Alaska is known for magnificent bear watching, and Homer is the best starting point for amazing bear viewing in Alaska. It is among the two most aspirational places in Alaska, known for bear watching: Katmai National Park & Preserve and Lake Clark National Preserve.

Homer: Your Bear Viewing Gateway

Many Alaska bear viewing trips offer full-day and multi-day bear watching tours starting from Homer. If you want to enjoy the most eventful bear watching, then better to visit Home from June to September, which is an ideal period for spotting brown bears easily. During this time, brown bears gather on coastal grassy areas and streams in these wild places.

Some of the popular Alaska bear viewing trips cover bear tours in Katmai and Chintana Bay known for a large bear population. In these areas, especially in the spring, they eat lots of grass and clams, then switch to eating salmon that are returning to their birthplace to lay eggs. Later, they eat berries and seeds as they get ready for winter.

Over 98% of all brown bears in the country live in Alaska, with many of them on the western side of Cook Inlet in the wild.

A Safe and Comfortable Experience

More people are interested in seeing bears because they can watch them up close, safely, and comfortably.

Most places have well-prepared lodges and experienced guides. From when bears come out of their dens in late May until they go back to sleep in late fall, visitors can watch them in their natural environment. Bears eat both plants and animals, and they travel over large areas to find food as they build up fat for the cold season.

Katmai National Park: Home of Brooks Falls

Katmai National Park was created in 1918 and is about 50 miles away from Lake Clark National Park. It's famous for having a lot of brown bears and a special place called Brooks Falls. It's one of the best places in the world to see bears up close. Brooks Camp is a popular spot where you can watch bears during the salmon run, which happens from mid-June until September. There are special viewing platforms that let people watch the bears safely and quietly as they catch fish in their natural environment.

For photographers, this is a must-see moment that should be on any list of things to do. Before you go, you can also watch the bears online through the park service webcams, which gives you a preview of what to expect on your trip.

Besides Brooks Falls, there are other places in Katmai National Park where you can see bears that are not as famous. There are a few rivers where you can hike or float and see the bears in action. There are also spots along the coast of Katmai that are great for bear watching, but the best time to visit depends on the season.

Brown Bear vs. Grizzly Bear

One thing to note is that while both are brown bears, they are actually different kinds. Brown bears are usually bigger and live near the coast, where they eat things like salmon and clams. Grizzly bears are more common in the inland areas and eat berries, grasses, and sometimes hunt animals like moose or caribou.

The Full Bear Watching Experience

The experience of watching bears is all about going on a trip to see and learn about them in their natural setting.

Lake Clark and Katmai National Parks are two of the top places in Alaska for bear watching, and both are easy to reach from Lake Clark Lodge.

Conclusion

You can watch them fishing for salmon, playing around with their young, or defending their space. Female bears, called sows, stay with their cubs for two or three years. Male bears often compete with each other for the best fishing spots. Every bear has its own personality, and it's always a unique experience.