Brown Bears of Silver Salmon Creek

Lake Clark National Park protects over 4 million acres of pristine, roadless wilderness with one of North America's highest coastal brown bear densities. Located southwest of Anchorage, it is accessible only by bush plane (1.5 hours) or boat from Homer (2–3 hours).

Unlike smaller interior grizzlies, coastal bears grow massive on a rich diet of sedge grass, salmon, and marine life. Early in summer, bears graze on high-protein sedge grass at Chinitna Bay and Silver Salmon Creek. On the Cook Inlet mudflats, they demonstrate a learned behavior passed down through generations: using their claws like shovels to dig for razor clams.

The following photos feature the brown bears of Silver Salmon Creek as they graze the sedge meadows and roam the Cook Inlet coastline.

A bear walking on a grassy wetland near a body of water, with evergreen trees and mountains in the background.
A brown bear walking along a marshy shoreline with green grasses, a small body of water, and a forested background.
A brown bear standing on the shore of a river with green vegetation and a forest in the background.
A brown bear walking near a riverbank with a forest and mountain in the background.
A bear sitting in a grassy field facing a distant tree line with a cloudy sky overhead.
A brown bear wading through a river surrounded by green grass.
A brown bear wading through a small creek in a grassy marshland with trees in the background.
A bear peering through tall grass by the edge of a body of water, with its reflection visible in the water.
A bear peeking out from tall green grass by a calm river.
A brown bear sitting on green grass near a body of water, looking to the left.
A brown bear walking along a grassy riverbank with tall green grass. In the background, a bear standing upright in the field, and dark green trees under a cloudy sky.
Two bears, one darker and one lighter, lying close together in a green grassy field, with blurred green background.
A bear lying in green grass in a field.
A large brown bear walking across a grassy field, with a slight droplet of water hanging from its chin.
A bear and three otters resting together in a grassy field.
A young bear standing in tall green grass in a natural outdoor setting.
A young brown bear standing in a grassy field with green and yellow vegetation, facing forward with a curious expression.
A brown bear sitting in a grassy field with a blurred green background.
A brown bear sitting on a rocky shoreline with a gray sky background.
A brown bear sitting on a grassy field in front of a rocky area and green trees in the background, looking to the side.
A brown bear walking along a beach near the water, with waves in the background on a cloudy day.
A bear wading through water with waves in the background.
A brown bear wading through a shallow body of water with a blurred natural background.
A bear walking through a shallow body of water with a vast, open landscape and cloudy sky in the background.
A bear standing on a rocky shoreline by the water, looking towards the camera in a natural landscape.
A large brown bear standing in a grassy wetland area with water and greenery in the background.
A bear is walking on green grass near a body of water with a boat and trees in the background.
A brown bear standing on the rocky shoreline near the water, with green grass and calm water in the background.
A brown bear standing on a fallen log outdoors with blurred green and gray background.
A wet brown bear walking through green grass with purple flowers, next to a fallen log and dried branches under a cloudy sky.
A brown bear standing outdoors on a dirt patch surrounded by grass and fallen logs, with a cloudy sky background.
A brown bear walking on a rocky shoreline with a blurred body of water in the background.
A bear and two cubs lying in a grassy field with a blurred green background.
A mother brown bear with three cubs in a grassy field, one cub is standing and the others are lying down.
A brown bear in a green grassy field near a body of water with a blurred background of more green grass.
A bear grazing in a grassy field with a green blurred background.