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Across Cook Inlet from Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula lies a system of rivers and bays that swarm with salmon, drawing ravenous brown bears—sometimes by the dozens—at varying times each summer. The prime season is early May to end of September.
Where You Go Depends On The Time Of Summer
Air taxi operators know where these bears will appear and how to get you to the hot spots, so really all you need to worry about is showing up in your hotel lobby. But if you're interested in the different places or are offered a choice of locations, here are three of our favorites.
Big River Lakes
(June 10 to mid-to-late August)
This scenic mountain lake system lies at the entrance to Lake Clark Pass. You'll often find two to six bears gathered to fish for salmon where Wolverine Creek empties into Big River Lakes. Because this is one of the newer bear gathering spots, it hasn't yet attracted the big males who jostle with one another. Instead, you'll enjoy more idyllic scenes of females and their cubs. Note that Wolverine Creek has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years and can sometimes be crowded.
Highlights
- Wild bear viewing near Anchorage
- Salmon fishing nearby
- Lodge visits available on some tours
Logistics
- 50-minute flight from Anchorage, about $440 for a 6-hour tour
Brooks Falls
(First 3 wks of July, last 3 wks of September)
Many of the most famous shots of bears pouncing for salmon swimming up waterfalls were taken at Brooks River Falls, in Katmai National Park. The world's largest salmon run floods this river and draws up to 15 bears at a time in early June. At the peak of the salmon run, you'll see many large males jaw spar and compete for the best fishing spots. After checking in with the rangers for a briefing on bear etiquette, it's about a mile walk to the viewing platform.
Highlights
- World-famous bear-fishing waterfall scenes
- Spectacular salmon runs
Logistics
- 1.5-hour flight from Homer, about $530 for an 8- to 9-hour tour
- 2.5-hour scenic flight from Anchorage, about $580 for a 10-hour tour
Katmai Coast (usually done from Soldotna or Homer)
(May 25 - July 1, Sept 1 - Oct 15)
Precipitous mountains and glaciers serve as a backdrop to wide open tidal flats with 4-foot tall sedge grass meadows. This prime foraging and hunting location often attracts 2 to 3 times the number of bears found at other hot spots and has earned it the reputation as one of the world's best bear-watching locations. It's not uncommon to see 25 to 40 bears at a time clamming, eating sedge, and fishing for salmon.
Highlights
- World's largest concentration of brown bears
- More remote location with fewer people
Logistics
- 1 to 1.5-hour flight from Homer, about $530 for 8- to 9-hour tour
- Generally out of range for Anchorage day tours
Expert Advice
How To Identify Alaska’s Bears
Jump to Town: From Anchorage | From Kenai / Soldotna Area | From Homer
From Anchorage //An easy day trip; pick up and drop-off at your hotel
Rust’s Bear Viewing
Take off by seaplane for an all-day bear-viewing expedition. Fly past glaciers and volcanoes to the brown-bear country of southwest Alaska. Your Seaplane Bear Safari will take you to Brooks River Falls in Katmai National Park, home of the world ' s largest salmon run. You can also fly 70 miles southwest of Anchorage to Lake Clark Wilderness Preserve for amazing bear viewing and luxurious accommodations at the Redoubt Bay Lodge. Rust’s, which has been safely flying in Alaska since 1963, provides two-way headsets and window seats for every passenger.
Trail Ridge Air Inc. Bear Viewing
Viewing brown bears in their natural habitat is one of the most amazing things you can do in Alaska. If it’s high on your list, book a flight-seeing/ bear viewing trip with Trail Ridge Air, knowing that personable pilots will take you to where bears splash and fish, and where visitors run out of words to describe their amazement.
Brooks Lodge Bear Viewing
Brooks Lodge offers their own bear viewing tours which are less expensive than most, and give you more time at Katmai National Park to watch bears feasting on sockeye salmon from several viewing platforms. A commercial flight from Anchorage takes you to King Salmon where you'll switch to a small float plane for a quick 20-minute flight to Brooks Camp. After a brief safety orientation, you can watch bears from several viewing platforms, join the Park Service for an interpretive program, or try your luck at rainbow trout fishing.
Alaska Bear Camp Overnight Adventures
Alaska bear camp is magically hidden in a rare Critical Bear Habitat in the wilderness of Lake Clark National Park. Instead of hundreds, only 16 privileged guests observe the wonder of up to 50 brown Bears living out their daily drama. Due to the beauty of the location and the exceptional bear population, the deluxe camp, with en suite biffies, beds with mattresses and food flown in daily, was used as a base camp for the Disney movie Bears. Transfers available from Anchorage or Great Alaska Adventure Lodge in Sterling.
Regal Air Bear Viewing
May 25 - Mid September
Hop aboard one of Regal Air’s planes departing from Anchorage and after a short, scenic flight you can be watching enormous brown bears swat salmon from Alaska’s rushing waters. Tours visit one of two destinations: Lake Clark National Park or Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park.
From Kenai / Soldotna Area //Less expensive than from Anchorage, but a two-hour drive away
Natron Air Bear Viewing
Fly out of Soldotna with Natron’s owner and pilot, Tim. You’ll soar over the Cook Inlet towards Mt. Iliamna Volcano and land on a beach, right where the bears are. You’ll watch them playing and clamming and be close enough to take amazing photos.
Alaska Bear Camp Overnight Adventures
Alaska bear camp is magically hidden in a rare Critical Bear Habitat in the wilderness of Lake Clark National Park. Instead of hundreds, only 16 privileged guests observe the wonder of up to 50 brown Bears living out their daily drama. Due to the beauty of the location and the exceptional bear population, the deluxe camp, with en suite biffies, beds with mattresses and food flown in daily, was used as a base camp for the Disney movie Bears. Transfers available from Anchorage or Great Alaska Adventure Lodge in Sterling.
From Homer //More bears and fewer people, but an hour commuter flight or 5-hour drive from Anchorage
Scenic Bear Viewing
A picture-perfect flightseeing trip takes you over Cook Inlet, volcanoes and scenic mountains to a pristine and remote coastline. Land on the beach in a place few people have seen, where your pilot safely guides you for hours of watching brown bears fish, play and splash in the water. No crowds, just bears and the serenity of the wilderness around you.
Alaska Bear Adventures Day Tours
Spend several hours or a full day watching bears in the wild on a quintessential Alaskan adventure with a family-run company. Start with a scenic flight out of Homer over Kachemak Bay and into Katmai or Lake Clark National Park. Once you land, your pilot/guide will take you to an optimal spot to watch and photograph these magnificent creatures in their natural environment, hunting, playing, and relaxing. Spend anywhere from 1.5 to 9 hours on the ground with the bears—it’s an experience you’ll never forget.
Smokey Bay Air
Watch bears digging for clams, wandering the sedge grass, or nursing their young – all in a short flight from Homer to Katmai or Lake Clark National Park. Smokey Bay’s bear tours last about five hours total—including flights and about three hours on the ground. On any given day there will always be a morning outing (leaving at 8 a.m. at the latest) and possibly one that leaves around 2 p.m.
Alaska Ultimate Safaris Helicopter Bear Viewing
For many Alaskan travelers, bears are the ultimate highlight. Pair a magnificent sighting with a gorgeous helicopter flightseeing ride and you’ll have an unforgettable experience. On this unique tour from Homer, you’ll take a helicopter ride out into one of Alaska’s gorgeous national parks to witness these spectacular creatures in the wild.
