A dumpster sits in the middle of a wooded lot in the campground, it has bear paw prints along the side of it. It's meant to illustrate the level of bear activity in the Chilkoot campground.
A bearproof dumpster at the Chilkat State Park nears the pawprints of curious bears on Saturday, July 26, 2024, in Haines. (Rashah McChesney/Chilkat Valley News)

Several state agencies and the Haines Police Department are aware of at least two problematic bears in the Chilkoot Lake area.

But, while rumors are spreading around the campground – the increased threat of bear interactions has not deterred visitors like 60-year-old Shawn Knight from staying in the campgrounds.

“I…

Francisco Martínezcuello is the Chilkat Valley News summer reporter. Previously, he was in Southwest Alaska working for KYUK Public Media as a News Reporting Fellow from November 2022 through January...