A Bear-y Spectacle – on a Kayak Tour in Katmai National Park (10 days)

Katmai National Park is famous for its scenic beauty shaped by volcanoes and for having the highest number and the largest of grizzly bears, which gather especially at Brooks Falls to catch salmon. This is probably where most of the world's most impressive bear photos are taken.

The tour starts in Anchorage with a flight over the Iliamna and Redoubt volcanoes to King Salmon. From there, a bush pilot takes you in his small floatplane to Brooks Camp, where you spend your first night at the campground. Very close by, at Brooks Falls, you get your first up-close look at the huge brown bears that gather here mainly in July and September, as they hunt and snatch the salmon swimming up the Brooks River to spawn.

From here you paddle along the shores of Naknek Lake into the Bay of Islands. After a 1.5-kilometer (1-mile) portage, you reach crystal-clear Grosvenor Lake. At the far end, the lake flows into the Grosvenor River and the Savonoski River, a gray glacial river. Several dozen bears gather here along the banks to fish for salmon.

To keep you well fueled throughout the tour, an outdoor cook comes along and takes great care of your meals. Your help with preparing the various meals is very welcome, though – teamwork is everything on such an intense nature and kayak tour!

After a night on a small island in the Iliuk Arm of Naknek Lake, you continue on to Margot Creek, a gathering spot for grizzlies especially between July and September. You spend another night in your tent at Research Bay.

After about 145 kilometers (90 miles) on the water, you finally arrive back at Brooks Camp, where you get one more chance to watch the bears. And a well-deserved shower awaits you here – before an excellent »all-you-can-eat« buffet in the evening. The tour winds down cozily by the open fireplace in the lodge. The next day, a small propeller plane takes you back to Anchorage.