Alaska is home to both brown (grizzly) bears and black bears, and seeing one, even from a distance, is a real possibility on many hikes and in several popular parks. A few basic precautions make these encounters far less risky for both visitors and the bears themselves.
Know What You’re Dealing With
Alaska has an estimated 30,000 brown bears and roughly 100,000 black bears, plus a smaller population of polar bears along the Arctic coast that most visitors will never encounter. Brown bears, including the coastal grizzlies sometimes called Kodiak bears, are generally larger with a distinctive shoulder hump, while black bears are smaller and lack the hump. Behavior differs somewhat between the two, but the core safety advice below applies to both.
Before You Go
Carry bear spray on any hike in bear country and know how to use it before you need it; most outdoor shops in Alaska sell it, since it generally can’t be brought on flights. Hike in a group where possible, since bears are far less likely to approach multiple people at once. Check with park rangers or a visitor center for recent bear activity in the area you’re heading into, since trails or campgrounds are sometimes temporarily closed after sightings.
On the Trail
Make noise as you hike, especially near streams, in thick brush, or on windy days, when bears are less likely to hear or smell you coming; talking at a normal volume or calling out occasionally is usually enough. Stay alert for fresh tracks, scat, or diggings, and avoid hiking at dawn, dusk, or at night, when bears tend to be most active. Never approach a bear to get a closer photo, and give any bear you do see plenty of room, ideally at least 100 yards.
If You Encounter a Bear
Stay calm and do not run; back away slowly while speaking in a normal, calm voice so the bear can identify you as human rather than prey. If a bear approaches, stand your ground rather than fleeing, since bears can far outrun a person and running can trigger a chase response. Advice for an actual attack differs by situation: for a defensive brown bear attack, playing dead by lying flat with your hands protecting the back of your neck is generally recommended, while a black bear attack, or a brown bear that seems to be stalking you predatorially rather than reacting defensively, calls for fighting back with anything available.
Food and Camp Safety
Store all food, trash, and scented items in a bear-resistant container or a vehicle, never in a tent, and cook and eat well away from where you sleep. Many popular backcountry areas provide bear-resistant food lockers or require visitors to carry a canister. A bear that gets used to finding food around campsites or trails often becomes a repeat visitor, which usually ends badly for the bear, so proper food storage protects wildlife as much as people.
Where You’re Most Likely to See Bears
Some of the best-known bear viewing in the state happens at Katmai National Park’s Brooks Falls, where brown bears gather to catch salmon leaping upstream in July and again in September, and at Anan Creek near Wrangell. These viewing sites are set up with platforms and guides specifically so visitors can watch bears at a safe distance, rather than running into one unexpectedly on a trail.
