Hyder, Alaska--Paradise for Bear Watching

The other thing that brings tourists here is to view the bears that come to feed on the spawning salmon in Fish Creek. Photographers have been coming here for years from all over the world to photograph the grizzly bears and black bears.

Before 1991, when the viewing platform was built, the photographers were right in the creek with the bears. At least one photographer has teeth marks on his tripod.

Now the secret is out and tourists mingle with the photographers on the viewing platform that is about 10 feet over the creek. When a bear drags a fish up the bank, you can be as close as 5 feet from them. And when a bear leaves the creek, he climbs up the bank and walks across the parking lot and road that we drove in on.

The Rangers have radios and bear spray and know where every bear is at all times, and are constantly corralling tourists that stray to the wrong side of the road.

We stayed here 3 days and I can see why some people come here every August for the entire spawning season. It was as much fun for me to talk photography and hear the stories of the "olden days" before the platform was built as it was to actually take pictures.