Where is mcneil river in alaska




















Things to Do This spot is renowned among wildlife photographers hoping to capture images of brown bears fishing at the famous McNeil River Falls.

Facilities and Camping The sanctuary offers only primitive camping in a designated camping area. Facilities The sanctuary offers only primitive camping in a designated camping area.

Fees There is a nonrefundable fee by March 1 for the lottery draw and a user fee to visit the sanctuary for the lucky few who receive a permit. Accessibility There is no road access to McNeil River. Refine Listings. A big, beautiful state. Of mind. Start your adventure today. Get Inspired. See photos, videos, trip ideas, suggestions from Alaskans and more. Featured Travel Special Jeep Rentals!

Cruise Only or Cruise Tour? Visit Website. About Getting There Contact. Getting There Access is by floatplane, and landing depends on time and weather. The Bears This could very well be the crown jewel of Alaska bear viewing. Aumiller talked us out of making any sudden movements which might have frightened the bear in a quiet voice that also, I thought, conveyed to the bear our humanness.

The bear, pretty new to these drainages, according to Aumiller, abruptly swung around and went back to his fishing. Not threatened, not fed: two good lessons for him. McNeil has had a perfect safety record for both humans and bruins since the permit system began. But that is not entirely due to this mutual trust. Some of the success lies in knowing how to react to different bears, and Aumiller and the staff recognize the individuals here, and their attitudes.

Some are more tolerant than others. At McNeil one can watch hundreds ofinteractions and behaviors performed by dozens of bears—all in a short time andat close range, and undisturbed by the presence of people. But while the McNeil experience remains extremely rich, in recent years it has been threatened by more than rain, mosquitoes, and cold winds. Bear numbers at the falls have dropped from average hourly counts of 55 bears in to 22 in Overall bear numbers in McNeil are the lowest ever recorded.

A decrease in the salmon runs appears to be a possible cause of this. After chum salmon runs diminished significantly up and down the coast, but by the late s stocks in all other local streams resurged.

All except McNeil, which continued to attract greater numbers of hungry bruins than the other streams. But the numbers of bears killed by hunters in the nearby Katmai Preserve and other areas surrounding McNeil—areas where McNeil bears are known to travel in the off-season—has increased percent.

An annual average of nine bears were taken in the early s, but that has jumped to 54 since First, it directly counters the management plan goal for the sanctuary to maintain bear numbers at McNeil Falls.

Second, such a move by a board allegedly representing hunters threatens the reputation of hunting and hunters nationwide by attempting to open fire on bears in an area where many of the animals wander about unafraid of humans. Third, the experience of recognizing that we can actually live in peace with these large and fearsome carnivores can lead to an inspired connection to the natural world.

In recent years the current Board of Game has reinstated aerial wolf shooting in Alaska, ignoring the landslide victories of two ballot measures against the activity in and Now the board has indicated that at its March meeting it will review opening the McNeil Refuge to bear hunting.

Section Navigation Section Navigation. McNeil River originates from glaciers and alpine lakes located high in the mountains of the Aleutian Range. As the river makes it way toward the shores of lower Cook Inlet in southwestern Alaska, it provides sustenance to an array of wildlife, most visibly salmon and brown bears.

The Alaska State Legislature designated the McNeil River area as a wildlife sanctuary in and enlarged it in to protect the world's largest concentration of wild brown bears. As many as individual bears have been observed at McNeil River through the summer with as many as 74 bears observed at one time! The sanctuary protects about square miles of wildlife habitat and is located approximately air miles kilometers southwest of Anchorage and air miles kilometers west of Homer.

In addition to brown bears and salmon, red fox, arctic ground squirrels, harbor seals and bald eagles are commonly observed.



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