Fortress of the Bear

09/18/2026

As our wild bears continue to search for food to gain the final pounds they need to survive their winter sleep, it's important to remember to be BEAR AWARE! Carry bear spray, hike in groups, make noise and stick to maintained trails. Give them the space they need to be bears!

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Be aware and prepared when you recreate in bear country. Make plenty of noise and travel in groups. Know what to do when you encounter a bear. Remember to stand your ground and never run from bears. Please see link in comments below for more tips on what to do when you encounter a bear.

09/16/2026

We’re open 7 days a week until the end of September, then we’ll be shifting to our October hours, which you can find on the poster below! The sanctuary will be closed on weekdays as usual, open Saturdays and Sundays, 10am-2pm. Last admission will be at 3:30pm.

We’ll be closed for Alaska Day this year, but look out for us in the local parade! And we’re excited to announce that OctoBEAR Fest will be on October 24th and 25th this year! We’ve got our staff costume theme picked out and everything…! 💚

09/14/2026

When you visit our bear sanctuary, you may hear our staff using terminology that you aren't familiar with, like 'conflict bear' instead of 'problem bear' or 'garbage bear'.

This language is part of an ongoing effort in the bear care world to change the narrative on human-bear conflicts, by standardizing and using consistent terms.

Terminology and phrasing matters, as it informs conservation efforts and influences bear management decisions.

To learn more, check out these slides from the International Association for Bear Research & Management.

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09/12/2026

This week we are featuring our rugged brown Carhartt hoodie. These are perfect for the fall temperatures coming. This design is a Brown Bear paw print for one of our first bears. It is a great addition to your collection. You can purchase this online through out website. All proceeds go towards supporting our mission.
Thanks to our model.
https://www.fortressofthebear.org/store/carhartt-hoodie-with-paw-print

09/10/2026

Did you know? Our resident bears, and wild bears, are currently in a mental state known as hyperphagia. Occurring in late summer and early fall, hyperphagia is a natural period in which bears engage in extreme non-stop eating, driven by the need to build up the crucial fat reserves they need to survive their winter ‘hibernation’. But bears, despite being famously associated with hibernation, are not true hibernators! Instead, they go into a torpor; a less intense sleep state that helps them conserve energy through winter without being rendered fully unconscious. Unlike true hibernators (like some rodents or small bats), bears are able to wake up during their winter rest if needed.

During hyperphagia, our bear care team works with two of our incredible local hatcheries to keep all bear pools stocked with live salmon! This seasonal diet item not only provides a great source of enrichment, but also an over abundance of calories to satisfy the bears physical and mental needs at the right time of the year. Here you can see Lucky, Toby and Chaik hunting for salmon in one of their rivers, some trying harder than others…!

09/09/2026

It’s National Teddy Bear Day! Bandit is celebrating with his custom mini-me plushie! Do you have a favorite teddy bear? Share a photo of your fluffy friend in the comments! 🐻❤️🧸

09/08/2026

While bears are safely secured in their dens, our bear keepers enter each habitat daily to scatter and hide different food and enrichment items, encouraging the bears to use their noses to sniff out treats, then dig or climb to find them!

How does our bear care team hide treats like peanut butter high up in the trees throughout our black bear habitat to encourage natural climbing behaviors? Why, with a long paint roller of course! Can you spot the evidence on these tree trunks that show bears have been climbing them?

09/06/2026

We are open tomorrow for Labor Day, 10am-4pm! See our shared post for all the info on the time slots and tickets required for booking your visit with our bears.

Due to unusually high levels of snowfall this spring, Fortress of the Bear will open May 1st for the 2026 season. For the first time, we’re introducing a ticketing system to provide a better bear-visitor experience. Have you booked your visit yet? We’re excited to share our new changes with you!

As always, you can find the most up-to-date info about planning your Fortress trip on the ‘Your Visit’ page on our website:

http://www.fortressofthebear.org/your-visit

09/04/2026

It’s National Wildlife Day! Due to the micro-ecosystem nature of our fresh water habitats, we observe all sorts of wildlife at Fortress of the Bear, not just our resident bears! From dragonflies to great blue herons, you never know what birds or critters you might see during your visit! It was tricky to select just 8 photos for the collage below, but they were all taken at our sanctuary!

09/02/2026

For the final month of this year’s Community Bear Hug program, we’ll be supporting 3 to 5 Preschool! The money raised will go towards 3 to 5 Preschool’s scholarship fund, which will help families in our community provide an early childhood education for their children. Thank you in advance to everyone that supports this great cause!