Once you arrived in Anchorage you will fly to King Salmon. In the sleepy village there is a bus transfer to the seaplane port, followed by a great and exciting flight to the famous waterfalls of Brooks River. You can watch the salmons trying to jump onto the waterfalls and take photos of about thirty brown bears sitting on top of them trying to catch the salmons in the action. Even away from the waterfalls a bear encounter is possible. When it gets dark you can choose where to sleep: either in an expensive lodge or at a cheap campsite in a tent. But the overnight stays both have a time limit: normally, you can stay in a lodge for a maximum of three nights and on the campsite for a maximum of seven nights - and it can vary, depending on the season.

My personal opinion:

• fantastic opportunities for watching brown bears in their natural habitat
• very cheap when compared to other places
• independent of the weather
• especially in July it can be overcrowded! this means limited time for each of you to watch the brown bears
• you feel safe because of the Ranger's supervision
• you feel safe because the brown bears are used to people

My conclusion:

Visiting Brooks River is a fantastic start to learn how to handle the brown bears and to feel safe (mentally safe) when having direct contact (eye-contact).

It also is possible to visit this place when you are restricted in your mobility
(e.g. when you are in a wheelchair).