About McNeil River Sanctuary

McNeil River Sanctuary in Southwestern Alaska is an extremely special place for anyone lucky enough to win a permit. You must apply through the Alaskan Fish and Game Department. Between Early June and late August only ten people every four days are allowed to embark on this great adventure. I could not believe this past April when I discovered that I had won a coveted permit! This trip is not an easy one at that. You must primitive camp, slog two miles each way through high water and thick, deep mud flats, and brave unpredictable weather. I thorougly enjoyed my trip, but I was immensely overwhelmed by the whole experience. It can be quite unnerving standing fifty feet away from sows with their vulnerable cubs or ten feet away from a fleeing subadult Grizzly Bear! When you finally reach the McNeil River Falls itself, there are two platforms (an upper and lower). Thank goodness there are provided Crazy Creek chairs! One day I was wearing six layers,and my feet were numb. Overall, my group was quite fortunate regarding the weather. Most of my Grizzly Bear images displayed were taken with a Minolta Maxxum 9, a Minolta 400/4.5 lens, and Fujichrome Velvia 50 film. Photographing moving Grizzly Bears focusing and metering manually is quite challenging. I felt extremely sore and exhausted at the end of each day, but I'll never forget this awe inspiring, extraordinary place, and I long to venture there again.