into. If someone can fill me in of some details of what to expect, I would greatly appreciate it. Somewhere else on this board I read that the viewing platforms close at 10pm but I can't find that anywhere in the NPS web site or the Brooks web site. Info on what to expect, viewing hours - (also hours of shootable light in mid July) etc would be greatly appreciated.
I haven't been to Katmai since 2002, and things may have changed, but here's the way it was then:
NPS allows 40 people max at the Brooks Falls viewpoint (by far the best one) at a time. If there's a waiting line (there's a wait list), then you can only stay one hour, and then go to the bottom of the list. Even with just 40 people at a time, the platform is packed. There are a LOT of people who want to see the bears. The Katmai Website has some info. With the tanked economy, there may be slightly fewer visitors; Katmai is a spendy destination.
Viewing is permitted when there is enough light to see; no one wants to be surprised by a bear in the dark. When that is depends on the date (Katmai loses daylight at 4.5-5 minutes/day, so it matters) and how low the clouds are.
Light for photography depends as much or more on weather as daylight. Katmai straddles the Aleutian Peninsula, and the weather can be gruesome. I've been on the platform at 3 PM when it was too dark to shoot. July and August are rainy, but comparatively warm. It is commonly windy there, and sometimes very windy. Assuming decent weather - that's a big assumption - there would be enough light to shoot to 10 PM in mid-July.
Clock times are skewed from solar time. Katmai uses Alaska Standard Time, which is almost three hours off from solar time; i.e., solar noon is at 2:45 PM. Plan accordingly.
As I've noted elsewhere on this forum, if you really want bear photos, sign up for the McNeil River lottery. Far more bears, far fewer people, and much closer to the bears. And not that much more expensive.
Thanks for the info. I have already read your other posts and hope to sign up for the McNeil River lottery on a future trip. We have talked about coming to Alaska for a number of years and actually cancelled our plans for this year due to the economy but the emails kept coming with lower and lower prices to the point that we decided to take the plunge. It was already to late to sign up for the McNeil lottery so Brooks appeared to be my best option - I was surprised they still had availability. I am hoping the economy keeps the crowd down from what I have read elsewhere on the web. I know that's selfishness on my part and not good for many in Alaska who depend on tourist season.
You mention solar noon being 2:45 pm, how does that translate into when to expect first morning light? Also, from what I've read, the middle of the day is when things are really busy. Is it worth getting back in line if my hour is up or would you recommend one of the other platforms during the peak? Thanks
The bears are in charge. Generally, I found by far the most bears (and the best photos) at the Falls Platform. The number of fish in the river, the water levels and how strong the salmon run has been recently all factor in.
In 2002, there wasn't a wait list for Riffles or Lower River. Not very many bears, either... But that was where you went when you were at the bottom of the wait list for Falls Platform. Sign the wait list, guesstimate the waiting time, and spend it at one of the others. Although there are things to photograph besides bears.
Brown bears are not early risers. 9:30-10:00 AM generally. But, again, it depends on the bears and the fish. At McNeil, if there's only one bear in the river and he starts to get lucky, an amazing number of bears would turn up in a hurry.
By the time we ended up making our plans, the only days available were the 18th & 19th. Hope to meet up with you then - you can fill me in on the best tips from your experience and how I can compress as much as possible into two days. We will probably be on the same flight back on Sunday night.
Discussion
5 repliesNPS allows 40 people max at the Brooks Falls viewpoint (by far the best one) at a time. If there's a waiting line (there's a wait list), then you can only stay one hour, and then go to the bottom of the list. Even with just 40 people at a time, the platform is packed. There are a LOT of people who want to see the bears. The Katmai Website has some info. With the tanked economy, there may be slightly fewer visitors; Katmai is a spendy destination.
Viewing is permitted when there is enough light to see; no one wants to be surprised by a bear in the dark. When that is depends on the date (Katmai loses daylight at 4.5-5 minutes/day, so it matters) and how low the clouds are.
Light for photography depends as much or more on weather as daylight. Katmai straddles the Aleutian Peninsula, and the weather can be gruesome. I've been on the platform at 3 PM when it was too dark to shoot. July and August are rainy, but comparatively warm. It is commonly windy there, and sometimes very windy. Assuming decent weather - that's a big assumption - there would be enough light to shoot to 10 PM in mid-July.
Clock times are skewed from solar time. Katmai uses Alaska Standard Time, which is almost three hours off from solar time; i.e., solar noon is at 2:45 PM. Plan accordingly.
As I've noted elsewhere on this forum, if you really want bear photos, sign up for the McNeil River lottery. Far more bears, far fewer people, and much closer to the bears. And not that much more expensive.
Good luck.
You mention solar noon being 2:45 pm, how does that translate into when to expect first morning light? Also, from what I've read, the middle of the day is when things are really busy. Is it worth getting back in line if my hour is up or would you recommend one of the other platforms during the peak? Thanks
In 2002, there wasn't a wait list for Riffles or Lower River. Not very many bears, either... But that was where you went when you were at the bottom of the wait list for Falls Platform. Sign the wait list, guesstimate the waiting time, and spend it at one of the others. Although there are things to photograph besides bears.
Brown bears are not early risers. 9:30-10:00 AM generally. But, again, it depends on the bears and the fish. At McNeil, if there's only one bear in the river and he starts to get lucky, an amazing number of bears would turn up in a hurry.
I'll be there from July 12th - 19th to photograph. Let's just hope for good weather, I'm quite sure the bears will be there.