This summer's traffic at the Anan Wildlife Observatory totaled 2,905 bear-viewing visitors with a U.S. Forest Service permit - the most in the 20 years of the permit system.
A record number of people visited Anan Wildlife Observatory this season - the largest amount since 2004, when the permit system was implemented.
Of the 2,905 visitors who came through the observatory in 2023, 548 were independent or unguided and 2,357 were commercially guided. Guide companies used nearly 80% of their available permits - only 610 commercial permits were unused.
The visitor count was slightly higher than the pre-pandemic peak in 2013 and much higher than the lowest recorded visitor count in 2020, which was just under 1,000. The number of used permits has been increasing steadily...
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