McNeil River
Encyclopedia
The McNeil River is a river on the eastern drainage of the Alaska Peninsula
near its base and conjunction with the Alaska
mainland. Its entire length of 35 miles (55 km) lies within the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, created in 1967 by the State of Alaska to protect the numerous Alaska brown bear
s who frequented the area. It also lies entirely within the Kenai Peninsula Borough boundaries.
More famous for its bear population than for the size of the river or the strength of its salmon runs, McNeil River has been featured on many television and film documentaries. So well-known has the area become as a bear-viewing area, that in 1973 the State of Alaska began limiting the number of summer visitors to ten per day during peak visitor months of June, July and August. The area has also been "wired" for webcam remote viewing for those unable to access the river in person.
Various groups have been formed to support keeping the area pristine and free from bear-hunting activity, despite the proximity of the Sanctuary to the adjacent Katmai National Park and Preserve
. And while the bear population often wanders outside the protected zone their numbers have gradually continued to rise; summer visitors are often treated to 60 or more animals at one sighting.
Alaska Peninsula
The Alaska Peninsula is a peninsula extending about to the southwest from the mainland of Alaska and ending in the Aleutian Islands. The peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean from Bristol Bay, an arm of the Bering Sea....
near its base and conjunction with the Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
mainland. Its entire length of 35 miles (55 km) lies within the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, created in 1967 by the State of Alaska to protect the numerous Alaska brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
s who frequented the area. It also lies entirely within the Kenai Peninsula Borough boundaries.
More famous for its bear population than for the size of the river or the strength of its salmon runs, McNeil River has been featured on many television and film documentaries. So well-known has the area become as a bear-viewing area, that in 1973 the State of Alaska began limiting the number of summer visitors to ten per day during peak visitor months of June, July and August. The area has also been "wired" for webcam remote viewing for those unable to access the river in person.
Various groups have been formed to support keeping the area pristine and free from bear-hunting activity, despite the proximity of the Sanctuary to the adjacent Katmai National Park and Preserve
Katmai National Park and Preserve
Katmai National Park and Preserve is a United States National Park in southern Alaska, notable for the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and for its brown bears. The park covers , being roughly the size of Wales. Most of this is a designated wilderness area, including of the park...
. And while the bear population often wanders outside the protected zone their numbers have gradually continued to rise; summer visitors are often treated to 60 or more animals at one sighting.
External links
- http://www.ibiblio.org/fomr/fomrwhoweare.html