Wild Coast Excursions Bear Viewing

Wild Coast Excursions is Juneau’s bear-viewing specialist, offering private and small-group brown bear-viewing tours to Southeast Alaska’s most productive wilderness bear habitats. Operating from Juneau, the company’s fly-in trips are timed to seasonal bear behavior, with coastal bear viewing in May and June and peak salmon-season activity from late July through September. An emphasis on small-group, permit-based access delivers some of the best brown bear viewing in Juneau, the Inside Passage, and Alaska.

Bear Viewing in the Tongass National Forest

Bear-viewing trips begin with a scenic 25- to 40-minute floatplane flight from Juneau to remote wilderness locations within the Tongass National Forest, including Pack Creek, Waterfall Creek, and other exceptional bear-viewing areas. Planes land directly along the coast, and guests spend several hours on foot observing brown bears in their natural habitat, guided by experienced professionals who interpret bear behavior, habitat use, and seasonal activity.

Trips include all permits, professional guiding, round-trip transportation, binoculars and spotting scope, rain gear and rubber boots, and a locally prepared catered lunch. In addition to bears, guests frequently encounter eagles, shorebirds, marine mammals, and other wildlife, gaining a deeper understanding of Southeast Alaska’s ecosystems and wild places.

Pack Creek Bear Viewing – Admiralty Island

Pack Creek on Admiralty Island is one of Alaska’s most storied brown bear-viewing areas, protected for nearly a century as a place where people and bears can share the wilderness. Early in the summer, bears feed on the salt meadows and tidal flats of the estuary; in mid to late summer, they gather along the creek to fish for pink and chum salmon. This range of habitats supports exceptional bear viewing across much of the season, making Pack Creek Southeast Alaska’s most reliable wilderness location for brown bear viewing in spring and early summer.

Wild Coast Excursions offers private and small-group Pack Creek bear-viewing trips from Juneau, operating under special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. Access is limited to just 24 visitors per day, preserving a quiet, low-impact experience in a congressionally designated wilderness with very little man-made infrastructure.

Trips include a floatplane flight to Admiralty Island, followed by guided exploration on foot to the best viewing areas based on conditions and bear activity. Guides bring deep local knowledge to each trip, including over a decade of experience on Admiralty Island and backgrounds as former U.S. Forest Service Wilderness and Pack Creek rangers, ensuring a safe, respectful, and informative experience shaped by intimate familiarity with this remarkable landscape.

Waterfall Creek Bear Viewing – Chichagof Island

Waterfall Creek on Chichagof Island is a compact, stream-side bear-viewing area that comes alive during the late-summer salmon run, offering a clear, front-row view of peak-season brown bear activity. With bears concentrated along a short stretch of creek and a dramatic waterfall backdrop, the site is especially well suited for photography.

Wild Coast Excursions leads private, small-group bear-viewing trips daily from late July through mid-September, when bear activity is at its highest. There are no viewing platforms or infrastructure at Waterfall Creek; all viewing is done on foot in a natural setting, allowing guests to watch bears fish, interact, and move through the landscape much as they have for generations. It is a guide favorite for the quality of the viewing and the opportunity to observe natural bear behavior in a remote wilderness environment.

Private and Responsible Wilderness Travel

Wild Coast Excursions specializes in private bear-viewing tours and intentionally small groups, giving guides and guests greater flexibility in timing, routing, and on-site decision-making based on wildlife activity, conditions, and interests. Private trips allow for custom timing and the ability to focus on specific needs such as photography, mobility challenges, and family travel.

Private guests may also customize their experience beyond bear viewing, including added flightseeing and custom logistics such as pickup from private residences, remote lodges, or anchored yachts. This flexibility allows each day to be shaped as a personalized wilderness experience rather than a fixed itinerary.

Wild Coast Excursions is guide-owned and emphasizes responsible wilderness travel through strict guiding standards, Leave No Trace ethics, and thoughtful logistics that prioritize wildlife well-being and guest safety. The company operates carbon-negative through verified emissions reductions in partnership with Alaska Carbon Reduction Fund / Alaska Heat Smart, and incorporates regenerative practices such as efficient flight scheduling, composting, and low-waste packaging of locally catered meals. Wild Coast Excursions is also Juneau’s only business member of the 1% for the Planet program, meaning that 1% of all sales go to support conservation.

Key Highlights

• Private, small-group bear viewing tours from Juneau
• Pack Creek (Admiralty Island) and Waterfall Creek (Chichagof Island)
• Early-season (May–June) and peak-season (late July–September) trips
• Guides with over a decade of experience in the Tongass
• Former USFS Wilderness and Pack Creek Ranger guides
• Carbon-negative, conservation-focused operations