We're trying to decide what type of bear watching adventure we want to do on our trip to Alaska in summer 2011. We are open to time of year, whatever works best for what we want to do. We would like to see Brown bears from pretty close up, with a relatively guaranteed chance of seeing them, knowing of course that in nature there are no guarantees. We were considering the trips from Talon Air over to Redoubt Bay in Lake Clarke area but it seems that may be mostly black bears, is that correct or does it depend on time of year, do they have lots of grizzlies there? Brook Falls of course is a possibility but quite expensive and I'm not sure of the crowds, does that make it feel quite touristy, waiting on line, dealing with throngs, etc? Is it really terrific or does all of that take away from the natural experience? Any other suggestions on places we can see brown bears fairly close, not just dots in the distance? And good services who can take us there? Thanks.

There are two main periods for bears at Brooks. In July they are thick around the falls to snatch the sockeyes running upstream to spawn. This is when most of the photos you've probably seen of bears grabbing jumping fish were taken. Crowds are terrible in July, mostly due to the day trippers who fly in. The campground is full, as are the cabins, and waits to get to the viewing platform can be long. If you are staying there then you can slip in extra time when the fly-in guys are thinning out.

In August there aren't as many bears, they follow the salmon to the small feeder streams where they are spawning and you can get a discount at Brooks. Fewer bears and fewer people.

In late August thru Sept the spawned out salmon are washing back into the main river and many bears return with them. The bears look better because they are fatter and their coats are thicker as they prepare for hibernation, and they are not as aggressive as hyperphagia (gluttonous eating to fatten up) sets in. This is my favorite time to go ... the bears are spread out and there are fewer people, though this may mean 100 people instead of 250-300 like in July. But I've never seen a time limit in the fall and while the lower platform is sometimes full there was never a wait to reach it.

Rangers try to keep the people at least 50 yards from the bears but it's pretty common to have one pop out of the brush a few yards from you. You can always rent waders and wade the river with the trout fishermen in the fall, which will usually put you within yards of bears.

Anyway, those are the two key viewing periods and yes, there will be crowds. If this is your first bear experience then you will probably like it, but if you've been on one of the more remote areas with few people and up-close bears then Brooks will seem like a circus.

As for the costs, if you can camp then it's cheap except for the flights in. You can eat at the lodge so just need a waterproof tent and good sleeping bag. I've been there when it rained every day for a week and the campground flooded, so take a good tent.

There's a fence around the campground that slows down the smaller docile bears and no one has been attacked at the campground. Walking thru the forest from the campground to the lodge will often provide you a very close encounter with bears.

Any other suggestions on places we can see brown bears fairly close, not just dots in the distance?

Day trips out of Homer to Katmai are usually great if the weather allows. Most will guarantee you bears (if they can fly). Usually the bears will walk up within a few yards. The cost is typically $500-600/day, about what it costs to fly into Brooks from ANC. Emerald Air and Bald Mountain are very good in Homer.

Also Silver Salmon Lodge closer to Anchorage (Lake Clark NP) has a very good reputation. You can do day trips there. All of the lodges or camps are expensive.

What do you think of the trips by Talon air, do you know anything about those? They were the first thing we were considering and they are seeming appealing again(cheaper, easier to arrange, maybe see brown bears really close from boat)? I e-mailed Talon Air and they say they see more Browns than black bears, so perhaps I was wrong in my impressions?

What do you think of the trips by Talon air, do you know anything about those?

From the photos on their site it looks like they take you to Wolverine Creek. I think spirobulldog has done this trip, he can give you first hand info (I think he already did this in another thread you started).

From what I hear the main concern at Wolverine is the overcrowding. I have a book titled "Bear Viewing in Alaska" by Stephen Stringham, who worked at Wolverine and Brooks and he wrote this about Wolverine in the book:

"It is not uncommon for Wolverine Cove to be visited by up to thirty boats at once, most of them filled with fishermen. Care and luck are needed to avoid getting people or fishing gear in your pictures. This opportunity to both fish and view bears at close range attracts over 9,000 visitors a year to Wolverine Cove."

So long as you know about the crowds in advance and aren't concerned about them then it's probably a good bargain since it's cheaper than most of the other bear viewing trips.

Thanks, I;m going to order that book today. It was Spirobulldog's post that led me to think it was more black bears than brown, Talon Air says otherwise, it's really probably the luck of timing. Wolverine Creek is definitely crowded, but then so is Brooks Falls. I'm am looking into the Wilderness Lodges too, I think it was you who suggested Silver Salmon Creek and they sound great, looking into some others as well, definitely a more pristine experience if we can afford it.

All that we saw, up close, were black bears. We did see grizzlies from the air and boat, but these were probably 4 or 5 miles away from Wolverine Creek. If you search youtube, you will find brown and black bears at the creek, but usually not both at the same time. Talon and the company we used, High Adventure Air, both look about the same.

I do suspect that grizzlies up close would be more impressive because of thier size. However, any bear that is fishing is pretty cool thing to see. Staying at one of the lodges is probably a better experience, but most of my trips usually are only for a few days, so we didn't have time. As far as money, you are really getting a lot for a trip to Wolverine. You are not promised to catch a fish or see a bear, but I think it would be pretty uncommon not to. The half day trip was enough for us and only around $350pp. So if time and/or money is an issue, this is pretty good option. If you have plenty of time and money then go "all out" and consider a private all day excursion into the bush or staying at one of the lodges. I always like a place better the longer I am able to stay. Even though Wolverine had 10-15 boats there and it wasn't a one on one experience, it was still nice to watch everyone catching fish, seeing the bears, eagles, etc. The bears really don't pay much attention to the boats. I haven't been to Brooks, but I think it would be great to be able to stand on a platform and watch the bears fish. My parents are going this next summer, so I am anxious to hear what they think of it. They are going in August and they haven't made up their minds on exactly what they are doing.

With all the different options you mention, I think you would probably be happy with any of them, unless solitude is really important. When you see a bear with a fish, or when you hook one yourself, you kinda forget about the other people around you anyway.

One other thought,

When we first approached to land near Wolverine Creek our 75 year old pilot didn't think he would be able to land due to fog. However he did find a clearing and was able to land. Fog is pretty thick at times, so this might be a possibility with any trip that you take that requires some type of air travel. There aren't any control towers or runways, it is totally up to the pilot.

Thanks very much for all the info and patient answers. It seems the more information I get the more confused I get, it's so overwhelming, and I know my questions can seem all over the place. I ordered that book from Amazon on bear watching, and another on fishing the Kenai Penninsula that I hope will help, the Fodors and Frommers guides are so vague. Any other recommendations on more detailed guides to Alaska, or websites? I know about the Milepost, but thought for a 2011 trip I shouldn't buy it this early.