Alaska.com: Alaska's Travel Website

When I camp, I usually make a point of avoiding bears. So how did I come to be staying in a tiny, three-person tent in a grizzly-feeding hot spot at the height of the salmon run?

My friends and I were visiting Katmai National Park's Brooks Camp, where bears and the chance to see them up close -- under supervised conditions -- are the main attraction. Bears here congregate along the Brooks River and the Naknek and Brooks lakes shorelines in July and September to feed on salmon.

The camp is off the road system. To get there, we took a commercial flight from Anchorage to King Salmon and then connected with our floatplane charter. We enjoyed the brief flight, complete with a gentle "splashdown" in a lake full of floating rocks made of pumice. At about $500 per person, travel costs from Anchorage had been steep, but the exotic Alaska flying experience erased most of the sticker shock.

At Brooks Camp, we had to attend a "bear safety orientation." Rules ranged from the obvious (bears have the right of way) to the obscure (not only food but also deodorant and toothpaste should be secured in bear-proof containers). Our first night in the tent, we joked a lot, slept little -- and generally wondered what we'd gotten ourselves into.

Fortunately, our big bear action was reserved for the next day, when we followed a park escort for an easy mile-long hike through mossy woods to a raised viewing area near the Brooks River Falls, where bears congregate to catch the world's largest sockeye salmon run at its peak.

And then -- wow. Any avid viewer of TV nature shows would've recognized the scene: About half a dozen bears had stationed themselves at different spots among the falls, each catching and eating salmon according to its abilities.

For hours we stood on this tall wooden deck on the shoreline, watching bears with dripping-wet muzzles bob for salmon, which they stripped and ate on the spot. No matter how many fish they devoured, the supply seemed endless. Occasionally the bruins jockeyed for position, an old pro running off a young upstart with a grunt.

Most of the time, the single-minded bears showed little interest in us. Then, suddenly, one scarred bear, run off by his peers, walked straight up to the entrance of the wooden deck we were standing on, monumental head sniffing and nudging in our direction. He was easily chased away, but it was a good reminder: Though traveling with knowledgeable guides in large groups provides a measure of safety, we were still in the wild.

Over the next couple of days, we returned to the viewing station, getting our fill of memories and photos while the bears ate their fill of salmon. We saw as many as 20 at a time. I learned much, and not just about bears. If you're a hobbyist, be ready for a bad case of lens envy; professional photographers and skilled amateurs alike congregate here, providing opportunities to mingle, ask questions and learn.

The bears did have one final surprise in store.

Our last day, as we were boarding the floatplane to leave, we were suddenly hustled inside and told our flight would be delayed. Why? The answer was strolling along the shoreline, just outside the plane's small, dirt-streaked windows: a mother bear and her very young cubs. Normally, visitors are asked to clear the area when cubs are anywhere near, but we were happily stuck. From the plane windows, we were able to get a long, close look as the cubs cavorted in the surf, crossed near our plane's floats and finally wandered off.

It was the perfect send-off.

Not everyone who visits Brooks Falls camps there, though it is the least expensive option for an overnight stay. Campers pay $8 per night per person with reservation in advance required by the National Parks Reservation Service (reservations.nps.gov or by phone at 1-800-365-2267 or 1-301-722-1257). Day trips don't require reservations with the park.

If you prefer having more substantial walls between yourself and the bears, the privately run Brooks Lodge offers cabin lodging. Concessionaire Katmailand offers air/lodging specials ($786 per night per person, double occupancy), as well as day-trip specials from Anchorage ($519 per person). For information, see www.katmailand.com.

Freelance writer Sonya Senkowsky lives in Anchorage.