Alaska offers some of the best brown bear viewing in the world, largely because the state encompasses some of the last remaining large-scale wilderness areas on Earth. Wildlife roams free, salmon return to spawn in wild streams, and mountains tower over immense, raw, untamed landscapes. Travel with us to a remote wilderness on the coast of Katmai National Park and Preserve, where the world's largest population of protected bears lives.

We establish a base camp from which to hike, observe and photograph bears in their natural habitat. The bears frequent the beaches, salmon streams, and grassy headlands in search of food. The tide moves in and out twice daily, revealing vast tidal flats where the bears roam. While camped amidst the bear's home territory, we walk the beaches and view firsthand the daily lives of the world's largest predator.

Eagles, migratory seabirds, waterfowl, and harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and sea otters are all part of the marine environment. Red fox forage on the beaches. The glaciated Aleutian Range rises from the back of our campsite, and the waters of Shelikof Strait spread out before us. It's a superlative setting for this once-in-a-lifetime wildlife experience!