Katmai National Park is one of the best grizzly bear viewing locations in the world, with about 2,200Â grizzlies inhabiting the area. These bears congregate in food rich areas throughout Katmai and some parts of the park support some of the highest densities of bears ever documented.
There are several top viewing locations throughout the park, but Brooks Camp is by far the most popular. It’s best in July and September when food is abundant. Bears begin to migrate to the Brooks River in late June when the salmon start to arrive. They’re infrequently found in the area through the spring as little food is available this time of year.
In the southern coastal regions of Alaska bears tend to hibernate for about 2-5 months. They emerge from their dens in the spring after losing up to 33% of their body weight. Katmai National Park recently posted celebrating the first bear spotted at Brooks Camp this spring after hibernation.
Katmai National Park hosts the incredibly popular Bear Cams run by Explore.org. Many of the live cameras are off but they’ll turn back on for our enjoyment in the coming months as more bears return to the area.