Viewing Bears are the living symbol of wild Alaska. Many backcountry travelers here catch a glimpse of bears, particularly in the wildlife refuges and parks. Wise travelers usually prefer a distant view, since close encounters with an aggressive black bear or a half-ton grizzly can get pretty scary. Bear incidents occur every year, and hikers should follow safety practices. In most areas, hikers are more likely to see signs of bear along trails than the creatures themselves.
Bears are solitary, and the truly wild ones tend to avoid humans.
Even so, you should always be prepared. A simple stroll to a mountain trailhead just off a subdivision in the state's largest city, Anchorage , might lead you smack into a black bear browsing on trailside foliage. Perhaps the most watched bears in Alaska are in Denali National Park. Visitors taking the tour bus on the 80-mile dirt road into the park regularly spot grizzlies on the tundra, sometimes in the distance, and sometimes digging squirrels out right beside the road. Backpackers are required to take precautions.