AR Farm Gal Loc: Piggott, AR (NE AR)

I have searched, but I haven't found many recent Alaska travel/photography topics. We have visited twice before and have toured Denali and points from Anchorage to Fairbanks. We are interested in the southern coastal areas. Hubby would like to do a little fishing. I am interested in photographing wildlife (particularly bears, of course) and beautiful scenery. We would also love to do the inside passage. What we did on previous trips was fly in, rent a vehicle and explore on our own. We like being able to move about independently at our own pace. We prefer to stay away from tourist traps. We also don't want to spend huge amounts of money for totally guided tours. With all that said, I would love to have suggestions about not-to-miss locations, local guide services for short tours, and venues to stay away from. Short guided trips for photographers would be a wonderful. We have looked at the Alaska Ferry, but don't want to do only that. We are somewhat limited on time--probably 10 days at most.

ShelbyDave Loc: Lone Rock, WI

I'm not sure if this would be for you, but if he likes to fish Homer Spit is interesting. Not just for fishing. South of the little town of Homer is the "Spit", a two mile long finger of land that juts out into the bay. At the end is a small cluster of businesses (I admit, a little touristy) many of who cater to fishing (Halibut) and flight seeing. The scenery in incredible as you are two miles into the bay, so you are surrounded by water and mountains. Absolutely gorgeous.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

And right towards the end of the Spit is The Salty Dawg Saloon.
--Bob

steve82009 Loc: Cheyenne, WY/Cochise, AZ

I was stationed at King Salmon for a year. Good fishing, but not much (except the Naknek river) for photo. King Salmon was(is) the gateway to the Katmai National Park. Lots of photo ops and good fishing also. Might be a little difficult with only 10 days.

Vector

My wife and I did the inner passage cruise from Vancouver to Seward stopping off in Ketchikan, Juneau, and Scagway. In Juneau, I did an excursion that included a whale watch and visit to the rain forest, and Mendenhall glacier. Guess what happened? It rained!

I attached a pic of the rain forest.

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

The Homer area is famous for halibut fishing, with nearby salmon fishing. There are also day-trips via float plane to Katmai National Park, where you can see countless Alaska Brown Bears (grizzlies). Timing is everything - plan the trip to match the salmon run, and the bears will all be congregated along the rivers.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Check the charter flights out of Homer that goes across the inlet to Lake Clark or Katmai (Brooks Falls)....they can arrange for day trips for bear viewing and photography, a once in a lifetime experience for us Continental bound citizens.

RonM12 Loc: Washington State

[quote=sb]The Homer area is famous for halibut fishing, with nearby salmon fishing. There are also day-trips via float plane to Katmai National Park, where you can see countless Alaska Brown Bears (grizzlies). Timing is everything - plan the trip to match the salmon run, and the bears will all be congregated along the rivers.

My wife and I will be in Homer next month. We booked a day bear trip with Emerald Air for a one day trip to Katmai. Looking forward to it.

AR Farm Gal Loc: Piggott, AR (NE AR)

Thank you! This is the kind of info I'm looking for.

willy6419

Try to fly to katmai, expensive but a gift from your heirs, having done salmon and halibut fishing, the former is fun but check the species and expected return, the latter in my opinion is about as exciting as pulling up a tractor tire from 300 feet, dead weight. Good to eat, not much fun to catch, whereas the salmon fight

SteveR Loc: Michigan

One of our members, blacks2, has posted outstanding Alsaka photos for years. You might want to try to pull them up.

AR Farm Gal Loc: Piggott, AR (NE AR)

Ok, I will. Thank you!

AR Farm Gal Loc: Piggott, AR (NE AR)

[quote=RonM12]

Do you expect to see bears when you go in June?

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Homer is a great place to visit. It’s a small, artsy/craftsy community with a lot to offer. Halibut charters are available, but a bit expensive, but the reward is the best white fish you’ll ever eat. And yes, salmon fishing is more fun because they fight.

Consider driving to Seward and taking a cruise down Resurrection Bay to view sealife and whales, as well as glaciers. We like Major Marine, but Kenai Fjord Cruises is good, also. Another fun location is Whittier. You have to drive through a long tunnel to get there, and it costs $20.00, but the scenery is worth is, and you can go on fishing charters there, as well.

More inland, in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, a visit to the Hatcher Pass recreation area is a great thing to do. Fabulous scenery, hiking trails, and you can tour the old Independence Mine. You can also visit the musk ox farm just outside Palmer and the reindeer far several miles outside Palmer along the Old Glenn Hwy. For an interesting side trip, you can drive to the end of the Knik River Road to the Knik River Lodge. If they’re still doing it, you can take a helicopter tour of the Knik Glacier. Not only do they fly over it, they also land on it allowing you a short time to walk around on the glacier. Very interesting. Understand that due to Covid 19 they may not be doing this, although things have loosened up a bit up here.

I’d love to go to the Mc Neil River or Katmai to view the bears, but it’s very expensive. If you can afford it, it’s well worth the time and money for the experience. Take a long lens or long zoom. The best times to go are during the peak of the salmon runs in late June and July. That’s also the best time for good weather.

Just a few suggestions.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

Totally agree! Homer and vicinity is a lovely place to visit. When we were there we could see a volcano erupting to the west.

Good fishing. Lots of wildlife. A mild winter climate; not something you'd expect to see in Alaska.

bwa