World Famous Bear Watching at Brooks Falls

Few experiences in Alaska are as awe-inspiring as a bear-watching tour at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park. Have you seen a photo of bears standing at the top of a waterfall waiting for salmon to jump into their mouths? That’s what this tour is all about. You will have to pay a great amount of effort and money for limited time being close to Alaska’s iconic brown bears. Was it worth it? Absolutely, if watching wildlife is on your bucket list for your Alaska trip. Unfortunately, the tour is not dog friendly because it’s not safe for dogs to be in an area of high bear density.

Katmai National Park

Situated on the Alaska Peninsula, Katmai National Park spans over four million acres of untamed wilderness, volcanoes, and a diverse range of wildlife. Among its most famous residents are the brown bears. Katmai hosts one of the world’s highest concentrations of this species, making it an unparalleled bear-watching haven. These majestic animals are usually territorial. But in July they tolerate each other in close proximity at Brooks Falls to feast on salmon. If observing wildlife in their natural habitat is your thing, a tour to Brooks Falls will be an experience of a lifetime.

Brooks Falls

The primary allure of Brooks Falls lies in its annual salmon run, which takes place from late June through July. This event turns the Brooks River into a conveyor belt of fish, attracting Katmai’s brown bears eager to fatten up for winter. In 2023, salmon came a little late. Prime time for bear watching was in the second half of July.

Bear Watching Tour at Brooks Falls

The only way to get to Katmai National Park is through a flight ride. So most visitors will have to book a tour from cities like Anchorage. The tours provided by various tour companies are similar in terms of schedule and price. The popular ones are Regal Air, Katmai Air, Trail Ridge Air, and Rust’s. Their tours generally start early in the morning and take about 10-12 hours depending on how busy the day is. The cost is around $1,200 per person and increasing every year. On top of that, you have to book as early as possible because these tours are so popular that they can be filled up several months in advance.

Fly to Katmai

If you depart from Anchorage, you will fly a small private jet to King Salmon then a floatplane to Katmai; or you will fly directly to Katmai on a floatplane. Either way, it is about 2.5 hours one way. Because these are private jets, there’s no security screening. You simply show up on time and check in. Then the tour company will tell you how you will fly (directly or transfer at King Salmon).

The plane ride alone is an amazing experience, providing an aerial perspective of Alaska’s breathtaking natural landscapes. You will be awed by the spectacular views of the glacier-crowned mountains, vast tundra, windy rivers, gem-like lakes, and the Gulf of Alaska. Views on the return flight can be different. So stay awake – trust me it’s hard after a long exciting day.

Brooks Camp Orientation

Everyone lands at the beach of Brooks Camp in Katmai National Park and will be directed to attend a mandatory “Bear Etiquette” orientation. It is essentially a 15-minute video outlining the dos and don’ts for responsible and safe bear watching. The major takeaway for me is to give bears space and not let them associate humans with any good or bad things. After the orientation, you will get a badge as a souvenir and proof that you have taken the safety training. This orientation is very helpful because, as you step out of the door, you will encounter bears every few minutes.

This’s also when you put all your food into a “food room” before you go on your journey. Food is not allowed even in your backpack unless you are inside designated picnic areas fenced by electric wires. I loved how Alaskans make wildlife a priority over humans, not only in their national parks (Katmai and others as well) but also in their daily activities like fishing. They truly believe all creatures are sharing the planet and respect the balance between nature and humans.

Hike from Brooks Camp to Brooks Falls

The hike from Brooks Camp to Brooks Falls is about 1 mile or so. The trail is clearly marked and pretty flat. You will go across the Brooks River and some woods. On the hike, you will start encountering bears already. They are swimming in the river, catching salmon, feeding their cubs on the shores, playing at creeks, wandering on the same beach that you just landed on, or walking in the woods heading to Brooks Falls with you.

Watch Bears

At Brooks Falls, visitors are confined to several raised platforms, constructed and maintained by the National Park Service. These platforms ensure a secure and non-intrusive way to witness this incredible wildlife phenomenon, so close that you can hear the bears’ grunts and the splashing water.

However, the viewing platform closest to the falls has limited space and everyone is allowed only 15 minutes on it. It’s almost certain that you will be waitlisted by the rangers. The wait can be very long – mine was two hours. While you are waiting, feel free to read the educational boards and watch bears from a further platform at the downstream of Brooks Falls. Even on this downstream platform, you still get real close to bears as some of them choose to fish downstream, some may be taking a break, or they are heading to the falls. When I was there, a mama bear bringing her two cubs walked out of the woods into the river literally in front of the downstream platform, ready to catch some salmon. It’s amazing!

Once you get on to the closest platform, make full use of your 15 minutes and enjoy this magnificent performance of nature. As the salmon leap through the air, attempting to overcome the waterfall’s pull, the bears exhibit a variety of fishing techniques. The dominant ones take over the waterfall’s crest and opt for the easiest “stand and wait” approach, while others dive and dash at the downstream or sit patiently at the riverbank, eyes keenly trained on the water. I found the bears who worked the hardest, usually those diving and dashing, got the most fish. This’s nature’s telling that hard work always wins.

Return to Brooks Camp

Once you are back at Brooks Camp, if you still have time before your return flight arrives, this is a great opportunity to eat at the designated picnic area, relax, buy souvenirs, and even enjoy educational talks often given by park rangers. You can also choose to rent a canoe and get onto the water. Or hop on another hike and explore the park more.

What to Bring

Low expectations: When it comes to wildlife watching, always keep your expectation low. Wildlife activity can vary a lot by season, time of the day, weather condition, or even what the animals feel like to do that day. No matter what others say, your experience could be different. If you are able to see what you expect, it’s a blessing. On the day of my tour, I was lucky to be able to see bears catching salmon. The group that went an hour ago saw only bears, no fish.
Bug spray: Mosquitoes are ferocious in Alaska everywhere. After all, they are jokingly Alaska’s state bird. It’s particularly bad at national parks and wildlife preserves where nature is very well protected.
Binoculars will provide a better view of wildlife in distance.
Superzoom camera and extra batteries if you are a fan of wildlife photography
Food and water enough for a whole day
Layers of clothes and rain jacket: Weather changes instantaneous in Alaska. Also, it’s cold on the early morning flight to Katmai.
Sunglasses and sunscreen
Cash for tipping

World Famous Bear Watching at Brooks Falls

Katmai National Park

Brooks Falls