Page 8 - Breath of the Bear

TM

Misty Fjords National Monument Fly-in Hyder, Alaska. Both brown (grizzly) and black houses 8 bears. More than 20,000 visitors per
Forty miles east of Ketchikan in the Tongass bears can be observed and photographed at year come to experience the majesty of these
National Forest is a national monument and the site as they fish for chum and pink salmon amazing creatures. They have sent bears to
wilderness area. Small glaciers dot the area in the clear shallow waters of Fish Creek and the Bronx Zoo, Montana Grizzly Encounter
and canals criss-cross the valleys beckoning to Marx Creek. Visitors will see wild bears in their and the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary
be explored by kayak. This area is very remote natural habitat in this beautiful glacial river in Boyd, Texas. Their goal is to work with the
so most visitors arrive by cruise ship or charter valley. Other wildlife frequently seen include Alaska Department of Fish & Game to someday
plane. After landing in the water, disembarking nesting Canada geese, harlequin ducks, release rehabbed bears back into the wild.
is onto a floatplane platform as shoreline common mergansers, mink, beaver, bald As a 501(C)3 not-for-profit organization, they
excursions are not permitted by the USFS eagles, and a wide variety of songbirds. Visitors rely solely on admission fees and donations
within the National Monument. occasionally see wolves fishing for salmon at for funding. Please consider helping support
this site. Fortress of the Bear.
Hyder Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site Road
A town of about 85 that sits in the shadow Bears use the Fish Creek site from mid-July Admiralty Island
of glaciers and sandwiched between two through early September, following the arrival The native Tinglit people called the area
international borders, Hyder has no property of salmon that return to the fresh waters of the “Kootznoowoo”, meaning fortress of the bears.
taxes, nor do they have a police force. Citizens creeks to spawn. The site is open from 6:00 am They knew that the bears outnumbered them
can openly carry firearms. The Alaskan spirit to 10:00 pm daily. Forest Service employees and on this island they roamed freely and
of independence and resourcefulness lives are at the site during these hours to provide unafraid. Today we call the area Admiralty
here and so does an abundance of wildlife. information about the bears and salmon, Island and it is still home to one of the largest
There is one road into town and in the summer enforce site rules, and answer questions from concentration of brown bears in North America.
thousands of tourists descend on this place visitors. Pack Creek Wildlife Viewing Area is an
to see the salmon run and the bears. The Fish outstanding place to capture photographs of
Creek Wildlife Observation Site is a day-use Fortress of the Bear Road brown bears, eagles, and even whales as they
recreation area in the Salmon River Valley near The rescue center opened in 2007 and now navigate the channels around the island.

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