Fodor's Expert Review Admiralty Island

The island is famous for its lush old-growth rain forest and abundant wildlife, including one of the largest concentrations of brown bears anywhere on the planet. The Tlingit name for the island is Kootznoowoo (Xootsnoowú), meaning "Fortress of the Bears." Ninety miles long, with 678 miles of coastline, Admiralty—the second-largest island in Southeast Alaska—is home to an estimated 1,600 bears, almost one per square mile.