Resources for Fat Bear Week (for those who celebrate)
We’re coming up on Fat Bear Week, when citizens like you can vote for the bears at Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park, trying to select the one who epitomizes the spirit of pre-hibernation gluttony. We’ve visited the falls on several occasions, as it’s a true “National Geographic” experience, and we recommend that everyone go to Bristol Bay and check it out for themselves. In fact, the only reason not to visit is because we sometimes see just as many bears on other, less-crowded flyouts.
The week and in particular the contest among the bears has become a worldwide phenomenon in recent years, with winners like Otis and last year’s motherly champ 128 Grazer becoming iconic.
We encourage you to learn more about the bears, the park and the all of the related ephemera. Click here to get started and to cast your vote.
If you can’t make it, or want to watch some other time, here are webcams to enjoy:
The Katmai Conservancy offers a bunch of souvenirs to commemorate a particular year’s contest or to show your support for a particular bear. There are t-shirts, hats, drinkware and other options.
If you’d like to read more, there are plenty of books about this amazing park and its inhabitants:
It’s fun to follow the festivities from afar, but the best way to experience the bears of Katmai – and the wider array of Bristol Bay – is to take a trip. Shoot us an email and we’ll fill you in on our options at one of our favorite places in the world, Bear Trail Lodge.
