One of the questions we get asked most is “Are you affiliated with Brooks Lodge”? You may have heard of them. Many of the iconic award winning photos you see of a bear catching a salmon were taken at Brook Falls. It is a place where dozens of bears gather every season to catch the salmon heading upstream. It has become internationally renowned for some of the best bear viewing and photography in the world.
Several different fishing and bear viewing lodges occupy the area around King Salmon, Alaska, where Brooks River and Falls are located. Brooks Lodge is just one of them, but given its popularity, Brooks Lodge has to run a lottery system each year for prospective visitors to secure a spot. Once there, you are absolutely guaranteed bear viewing, and there are many raised platforms along the Brooks River to provide a scenic view. The most iconic spot, however, right at Brooks Falls can be so crowded during peak season that the Park puts a time limit on visitors and you must wait in line again on the boardwalk for a second chance at that perfect shot. While this may be many peoples idea of perfect bear viewing, the crowds and waiting in line are not for everyone.
So what makes us different from Brooks? Here at Katmai Wilderness Lodge, we offer a more intimate bear viewing experience, often without another group or building in sight!
While we regularly see several bears at a time we don’t usually see dozens sharing the same river. This also means that we see more of the bears that aren’t comfortable being in close proximity to so many other bears, such as mothers and cubs or juvenile bears just starting out on their own.
Although it is not uncommon to see bears around the lodge, it is not a daily occurrence. So we take our guests out into the field by private boat, with 6 or less guests to a guide. You will spend the day exploring Kukak Bay looking for bears. Many times once we spot where the bears are concentrated, we will hike into the field to set up by a stream or meadow and watch our bears enjoying the vast wilderness that surrounds them.
Breathtaking mountain views and scenic Alaskan vistas will form the background of your shot, no matter how zoomed out you are! Our guides are intimately familiar with the area and the bears that live here and are uniquely prepared to give you the best possible bear viewing experience.
So Katmai Wilderness Lodge or Brooks Lodge? It all depends upon the type of bear viewing that you are interested in. Just like every spot in Katmai National Park and Preserve, there is a scenic and natural magic about it. As for the crew at KWL, we will be out here with the bears enjoying the quiet and breathtaking views that surround Kukak Bay. We hope to see you out here!