Alaska.... what are your top must see location? Looks like I will not be heading back out on Safari in Africa this year but instead putting together a trip to Alaska. I have never been...

mrt6800 Loc: California

Looks like I will not be heading back out on Safari in Africa this year but instead putting together a trip to Alaska. I have never been there and want to make the most of the opportunities to photography wildlife and great scenery. I'm planning on about 3 weeks of travel time. For years I've watch many documentaries on TV and now would like to hear from those of you who have inside information. Will probably be traveling end of July through August. Thanks

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

mrt6800 wrote:

Looks like I will not be heading back out on Safari in Africa this year but instead putting together a trip to Alaska. I have never been there and want to make the most of the opportunities to photography wildlife and great scenery. I'm planning on about 3 weeks of travel time. For years I've watch many documentaries on TV and now would like to hear from those of you who have inside information. Will probably be traveling end of July through August. Thanks

But what do you want to see?

You have to realize that Alaska is such a small little place... :-) If Ketchikan were in Florida, Barrow would be in Minnesota, and Adak would be out in California.

There are birds. There are whales. There are bears. There are moose. There are caribou. But most of each are in different places.

A lot of people would spend that entire time in Denali Park, others wouldn't get within 500 miles of it. Right now I'm trying to find housing for two months for a NatGeo photographer here in Barrow, as an example. But he knows exactly what he wants to photograph too.

Bill_de Loc: US

Hallo Bay is a short flight from Homer into a wilderness area. They have day trips and multi day stays in camp. The main attraction there are Alaska Brown Bear.

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-347377-1.html

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mrt6800 Loc: California

I am looking for close up encounters with larger animals to include bears, moose and elk. With that said, a dramatic scene at sunrise or sunset would not go unphotographed.
I understand the vastness of Alaska and that is why I am looking here for suggestion to help me map out my travels.

akretiree Loc: Anchorage

Like Apaflo said it depends on what you want to see but for variety and numbers of critters I would recommend Denali NP, a boat trip out of Seward to Kenai Fjords NP and if you've got the dough St Paul Island.

mrt6800 Loc: California

Bill, I followed your link to some fantastic captures of Alaskan Brown Bears... thanks for the input and I will do some more research on this spot.

mrt6800 Loc: California

You hear a lot about Denali Park, but can you get close up shots of the bears? Or is this just a great gathering spot for tourist???

akretiree Loc: Anchorage

mrt6800 wrote:

I am looking for close up encounters with larger animals to include bears, moose and elk. With that said, a dramatic scene at sunrise or sunset would not go unphotographed.
I understand the vastness of Alaska and that is why I am looking here for suggestion to help me map out my travels.

Close up encounters with bears is not recommended unless you are at McNeil River Sanctuary, Katmai NP at Brooks Falls or at Anan Creek in SE AK. You can go to private viewing areas but it costs. Moose you could find anywhere but it's the luck of the draw. Denali NP is you best bet but if you take a bus you are confined to it. You may want to get a hiking pass to get out off the road. Elk aren't a realistic possibility. They are on Afognak Island and are not native to the area. Try the Tetons for those. If you don't mind penned critters the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage, AK is a nice place to visit. Hope that helps.

MtnMan Loc: ID

mrt6800 wrote:

You hear a lot about Denali Park, but can you get close up shots of the bears? Or is this just a great gathering spot for tourist???

Denali is not a great place for bear. You need to ride in on a bus and the shots are out of the window.

We found the best bear along the Alaska highway on the way up there.

We might go in September. We'll take the Marine Ferry one way, going to Petersburg and Sitka, and drive back on the Alaska Highway. We might spend most of our time in the Yukon.

Seward best for Halibut fishing. If you go to Valdez take the trip on the LuLuBelle. If you go to Juneu take the Harv and Marv whale watching trip on their six-pack boat.

A few samples...

(Download)

MtnMan Loc: ID

Bill_de wrote:

Hallo Bay is a short flight from Homer into a wilderness area. They have day trips and multi day stays in camp. The main attraction there are Alaska Brown Bear.

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-347377-1.html

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We might do something like this next time. These can get pricey. We go in a camper.

We're off to Africa in April this year.

mrt6800 Loc: California

Looks like we're trading places MtnMan

MtnMan Loc: ID

Bill_de wrote:

Hallo Bay is a short flight from Homer into a wilderness area. They have day trips and multi day stays in camp. The main attraction there are Alaska Brown Bear.

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-347377-1.html

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Ut Oh...better check the Trip Advisor web site on the so-called "Hallo Bay Lodge". The Lodge isn't and the camping is a rip off at $1,000 per nite per person. I'm sure you can find MUCH better deals.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

akretiree wrote:

Close up encounters with bears is not recommended unless you are at McNeil River Sanctuary, Katmai NP at Brooks Falls or at Anan Creek in SE AK.

Pay attention to that advice!

The next best thing of course is in that bus at Denali Park, where they won't let you out of the bus if there is a bear nearby!

Any time you are on your own, just forget about shooting bears. Every bear picture you ever saw is one that will get you killed trying to take something like it. It's kinda like reading books about how to deal with a bear attack... the real lesson should be avoiding the trouble they are describing!

Keep in mind that everywhere you go in Alaska is bear country. They have brownies wandering the streets of Anchorage every year. Black bears are all over Juneau now and then. Here we have polar bears in town on a fairly regular basis. These animals view you as food.

Bill_de Loc: US

MtnMan wrote:

Ut Oh...better check the Trip Advisor web site on the so-called "Hallo Bay Lodge". The Lodge isn't and the camping is a rip off at $1,000 per nite per person. I'm sure you can find MUCH better deals.

Trip advisor calls it a Lodge. Hallo Bay calls themselves a camp, which it is. It isn't a resort, it is in the wilderness. If you aren't going just to see bears, up close and personal, it is not for you.

It's $4,000 for 5 nights, including air fare to and from Homer. It also includes all food, because there is no place to go but the mess tent. It is expensive, but considering that even the garbage has to get flown out, I wouldn't call it a rip-off.

It is an experience ... not for everybody.

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Jay Pat Loc: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Bill_de wrote:

Trip advisor calls it a Lodge. Hallo Bay calls the... (show quote)

We planned a day trip to Hallo Bay. Got cancelled due to fog at Hallo. If I go to Homer again, I would look them up!

I'll throw in Kenai National Park Cruise out of Seward.

In Juneau, Glacier Gardens and the Helicopter ride up on Mendenhall Glacier. You get to walk around a little and you get a good look at the rocks riding down on top of the glacier.

And send me a post card!!!
Pat