Katmai National Park

Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska is over 4 million acres of some of the most beautiful wilderness you can imagine. To be able to spend a week there is just amazing. I found myself experiencing sensory overload at times. It seems like almost everywhere you look, there's a great landscape.

But, for me, the real draw is the abundance of wildlife. Alaska is home to so much, there are just about always animals to photograph. There are lots of birds like the Kittiwake

or the semipalmated plover

oystercatchers

and, of course, bald eagles.

It just wouldn't be a trip to coastal Alaska without sea otters.

But the real attractions are the coastal brown bears. These great bears are not long out of hibernation this time of year and are out looking for all the nutrition they can find.

They're often out grazing on grasses and sedges and, even though they can look quite menacing, they allow us to view them at sometimes surprisingly short distances without really even acknowledging our presence.

To be allowed to share their space for even a few moments is a real privilege and an honor. If you ever get a chance to go bear watching in Katmai NP, don't pass it up. It's a real life experience.

And who knows, you might even get a look at a porcupine.