Grizzly Bears At Brooks Falls AK

Dale Matson

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We flew from Fresno to Seattle, Seattle to Anchorage, Anchorage to King Salmon (1.25 hrs.) and took a float plane (40 min) to Brooks Falls. We stayed there for three nights. One day was devoted to the bus tour (I will write about this in another article) and the other three days were devoted to watching, filming and photographing Grizzly Bears.

It is two miles round trip to Brooks Falls from the camp where we stayed. We stayed in a small cabin with four bunks, a toilet and shower, which was adequate for our needs. When you initially arrive, you are given an orientation talk about how to behave around the bears. The food was great and I gained six pounds during our full eight day visit to Alaska. There is an initial raised and gated platform for viewing the bears as you leave the camp. Once you leave this platform, you are on a gravel road which then becomes a gravel path that winds through the woods to the viewing platform by the falls. You are encouraged to walk in groups, never run and give the bears the “right of way”. They often walk on the beach where the float planes are anchored and even through the camp. One night we heard a ranger yelling at a bear chewing on the cabin next to ours. There is also a camping area for fishermen and bear watchers that has an electric fence surrounding it.

Although we didn’t go at what is considered the optimum viewing months of July and September, my wife Sharon and friend (also named Sharon) saw as many as sixteen bears one evening. We also did not have to contend with the crowds or bugs. Because it was mid-August, it was seasonably rainy but we had lots of opportunity for photos.

These bears are well fed and huge. I never imagined that they would be even larger in real life than I have seen on video. I was always happy to get to the viewing platform by the falls or back to camp. My wife and our friend were not as bothered by the walk through the woods as I was.

I brought a Sony A7C with both a 24mm 2.8 lens and a 50mm 2.5 lens mostly for landscape. My main camera was a Sony A7R4 with the 100-400 GM lens. I also had a crop setting that allowed me to shoot at 600mm and still get 24mp photos. I brought three batteries (both cameras use the same battery) but did not bring a charger. I almost ran out but one of the employees lent me his charger and a full battery which made the final two days as enjoyable as the previous six days. Our friend Sharon wished she had brought her 500mm lens but didn’t. Her large lens only zoomed to 300mm.

I want to thank the staff and Park Service Employees for their help in making this portion of our Alaska stay a once in a lifetime experience.   

Otis