McNeil River State Game Sanctuary Alaska, June 2025

McNeil River is my favourite place to view brown bears, and I was lucky in 2025 to win a permit for the third time in the Alaska State lottery system. My previous visits were in 2014 and 2016 and I've applied multiple times since then. Access is by float plane, and the number of visitors is restricted to 10 at a time. Besides the beautiful landscape, the reason McNeil is special is the consistency of human behaviour that has been established by the guides over generations of bears. This means that they have a neutral response to people, as long as we don't deviate from their expectations. My visit was in Block B, right at the start of the guided season. At this time, fewer bears are observed than at the peak in July, when there are famous congregations at McNeil falls. In June though, the viewing is more relaxed, and covers a wider area. In many ways, I prefer this time of year, but regardless, it's a truly magical wilderness.

Click on a photo for a slide show view:

Augustine Volcano viewed on flight to McNeil River from Homer

Landscape on approach to McNeil Camp

The spit just outside camp

View of camp from Mitfik Creek

Bald Eagle at Mikfik Creek

Final overflight of camp on way back to Homer

Lake Clark National Park, Alaska June 2024

 As part of a three week trip from Whitehorse, Yukon in June 2024, I visited Silver Salmon Creek for three day trips by boat from Anchor Point near Homer, Alaska. Boat travel is obviously more sustainable than the more common plane  travel from Homer, but there are a few considerations to bear in mind:

• The boat trips can be subject to weather related cancellations, but don't have the reliance on visibility to land that planes do. One on of my visits, it was foggy and very difficult to see the shore, and yet the trip was able to continue, which would not have applied had I been flying in.
• I had no issues at all, but if you're susceptible to motion sickness, a 3 hour return trip in a small boat might not be ideal for you. You also need to be able to wade through the water to shore (suitable clothing is provided.
• The ideal way for keen wildlife enthusiasts to visit this beautiful national park would be to stay in private accommodation such as Silver Salmon Creek Lodge or Homestead Lodge. However, this is extremely pricey and books up months in advance. The boat trips I went on were rather limited in scope. The only bear behaviour I saw was clamming on the beach, and we didn't really move beyond this area. It's ideal if you just want to see bears, but it's not common to book multiple trips as I did, and it isn't really set up for someone more experienced at bear watching who is looking for greater variety.
• The scenery at Silver Salmon Creek is stunning. The bears are habituated to people, and have a neutral response to them. All the groups I saw were guided, and on one day there was further supervision from the National Park ranger, who spends the season in the National Park. 
• The company I used  for the trips was Alaskan Gamefisher with Captain Mel Erickson.

21st June 2024

25th June 2024

25th June 2024