I just got back from an absolutely fantastic trip to the Khutzeymateen Provincial Park. Located just north of Prince Rupert, in British Columbia the preserve offers an unprecedented opportunity for grizzly bear viewing and photography.
I stayed at the Wilderness Lodge which is located on the water right in the Khutzeymateen inlet. Access to the lodge was via a short and spectacular twenty minute flight on a floatplane from Prince Rupert. The views from the air along the way were absolutely stunning.
The lodge itself is built on a platform supported by massive floating logs. While isolated and off-grid, it certainly does not lack for comfort. Accommodations were very good and the staff made sure everyone was well fed with excellent meals. The guides were particularly good at knowing were to go and in spotting wildlife opportunities. They were all extremely patient and accommodating especially in helping photographers get the best shots and angles as possible.
From the lodge we were able to go on twice daily excursions aboard a covered boat. Each outing was always successful in terms of finding wildlife. Even though grizzly bears were at the top of the agenda, there was also an abundance of other wildlife. During my time there, I saw sea lions, bald eagles, black bear, and in what was perhaps the highlight of the trip, coastal wolves.
The natural beauty of the area certainly cannot be overlooked either. From snow covered peaks overlooking smooth, glassy waters to waterfalls tumbling down the mountainside, the sheer grandeur of the area cannot be understated.
A gallery of some of the images from this trip can be found here in my Khutzeymateen Image Gallery.
I look forward to returning to the Khutzeymateen again sometime soon to hopefully capture more unique and interesting images. It is truly an extraordinary area to visit. As far as camera and personal gear, I found I brought just about everything I needed. However, as always, there are some things I would do differently next time. Here is a link to some of my thoughts on that in my Tips for Visiting the Khutzeymateen.