No place in the United States allows for the quality and quantity of wildlife compared to Alaska. The state is home to incredible diversity, from majestic whales and bears to curious sea otters and eagles. No matter where you are, Alaska wildlife photography possibilities are endless.

With its vast wilderness and abundant natural resources, Alaska is a prime destination for wildlife viewing. I’ve been to Denali, Lake Clark, Kenai Fjords, and Kenai Peninsula. As there are more places to view animals, I’m relying on researched knowledge and basic understanding for the other destinations. First, we’ll dive into some of the best places to view them. These locations are not always easy to reach, and many require flights or boat rides.

Alaska Wildlife Photography Opportunities

Most accessible National Park to view wildlife – Denali National Park

Denali National Park is home to an array of wildlife, including caribou, moose, wolves, and grizzly bears. Unfortunately, only the first 15 miles of Denali Road are driveable to passenger cars. To go further, you can hike, or take the park bus. However, the road is closed past Mile 43 through 2024 due to landslides. (Learn more about the buses.) This area can have plenty of wildlife, but the odds are that there will be fewer grizzly bears simply due to more car traffic. Keep an eye out near the visitor center for moose. They like the protection it offers from other predators who don’t like all the human traffic.

Once away from the Denali visitor center, we saw caribou and multiple moose and their babies.

Best time to visit: May through September is a great time to see Denali.

How to get there: The park is about five hours north of Anchorage and can be reached by car, train, or tour bus.

Most famous location for bear watching – Katmai National Park

Katmai National Park is known for its coastal brown bears, which can often be seen fishing for salmon in the park’s streams. This can be visited as a day trip, but the idea situation is to get overnight lodging and experience Brooks Falls for multiple days. These reservations must be done at least a year in advance are obviously some of the most sought after permits in the US.

Best time to visit: July and August are the best months to visit Katmai, as the bears are most active during this time.
How to get there: The national park can only be reached by plane or boat.

Best location for single-day bear watching – Lake Clark National Park

We took a bear-watching trip from Home to Lake Clark National Park, which was unbelievable. We were the first plane to land at Chitina Bay and witnessed about a dozen bears mingling in the grass. This spot is a goldmine for Alaska wildlife photography, and I highly recommend it. Our entire trip was about eight hours, including the flight. If you have the financial ability to do one, I recommend it.

Best time to visit: The best time to visit Lake Clark National Park for wildlife viewing is after June 1, once the bears are out of hibernation and coming down to the coast to feed.
How to get there: Lake Clark National Park can be reached by small plane or boat.

Most affordable option for whales and other sea life – Kenai Fjords National Park

Two and a half hours from Anchorage lies Seward, the home base for exploring Kenai Fjords National Park. The best way to view wildlife is to hop on a boat and embark along the coastlines. Our Kenai Fjords boat cruise was one of the best experiences we had.

It was about six hours, and we saw humpbacks, orcas, stellar sea lions, birds, a puffin, and more! Plus, you had all the beautiful scenery around you as well. Compared to the other Alaska wildlife photography opportunities, this was very inexpensive.

Best time to visit: June through October, but always weather dependent.

How to get there: Easily accessible by car.

Most Remote Location – Old Denali State Highway – Paxson to Cantwell

I’ll get this out early, not every rental car company allows you to drive this road. It’s a 137 mile road with a considerable amount of it unpaved. However, I will say that the stories they tell about the road conditions were not what we found. We drove it in late May and thought it was in fantastic shape.

Now, to the good stuff. This is an unbelievably beautiful road that cuts across the center of Alaska just south of the Alaskan Range. The beauty of this is unrivaled and we saw maybe 7 cars the entire drive. (Which took us all day as we kept stopping.) We didn’t see much wildlife as we only did a day drive but with how remote this area is, it would be a perfect place to spend some days.

Best time to visit: Mid-May through September

How to get there: Accessibly by car, preferably with clearance.

Shortest and cheapest destination from Anchorage for Alaska wildlife photography – Kenai Peninsula

Whether you’re short on time or are looking for a new area to explore, the interior areas of the Kenai Peninsula offer fantastic wildlife opportunities. The area around Cooper Landing is some of the best, including Russian River Falls and Skilak Lake Road, a dirt road in the Kenai Wildlife Refuge. Unfortunately, my visit was too early for the bears to visit Russian River Falls, but this is supposedly breathtaking when the salmon are running.

Best time to visit: Once the salmon are running, you’ll have all the bears and birds you can imagine.

How to get there: Easily accessible by car, south of Anchorage.

The shortest flight from the lower 48 – Juneau

The capital city of Juneau is located in the panhandle of Alaska and is home to various marine life, including whales and seals. I hope to visit in 2023 and soak up the incredible whale watching and bear photography opportunities. This guide is a great place to start if you visit Juneau.

Best time to visit: Juneau is a great place to visit year-round, but the best time for whale watching is from May to September.
How to get there: Juneau is only accessible by boat or plane.

Wildlife Safety

When photographing wildlife, please put safety above all other things. For bears and other predators, please leave 100 yards at a minimum. For nonpredators, 25 yards is a safe distance. Furthermore, regardless of whether it’s a predator, please do not get in between a mother and their children. This is a recipe for disaster.

Lastly, if you’re in bear territory, know how to be bear-safe if you encounter a grizzly at a close distance.

• Make your presence known by speaking loudly yet calmly
• Make yourself look big and pick up young children
• Get your bear spray out
• If grizzly attacks, play dead. If a black bear attacks, fight back.

Cameras and Lenses for Alaska wildlife photography

Camera Bodies:

Telephoto Lenses:

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Until next time adventurers, take care and be safe.

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