The great state of Alaska has a lot to offer to the outdoor traveler or wildlife enthusiasts and bear viewing is one of the most popular tours in the state for Good reason. On most tours the flight out to the bear viewing areas alone is worth the price. Usually the airplanes fly past huge glaciers, active volcanoes and some of the most dramatically stunning scenery in the world before landing in the bear viewing area.
While planning your bear viewing adventure consider the area within Alaska which you may want to visit.
Although brooks camp in Katmai National Park is the most famous and by far the most frequently visited bear viewing attraction in the state (and probably in the world) it is by no means the only option to see bears and for some it may not be the best option. Some, but not all, of the other primary bear viewing areas in the state are: Katmai National Park on the east coast along the Shelikof straight, Lake Clark national Park and Katmai National Preserve/ McNeil river area. All of them are in the south central region of Alaska. Although you more than likely see a bear or two while visiting Denali National Park the viewing isn't consistent or nearly as high quality as these other areas listed.
There is at least two operations based in Homer which provide flights to Brooks Camp in Katmai NP but the main access point is through King Salmon which is accessible through anchorage by airplane. Brooks Camp can receive as many as 400 visitors per day and sometimes more during the busiest time of the year, which is July through August. On any day during the busy season people outnumber bears at Brooks Camp. The biggest advantage to Brooks is that you are almost guaranteed to see bears fishing, as long as the fish are running. If you are not looking for the remote wilderness experience there is a lodge, restrooms and other facilities.
The East Coast of Katmai National Park and more specifically: Hallo Bay/ Swikshak Lagoon area is widely considered to be the wilderness alternative to Brooks Camp. During a lot of the summer season the bear viewing is better here and it gets only a fraction of the visitation by humans. On a good day bear viewing in June you will generally see over twenty bears on a day tour. The area is very remote and the access to this area is a little more weather dependent. Although a few companies offer access to this area from Kodiak the best place to depart from is Homer.
Because it is so much closer to the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage the Cook Inlet coast of Lake Clark national Park receives a lot more pressure than the Katmai Coast but you are guaranteed to see bears there. And because there is a lot more private land directly outside the park there are more fishing lodges and private homes to in the area. This is not necessarily bad but it does diminish the wilderness setting a little.
The state of Alaska operates a bear viewing camp at McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and it is some of the best and most exclusive bear viewing in the world. The catch is you can't just sign up and go camp at McNeil, there is a lottery to access the area and not that many are drawn each year.
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