Anan Wildlife Observatory

Anan Wildlife Observatory is one of the best places in Alaska to watch bears in their natural setting, and because Wrangell gets far fewer visitors than Juneau or Ketchikan, access permits are more readily available. The observatory sits on Anan Creek, 30 miles southeast of Wrangell on the mainland, accessible by a 20-minute floatplane or an hour by boat. Permits are required from July through August, when the salmon run peaks and bear activity is highest; the Forest Service manages visitor numbers carefully to protect both wildlife and the experience.

From the raised wooden platform and photography blind, you can watch black bears and brown bears wade into the creek to catch pink salmon at close range. Bald eagles compete for the scraps, and harbour seals congregate at the creek mouth. The level of habitual human presence means the bears largely ignore the observers. Several tour operators in Wrangell run day trips to Anan, combining boat travel with time at the observatory; floatplane trips are faster and offer a different view of the coastal landscape. Book well in advance for the July peak.

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Anan Creek sees one of Southeast Alaska's largest pink salmon runs each summer, which draws an extraordinary density of bears — both black bears and the coastal brown bears that are genetically identical to grizzlies. The observatory platform was built specifically to allow humans and bears to share the fishing grounds without conflict. On a busy morning in late July you might watch eight or ten bears fishing within a hundred metres of you while bald eagles pick the scraps and harbour seals wait at the creek mouth.