Especially on weekends. On a midsummer Sunday afternoon, with the sun shining hotly, the Eagle River Nature Center's parking lot is filled to capacity. Other visitors stroll a nearby nature trail with interpretive signs and salmon-viewing deck. Inside the log structure, volunteers answer visitor questions and offer advice. About twenty-five road miles from downtown Anchorage along the park's northwestern edge, the nature center is one of Chugach's primary gateways and gathering spots.
People constantly move in and out.
Truth is, black bears are commonly seen along the Crow Pass Trail but attacks by either black or grizzly bears anywhere in Chugach State Park are extremely rare. During the park's first twenty-nine years, only two people were killed by a bear defending a moose carcass. Still, bears seem to be on the minds of many visitors, especially tourists, so at least once a summer, and usually more, the center hosts a bear-awareness program. By summer's end, more than 50,000 people will stop here, making it the single biggest attraction on Chugach's northern end. Coming home to Chugach Late October.