Kodiak Island

Kodiak Island, the largest island in Alaska and second largest in the United States, supports the densest population of brown bears in the world on a per-square-kilometer basis. The Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge covers nearly 7,700 square kilometers of the island's southwestern portion, accessible primarily by float plane or boat from the city of Kodiak. The island's mountainous terrain, fjord coastlines, and salmon-filled rivers sustain not only bears but Sitka black-tailed deer, bald eagles, and Steller sea lions.