Camping with Bears

For choice of lens as with anywhere else there is no right or wrong answer as it depends on your personal goals. I used a 500mm on a full frame Canon 5D camera (would look like an 800mm on a non-full frame digital) for many of the bear pictures but everything from wide angle up can be useful especially if you have good weather for landscapes for example or you just want to include people as I have here. On a non-full frame camera, 200-400mm should be good for similar shots to those in my bear gallery if you like to fill the frame. My experience was early season when the bears are more spread out and the salmon haven’t yet arrived at McNeil falls. From talking with the guides it appears you walk around a bit more at this time of year so if you do bring a large lens just be ready to carry it! (I think it is worth it!) With the walking I felt you could reasonably label this experience as a “back county bear safari.” Later in the season visitors tend to walk to McNeil falls and stay there most of the day.