National Parks Traveler Episode 188: Fat Bear Week At Katmai National Park

Fall is here. Snow has fallen in the Rockies, the days are getting shorter, and some animals are realizing that winter isn’t that far away. 

With the change of seasons underway, you should mark your calendar for the most unusual competition in the National Park System and get started on your bracket. Not your NCAA basketball tournament bracket, but your fat bear bracket.

The week of October 5-11 at Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska officially is Fat Bear Week in the park, and the National Parks Traveler’s Lynn Riddick caught up with Lian Law, Katmai’s visual information specialist, to learn more about it.

 

02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
:44 Amaranth - Bill Mize - The Sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains
1:00 Friends of Acadia
1:24 Potrero Group
1:51 Washington’s National Park Fund
2:23 The Everglades Foundation
2:36 Katmai Fat Bear Week with Lynn Riddick
13:39 Kenai Fjords - Various Artists - The Spirit of Alaska
13:52 Great Smoky Mountains Association
14:10 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
14:38 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
14:57 Interior Federal Credit Union
15:27 Yosemite Conservancy
15:50 Lynn's conversation with Ranger Lian Law about Fat Bear Week at Katmai National Park continues.
27:40 Blue Mist - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Shenandoah
27:59 Episode Closing
28:27 Orange Tree Productions
28:58 Splitbeard Productions
29:08 National Parks Traveler footer

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 376 | ESA's Future

Since this past December here at the Traveler we’ve been bringing you a series of stories on the Endangered Species Act and the threatened and endangered species it’s intended to keep from going extinct.

For me, it’s been an eye-opening series because of what our editors and writers have learned about threatened and endangered species — from birds to trees and even to grasses — and the work being done to help them recover. It’s certainly not an easy task, and one that often takes decades before you can see progress.

May 31st, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 375 | Rethinking Public Lands Stewardship

Public lands stewardship has most definitely changed under the second presidential administration of Donald Trump. Land-management agencies such as the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management have lost thousands of employees, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is on a mission to turn the country’s public lands into a cash cow of sorts.

May 24th, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 374 | Cook Inlet's Beluga Whales

A fast-track proposal to develop a gold mine near Alaska’s Cook Inlet and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is alarming scientists, environmental groups and local communities because of the devastating effects it is expected to have on the region’s critically endangered beluga whales.

May 17th, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 373 | Southern Campaign of the American Revolution

America’s 250th birthday is coming up this summer, festivities will be held all over the country, and history buffs will be delving into the various nooks and crannies of the National Park System to see where they can visit sites of Revolutionary War battles.

Don't overlook South Carolina and its three park sites that preserve Revolutionary War battlefields – Kings Mountain National Military Park, Cowpens National Battlefield, and Ninety-Six National Historic Site. 

May 10th, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 372 | Print Ain’t Dead

We’re living in somewhat tumultuous times in the print media industry. Well-familiar titles are either disappearing, shrinking drastically, or shifting over to the internet. On top of that, the advent of Artificial Intelligence has some readers wondering how much human effort and talent went into the piece they're reading.

May 3rd, 2026 Read More

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The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks 

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks. 

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks 

FREE for iPhones and Android phones.