McNeil River State ParkPhotos, Pictures, Prints

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Bears Abound

Located 250 miles southwest of Anchorage and 100 miles west of Homer, the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and Refuge protects 200 square miles of raw wildlife habitat. Due to its size and location, this park offers the world’s largest concentration of wild brown bears.

No place on earth is better for catching brown bear behavior. For this reason, photographers flock here. They catch iconic shots of salmon leaping, as if by design, into bears’ mouths.

However, the river itself is a natural marvel. Glacial runoff pools into alpine lakes in the mountains of the Katmai Coast. Then, these lakes pour into the river. As the river winds toward the shores of lower Cook Inlet, it feeds wildlife from salmon to wolves.

Created in 1967, this park maintains an untouched web of life for alpine plants and creatures. With its expansion in 1993, the sanctuary promises to provide joy and wonder for generations to come.

Explore with Cornforth Images.