Page 198 - Vacation Country Travel Guide

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trail leads to the observation area and bears here and so does an abundance of wildlife. enforce site rules, and answer questions from
are often seen on the trail as well as other There is one road into town and in the summer visitors.
wildlife. This area is limited to 65 people per thousands of tourists descend on this place
day and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. to see the salmon run and the bears. The Fish Fortress of the Bear Road
It is recommended that you reserve your pass Creek Wildlife Observation Site is a day-use The rescue center opened in 2007 and now
at least six months in advance. recreation area in the Salmon River Valley near houses 8 bears. More than 20,000 visitors per
Hyder, Alaska. Both brown (grizzly) and black year come to experience the majesty of these
Misty Fjords National Monument Fly-in bears can be observed and photographed at amazing creatures. They have sent bears to
Forty miles east of Ketchikan in the Tongass the site as they fish for chum and pink salmon the Bronx Zoo, Montana Grizzly Encounter
National Forest is a national monument and in the clear shallow waters of Fish Creek and and the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary
wilderness area. Small glaciers dot the area Marx Creek. Visitors will see wild bears in their in Boyd, Texas. Their goal is to work with the
and canals criss-cross the valleys beckoning to natural habitat in this beautiful glacial river Alaska Department of Fish & Game to someday
be explored by kayak. This area is very remote valley. Other wildlife frequently seen include release rehabbed bears back into the wild.
so most visitors arrive by cruise ship or charter nesting Canada geese, harlequin ducks, As a 501(C)3 not-for-profit organization, they
plane. After landing in the water, disembarking common mergansers, mink, beaver, bald rely solely on admission fees and donations
is onto a floatplane platform as shoreline eagles, and a wide variety of songbirds. Visitors for funding. Please consider helping support
excursions are not permitted by the USFS occasionally see wolves fishing for salmon at Fortress of the Bear.
within the National Monument. this site.
Admiralty Island
Hyder Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site Road Bears use the Fish Creek site from mid-July The native Tinglit people called the area
A town of about 85 that sits in the shadow through early September, following the arrival “Kootznoowoo”, meaning fortress of the bears.
of glaciers and sandwiched between two of salmon that return to the fresh waters of the They knew that the bears outnumbered them
international borders, Hyder has no property creeks to spawn. The site is open from 6:00 am and on this island they roamed freely and
taxes, nor do they have a police force. Citizens to 10:00 pm daily. Forest Service employees unafraid. Today we call the area Admiralty
can openly carry firearms. The Alaskan spirit are at the site during these hours to provide Island and it is still home to one of the largest
of independence and resourcefulness lives information about the bears and salmon, concentration of brown bears in North America.
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