Brown bear in Silver Salmon Creek, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Catch, eat, repeat. Brown bear in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska

The season of big meals, bigger bellies, and stocking up for winter is here. In Alaska, brown bears at Lake Clark National Park and Preserve make the most of the food still available in October. They feed on fish, sedges, berries, roots, clams, and other foods to build up fat reserves. Some can weigh more than 1,000 pounds before entering their dens for hibernation. That stored fat helps them survive the winter, when they do not eat or drink.

Silver Salmon Creek is a bear buffet, and bear-watching is a popular activity in this national park. One of the nation's most remote units, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve spans more than 4 million acres and can be reached by plane or boat. Its Cook Inlet coast is also home to moose, wolves, foxes, and marine mammals. If you're planning a visit, come prepared for wilderness, wildlife, and a place where the bears get one of the best tables.