Fat Bears of Katmai!
See the famous, fat bears of Katmai at their chunkiest. 3 days at Brooks Falls, and four days on the Kenai Peninsula. Boat tours, autumn colors, marine wildlife, and few tourists. Fall in Alaska is the best.
Trip Overview
The bears of Brooks Falls have gained internet fame over the past few years for their prodigious ability to, well, get fat. Such is their ability to pack on the pounds that Katmai National Park has begun a popular Fat Bear tournament in which Facebook users can vote on the fattest bear of the Brooks River.
While Brooks is a great place to view bears during most of the summer, mid-September, just before the bruins turn in for their winter’s sleep, is the time to see them at their most rotund.
This trip, with three days at Brooks, is an ideal way to see and photograph the fattest of fat bears at Katmai.
After our time in Katmai, we’ll travel down the Kenai Peninsula toward the town of Homer, where we’ll spend three more nights, photographing eagles, taking a boat trip around Kachemak Bay to see otters, whales, porpoises, seals, and seabirds, checking out the autumn colors, and photographing the jaw-dropping sunsets over Cook Inlet.
Well past the tourist season, this is perhaps my favorite time of year in Alaska. There will be few crowds, even at Brooks Falls, and we’ll have most locations entirely to ourselves.
Let’s go photograph some fat bears, shall we?
Itinerary
(This trip may be run in reverse, starting in Homer and finishing in Katmai, depending on available flight schedules between Anchorage and King Salmon.)
Day 1 – Early morning flight for King Salmon, then on to Brooks Falls by water taxi. All day photography in Brooks Falls. Night in King Salmon.
Day 2 – Early morning water taxi from King Salmon to Brooks Falls. All day at Brooks. Night in King Salmon.
Day 3 – Early morning water taxi to Brooks Falls. Afternoon departure from Brooks back to King Salmon and then on to Anchorage. Night in Anchorage.
Day 4 – Drive down the Kenai Peninsula to the seaside town of Homer, Alaska. Lots of photography in route. Night in Homer.
Day 5 – Explorations around Homer. Flight-seeing, or water taxi trip across the bay to Kachemak Bay State Park for old-growth forest, wildlife, and coastal landscapes (weather permitting). Night in Homer.
Day 6 – Boat trip on Kachemak Bay to photograph marine wildlife like the abundant Sea Otters, puffins, murres, Harbor Seals, and the autumn landscape of Kachemak Bay State Park. Eagle photography from the Homer Spit and nearby Anchor Point. Night in Homer.
Day 7- Return to Anchorage. Trip ends mid-afternoon. (Optional flight from Homer to Anchorage).
- All lodging and transportation
- Multiple bush plane flights
- Kachemak Bay boat tour
- Meals and Snacks
- Guide Services
- Photography Instruction
- Assistance with other reservations
- Airfare to and from Anchorage, Alaska
- Hotels in Anchorage before or after the trip
- Optional Valley of 10,000 Smokes Tour
- Alcoholic or specialty drinks
- Tips for Guide (optional)
Cost
2025 Cost – 7 day/6 Night Photo Tour: $7200/person (double occupancy, $300 single supplement will apply)
While physical demands are not high on this trip, you do need to be able to walk a couple of miles over mostly smooth trails to access the Brooks Falls viewing platforms. While you don’t need to be an athlete, good physical condition will greatly improve your enjoyment of the trip.
Some bush flights may impose body weight limits, or additional costs may apply. Contact me if you have questions about this.
Long days too, are the norm, and we may be away from the hotels for up to 12 hours or even more if the day’s photography is excellent.
Have questions? Then send me an email using the form below:
Katmai and the Kenai - The Perfect Autumn Combination
