Alaska Live Webcams
66 live cameras across America's largest state: erupting volcanoes watched by scientists, brown bears catching salmon at Brooks Falls, Fairbanks all-sky aurora streams, and six angles of Alyeska ski resort in the Chugach Mountains.
Scenic Alaska (4 cams)
Anchorage, Homer Spit, Valdez, and Katmai's world-famous bear cam at Brooks Falls — where brown bears catch sockeye salmon mid-air every July.
Aurora Cameras (2 cams)
The UAF Large Animal Research Station north of Fairbanks runs an all-sky camera pointed straight up — no buildings, no light pollution. Active season September–April.
Alaska Volcano Observatory (60 monitoring cams)
AVO monitors more than 50 active volcanoes across Alaska and the Aleutian Chain. These cameras watch some of the most active volcanoes in North America 24/7.
Never miss a Brooks Falls moment
Premium members get 48-hour DVR rewind on every cam. Scrub back to the precise moment a bear snatched a salmon — even if you were asleep.
Start — $1 first monththen $9.99/mo · cancel anytime
Alaska Webcam Guide
Brooks Falls Bear Cam — Katmai
Katmai National Park's Brooks Falls is one of the most dramatic wildlife spectacles on Earth: every July, hundreds of brown bears line up at a twelve-foot waterfall on the Brooks River to catch sockeye salmon returning from the sea. At peak season (July 1–14 roughly), bears stack four or five deep at the prime spots and catch fish mid-leap. The cam runs 24/7 during the season and is broadcast live by Explore.org.
Best time to watch: July 1–14 (peak salmon run). Secondary run August–September with fewer but often larger bears (they've been eating all summer). The Brooks Falls cam goes quiet in winter when bears hibernate.
Alaska Volcano Observatory Cams
Alaska has more active volcanoes than any other US state — 130 potentially active, with 50+ erupting in the past 200 years. The Alaska Volcano Observatory (run jointly by USGS, UAF, and the State of Alaska) maintains camera networks on the most active peaks:
- Mt Cleveland — One of the most active in the Aleutians. The cams show multiple views of this 5,676-foot near-perfectly-shaped stratovolcano. Erupts frequently with little warning.
- Shishaldin — The most symmetrical volcano in North America. Two camera angles catch the full 9,373-foot cone. Intermittently active, with steam plumes visible regularly.
- Pavlof — Alaska Peninsula, highly active. Erupts with fountaining lava and ash clouds, visible from Cold Bay and King Salmon when conditions are clear.
- Redoubt — 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, last major eruption 2009. The most economically significant Alaska volcano due to proximity to Cook Inlet oil infrastructure.
- Great Sitkin — Erupted 2021–2023, currently subsiding. Lava dome visible on summit cam.
AVO color-codes current alert levels (Normal → Advisory → Watch → Warning → Erupting). When a volcano goes to Warning, the cams become extremely popular — check in during elevated alert periods.
Aurora in Fairbanks
Fairbanks sits at 65°N, inside the auroral oval, and gets an estimated 200+ nights of aurora visibility per year when skies are clear. The all-sky cam at the UAF Large Animal Research Station (LARS) is pointed straight up — full 180° view of the sky with no obstructions. Kp 2–3 is typically enough for a good Fairbanks display; Kp 5+ produces full-sky curtains visible to the horizon. Season is roughly late August through late April.
When to Visit Alaska Cams
| Month | Bears | Aurora | Volcanoes | Alyeska Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | Hibernating | ★★★★★ | Year-round active | Deep powder |
| Apr–May | Coming out | ★★★ | Year-round active | Spring skiing |
| June | Pre-run | Too bright | Year-round active | Closed |
| July | ★★★★★ Peak | Too bright | Year-round active | Closed |
| Aug–Sep | Fattening up | ★★★ | Year-round active | Opening late Sep |
| Oct–Dec | Hibernating | ★★★★★ | Year-round active | Early season |
FAQ
Can I see erupting lava on the AVO cams?
Yes, during active eruptions — Mt Cleveland, Shishaldin, and Pavlof have all produced lava visible on cam in recent years. The most dramatic footage comes at night, when lava incandescence and fountaining light up the sky. AVO posts alerts at volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/avo/ when activity increases.
What's the best month for the Katmai bear cam?
July 1–15 for peak salmon concentration and the most bears per hour at the falls. If you miss July, a secondary salmon run in August–September brings the bears back — and by then they're huge from months of eating, which makes for impressive watching.
Does Alyeska have webcams all year?
Yes — several cams run year-round, showing the resort in summer (green mountains, biking/hiking) and winter (snow operations, chairlifts running). The ski season runs roughly November–April depending on snowfall.
Related: Aurora / Northern Lights → · Yellowstone → · Wildlife Cams → · Browse all cameras →