Southwest Alaska

The volcanic wilderness of the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island, where bear viewing at Brooks Falls in Katmai and the Bristol Bay salmon run are world-famous.

Scope: This plan uses the "Southwest" region of the Alaska tourism office's five regions, which by administrative unit includes the Kodiak Island Borough, the Aleutians East Borough, the Bristol Bay Borough and the Lake and Peninsula Borough. Unalaska (Dutch Harbor), Dillingham, Bethel and other places belong to the unorganized area in the data and are currently assigned to the Interior region. The destination database has no entries for this region yet. Highlights: Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park is a world-renowned bear-viewing spot, where in July you can watch brown bears from the platforms as they catch leaping sockeye salmon at the falls. In the park, the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes is an ash-filled valley left by the great 1912 eruption of Novarupta. Lake Clark National Park offers lakes, volcanoes and coastal bear viewing. Kodiak Island is home to the Kodiak brown bear, and the town of Kodiak preserves its Russian-era history. Bristol Bay has the largest sockeye salmon run in the world and draws many anglers in summer. At the western end of the Alaska Peninsula, the Aleutians East area has volcanoes such as Shishaldin and the Izembek Wildlife Refuge at Cold Bay, and Aniakchak National Monument is known for its huge caldera. Things to do: From Anchorage, take a one-day Brooks Camp trip or stay 2–3 days for bear viewing; Kodiak bear-viewing and fishing trips take 3–5 days. Getting there: No roads connect the region to the rest of the state; fly from Anchorage to places such as King Salmon and Kodiak, then transfer by floatplane; Kodiak and the Aleutian chain are also served by Alaska Marine Highway ferries. Notes: Lodging at Brooks Camp must be won by lottery or booked far in advance, and visitors entering the park must attend a bear-safety briefing.

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