McNeil River: Difference between revisions

The McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and Refuge is located on the northeastern Alaskan Peninsula, in the northeastern part of [[Katmai National Park and Preserve]], about 250 miles (402 km) southwest of the city of [[Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage]]. The sanctuary and refuge protect about 388 square miles (248,000 acres, 100,362 hectares) of land. Of these, about 200 square miles (128,000 acres, 51,799 hectares), are in the sanctuary and 188 square miles (120,000 acres, 48,562 hectares), are in the refuge.<ref name="Sharing Tundra: The Bear Essentials">{{cite web|title=Sharing Tundra: The Bear Essentials|url=http://www.rhodes.edu/155_1833.asp|publisher=Rhodes College}}</ref> The McNeil River runs through the middle part of the sanctuary north of [[Mikfik Creek]] and south of the [[Paint River, Alaska|Paint River]] drainage. The sanctuary is open to few activities other than [[wildlife viewing]] and [[camping]] and all hunting and fishing is prohibited there. Within the refuge, both [[fishing]] and sport [[hunting]] and [[Animal trapping|trapping]] are allowed, but the hunting of [[brown bear]] is banned in both the sanctuary and refuge.<ref name="McNeil River — State Game Sanctuary and Refuge: Permits">{{cite web|title=McNeil River — State Game Sanctuary and Refuge: Permits|url=http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=mcneilriver.permits|publisher=Alaska Department of Fish and Game}}</ref>

McNeil Falls has always been famous for its bear watching, and as early as 1955, when it was closed to hunting, it was featured in such articles as [[National Geographic Society|National Geographic]] and the 1956 documentary [[The Animal World (film)|The Animal World]]. Bear watching at the falls reached a low in the mid- 1970s due to limited rules and human interference, but with better rules, bear numbers increased. As many as 100 bears may be seen at the falls in a single day with frequent sights of 60 or more at one time!<ref name="Friends of McNeil River Bears">{{cite web|title=Friends of McNeil River Bears – About|url=http://mcneilbears.org/home/welcome/|publisher=Friends of McNeil River}} Retrieved 4 July 2013.</ref> Visitors often view bears as they stand at the falls waiting to catch salmon in their mouths. In addition to the main McNeil River, Mikfik Creek to the south and [[Chenik Lake, Alaska|Chenik Lake]] to the north, in the refuge, also provide bear viewing. Both Mikfik Creek and Chenik Lake offer best bear viewing in June and McNeil River does in July.<ref name="McNeil River">{{cite web|title=McNeil River — State Game Sanctuary and Refuge|url=http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=mcneilriver.main|publisher=Alaska Department of Fish and Game|accessdate=12 March 2013}}</ref>