Brooks Falls Itinerary
Photo departures are guided by Expedition Leaders who are expert naturalists and photography pros, adept at helping you get memorable images of Alaska's legendary landscapes and wildlife. Geared toward photographers of all ability levels, our itinerary includes flexibility to adapt to changing light and weather conditions. A small group assures personal attention and coaching from our Expedition Leader, plus plenty of room for your camera equipment aboard our vehicles. This itinerary features floatplane access to Katmai National Park for photos of brown bears fishing in the Brooks River and, in season, catching salmon in Brooks Falls.
Our grand Alaska photography adventure begins in Fairbanks, Alaska's "Golden Heart City." Capital of the vast Interior, Fairbanks retains its frontier flavor with pioneer saloons, paddlewheelers and outlying mining camps. Fairbanks is also home to the flagship campus of the University of Alaska system, where the famous Geophysical Institute is headquartered, leading research in the study of permafrost, earthquakes, sea ice and the aurora borealis. Meet your Expedition Leader at a welcome dinner this evening, who offers an orientation to all the photo opportunities to come.
This morning we drive south through boreal forest along the Nenana River to Denali National Park. At 6 million acres—larger than the state of Massachusetts—Denali is one of the world’s great wilderness preserves. The park's namesake is the highest peak in North America, towering 20,310 feet over alpine tundra and taiga that provide habitat for abundant wildlife. The mountain's name—Denali—means "The High One" in the Athabascan language.
Due to an extended road closure in the interior of Denali National Park as a result of a major landslide in 2021, access to the remote backcountry at the end of the 92-mile-long park road is currently possible only by air. At the park entrance, board a chartered helicopter for a spectacular aerial journey to Denali Backcountry Lodge, isolated in a vast expanse of wilderness. Spending two nights here is an experience very few visitors to Alaska get, even before the road was closed – and it's an even rarer opportunity now. As we fly over the tangled veins of glacier-fed rivers, broad valleys and steep mountainsides, look for wildlife along the edge of the spruce forest and on the braided gravel river bars—we could see moose, caribou, Dall sheep, grizzlies and occasionally wolves—“Alaska’s Big Five.”
Our base at Denali Backcountry Lodge provides exceptional access for nature photography. Choose among a host of activities that offer a chance to learn about the natural and cultural history of our environs, including the wildlife that thrives here, the Athabascan people who lived off this land for 10,000 years, and the pioneers who mined for gold in nearby Kantishna at the turn of the 20th century. Take a hike in search of wildlife with our Expedition Leader and lodge guides. Paddle a kayak on Wonder Lake to get the iconic postcard shot of Denali’s white hulk rising behind. Try your hand at fishing in Moose Creek. Ride a mountain bike. Or just drink up the profound beauty and silence of wild country on a scale few people will experience in their lifetime. At the end of our day of adventure, return to the lodge for a hearty dinner featuring fresh seasonal and regional fare. Afterward, head to the campfire to roast marshmallows for s’mores.
After a final morning of photography opportunities, depart our wilderness lodge after lunch and fly back to the park entrance via chartered helicopter. Weather permitting, we’ll have stunning eye-level views of the icy flanks of Denali en route. Then we board a spacious mini-bus for our journey south to Anchorage across the Alaska Range. Our route climbs above tree line over Broad Pass, then descends to follow the Susitna River through thick stands of birch, balsam poplar, willow and spruce. Eventually, we reach Anchorage on Cook Inlet, backdropped by the glacier-crowned peaks of the Chugach Range. With a population of roughly 300,000, Anchorage is Alaska's largest city and its primary commerce and transportation hub.
Today we wake early to travel the most scenic section of the historic Alaska Railroad. Built in the early 20th century, the state-owned railroad’s mainline is 470 miles long, connecting Seward in the south with Fairbanks up north. From our dome car, enjoy a classic train ride along Turnagain Arm as we look for beluga whales and keep an eye out for tidal bores that create waves big enough for local surfers to ride! Skirt the ice-clad peaks and lush glacial valleys of the Chugach Range, harboring the northernmost temperate rain forest in North America, then turn south to follow the rail corridor winding through the Kenai Mountains–Turnagain Arm National Heritage Area, a designation that recognizes the area's unique cultural, geographic and historical features. Once we cross Moose Pass, the rail line drops back to the coast, ending at the fishing town, port and southern terminus of Seward on Resurrection Bay.
In Seward's small boat harbor, expect to capture charming shots of sea otters bobbing among the yachts and docks. Here, we board a boat for the voyage to private Fox Island on the edge of Kenai Fjords National Park. Our isolated location, fronting a wild pebble beach backdropped by steep forested mountains, reveals the pristine side of Alaska most visitors miss. The Kenai Fjords region is famed for its sea kayaking, and an optional paddling excursion late this afternoon is likely to reveal some of the area’s prolific marine life.
Iconic images of Alaska are on display today from our private chartered boat as we explore a marine realm where vestiges of the Ice Age linger. Our small vessel allows us to approach wildlife at close range, and Kenai Fjords National Park provides excellent opportunities for photographing humpback whales, orcas, Dall's porpoise, sea lions, sea otters and bobbing puffins. Weave among islands and rocky cliffs where seabirds nest, and zoom in on bald eagles in the treetops above. Jagged glaciers wind from the mountain heights to the sea, and we may capture shots of icebergs calving with a thunderous crash from a glacier's towering blue face. Following our all-day outing, return to our secluded lodge on Fox Island for another night of peace and solitude in the coastal wilderness.
After a last morning on serene Fox Island, board our private boat for the return journey up Resurrection Bay to the historic harbor town of Seward. From Seward, we head south on a spectacular drive to Homer. The mountain ranges of the Kenai Peninsula rise one after another, sourcing some of Alaska's richest salmon rivers. Homer is known as “the End of the Road” in Alaska, and we follow it all the way down to the harbor on the Homer Spit. Homer is renowned as the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World, and we may get photos of fishermen unloading their catch—the biggest halibut can be eight feet long and up to 500 pounds! While halibut are one of Alaska’s most valuable fisheries, Homer also offers excellent fishing for several salmon species, lingcod and rockfish. At the marina, board a private boat transfer to Odyssey Lodge, a secluded wilderness retreat on China Poot Bay, where we spend the next two nights in exceptional privacy.
Set out this morning for all-day hiking and photography adventure in Kachemak Bay State Park. Depart from the beach in front of our lodge on a 20-minute water taxi ride through the island-studded marine realm that's home not only to coveted sport fish but also sea otters, seals, porpoises, sea lions, orcas, whales, bald eagles and puffins. We disembark at the trailhead to Grewingk Glacier, a 13-mile-long river of ice that winds down from the Kenai Mountains. The glacier was named in 1880 by famed naturalist William Healey Dall, for Constantin Grewingk, who published a study in German on the geology and volcanism of Alaska. The trail climbs gently but steadily upward through a forest of cottonwoods and Sitka spruce to emerge above tree line onto the alluvial flats marking the glacier's former advance. Eventually, we reach the pristine meltwater lake in front of the glacier, viewing its jagged hulk in the distance. Icebergs float on the surface, and we may get to see more of them calve from the glacier's face. Once we return to our lodge, there's time to relax on the deck overlooking the bay before another gourmet dinner featuring fresh Alaskan seafood.
Is it possible to say we’ve saved the best for last? Well, it all depends on how you weigh the wonders of Alaska, but our bear adventures begin today and will surely be a highlight of your photo safari. After lunch, depart Odyssey Lodge by boat and head back to the mainland. Then we board a chartered flight from Homer across Cook Inlet to King Salmon at the head of the Alaska Peninsula, then transfer to our classic Alaskan lodge on the Naknek River. This cozy wood-beamed lodge offers a comfortable base for wilderness bear viewing in nearby Katmai National Park. Once we get settled in, reconvene for a presentation by our Expedition Leader on bear biology and behavior, to prepare us for the adventures ahead tomorrow. This evening, enjoy a fine dinner featuring Alaskan specialities in the lodge dining room.
After a hearty breakfast, depart early for the nearby floatplane base where we board our short flight to Katmai National Park. Here, we have access to world-renowned Brooks Falls, one of the best places to photograph brown bears in their natural habitat. Katmai is home to the world’s largest population of these enormous omnivores, with some 2,200 individuals inside the park. As many bear populations around the world decline, Katmai's 4 million acres of wilderness provides some of the last pristine habitat to sustain them.
Within Katmai's protected bounds, bears live largely undisturbed, and visitors have unparalleled photography opportunities. From the safety of platforms built over world-famous Brooks Falls, we get a close angle on one of the world's most iconic wildlife spectacles: bears standing in the rushing whitewater, jaws gaping, trying to catch the salmon that leap up the falls once spawning season starts. July departures offer a good chance to see fishing bears, since this is when the salmon are running, but viewing is excellent in August and September, too, with even more (and fatter!) bears in the vicinity, wandering up and down the Brooks River in searxch of spawning salmon. Each day, we break for lunch at Brooks Lodge, an easy walk from the falls. In the evenings, shuttle back to King Salmon by floatplane or water taxi to spend the night enjoying “rustic luxury” at King Salmon Lodge.
This morning, we fly once again to Katmai for another day of bear photography around Brooks Falls. Few travelers have such an encounter with the raw beauty and profound majesty of a landscape this size—these things alone would make for a life-transforming experience. But the chance to capture close-up shots of Alaskan brown bears, incomparable icons of the wild, on their turf, their terms...it's a wonder to have bears welcome us into their world. After a last day with the bears, we fly by floatplane back to King Salmon, then on to Homer on a chartered flight early this evening. On arrival, transfer to our hotel at the end of the Homer Spit, and celebrate our adventures at a festive farewell dinner.
Our grand Alaska photo safari comes to a close today as we transfer to the Homer airport for departing flights.
Important Note on Bear Viewing: Bears are attracted to the Brooks River at multiple times during the summer, and their precise location varies depending on seasonal elements including weather and fish movements. More intimate experiences with bears (due to fewer tourists) tend to happen in late August and September (versus late June and July), when bears are found throughout the area, rather than primarily fishing atop the falls.
