Brooks Camp Falls and Platform inside Katmai National Park, Alaska…what a spectacle to witness.
I have a lot to say…
For my most detailed viewpoint and commentary, you can find my full review on Yelp.com - Seth August.
But for here…I will try and reveal as much as possible about the experience…and as always, I’d be happy to respond to any questions/concerns about what to expect.
Btw…thank you for taking a moment to watch!
I am eternally grateful for the views and subscribers, seriously, like a dream come true!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
Katmai NP is world renowned for brown bears hanging out at Brooks Falls during the summer salmon spawning months of July and September for catching salmon swimming upstream against the current.
It’s a phenomenon!
I went Thursday, July 21, 2022.
July is the best month to visit. That’s when the salmon hop out of the river’s waters and the bears catch them in midair, tear, shred and feast on them while you watch in complete hypnotism! Lol.
If you visit in September, the bears will still be there but it’ll be the end of spawning season and the bears will just eat the dead salmon in the middle of the river. There will be no jumping from the salmon.
Brooks Camp, Falls and Lodge is host to this experience. People from around the world come here to partake in the wonder.
Brooks Lodge is the only accommodations inside the park. Reservations sell out months and months in advance. And of course, it’s $$$$$.
Now, what most tourists do (and what I did) was take a day trip.
You get in and out within a day. It’s efficient and the least costly.
Though, through Katmai Air, I paid $1,150 for a 10-hour day trip excursion. That’s pricey to say the least.
And this trip involved multiple flights as I departed from Anchorage and flew 1 hour and 15 minutes to King Salmon, Alaska - which is Katmai’s Park Headquarters location.
Then from King Salmon, AK…I had to hop on a floatplane for a 20-minute flight over to Brooks Camp.
I then had 5.5 hours to go about my own accord and enjoy Katmai.
But…all that matters is getting time on the Brooks Falls Platform - and this platform is the primary spot for getting as up close to the bears and the experience as possible.
But…there’s always a long wait list for this Brooks Falls Platform. Usually it runs about 1 hour - 1 hour and 30 minutes.
I waited 1 hour and 20 minutes before finally getting a coveted spot on the platform.
While there, you’re only afforded 30 minutes time before you must exit or the Park Rangers will personally escort you off the platform.
It used to be 60 minutes on the platform but that rule changed recently with all the massive visitations as folks crave getting outdoors because of the pandemic.
So…once your 30 minutes are over, you can then put your name back on the Wait List to then replay the process.
While waiting for prime Brooks Falls Platform, you can hang out for as long as you choose at the tertiary Riffles Platform where you’re situated further away from the action but still get moments and time for as long as you’d like to zoom in on the bears doing their natural actions.
And, it’s a good way to kill time until your name gets called for a return to Brooks Platform.
Btw, the NPS - National Park Services runs Brooks Falls and Camp and they’ll hand you a beeper for when it’s your time at Brooks Falls.
But for me, although I was scheduled for 5.5 hours at Brooks Camp, I only had 4 hours due to weather concerns in the area that delayed my flights.
So for 4 hours I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off and ultimately only had enough time for one - 30 minute clip at Brooks Falls Platform.
I believe having two - 30 minute clips is suffice enough. So, I felt a little short handed at the end of it all.
Btw, they allow only 40 people at a time on Brooks Falls Platform. And still, you’ll be standing on top of other strangers while watching.
Also, when arriving at Brooks Camp, you attend (mandatory) a 10 minute Bear Presentation inside the Brooks Camp Visitor Center.
Here, Park Rangers will warn you about being among over 2000 bears in the heart of Katmai and how you can confront a bear at any point, at any time.
At the Brooks VC, you can purchase all your souvenirs and gifts for the park.
They also feature boardwalk pathways to navigate around Brooks, because that’s how prevalent bears are.
From the VC, it’s a 1.2 mile walk to Brooks Falls Platform.
After the Bear Presentation, everyone heads to Brooks Platform to get their name on The Wait List, especially all us day tourists.
But, just be prepared for a little bit of a walk, but along the way, you may spot more bears and take pictures.
Lastly, since I’m running out of room, having a professional camera is perfect for this.
Or, the latest IPhone model helps because of all the zooming you’ll do while viewing.
Anyways, don’t hesitate to ask me anything!
#bears #katmai #alaska #brookscamp #brooksfalls #nationalparks #nature #salmon
