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Icy Strait Wilderness Island Tour

4.9
87 reviews

Excursion Overview

Join the fun on a guided driving tour across the beautiful Chichagof Island

Chichagof Island, where Icy Strait is situated, is near the entrance of Port Frederick Bay. This body of water is known to the Indigenous Tlingit people as the Bay of Bears due to its abundance of salmon.

The Bay of Bears contains six major salmon streams. Once the yearly salmon spawn begins, the streams are teeming with wildlife looking for fish. You'll have a chance to see bears as they attempt to fatten up for the winter, and other wildlife like river otters, mink, bald eagles, and martens.

The tour begins from Icy Strait. You'll drive around the island in a passenger van, searching for bears, while your tour guide narrates the scenery around you. They'll talk about their lives in rural Alaska and their experiences with local wildlife. Imagine living in a town with more bears than people!

One of our guests' favorite things to do on tour is to pick their own berries and herbs. Your expert guide will describe the medicinal purposes of the local plant life, explaining the healing properties and nutritional benefits. Some of the wild berries growing here contain more nutrients than any cultivated berries per pound.

This tour is very special, providing an experience that you won't find anywhere else. You will not regret getting off the beaten path and joining this experience!

Depart from the Excursions Hub with your lifelong Hoonah residential guides

our guides are excited to share local history and stories from living in Hoonah and all that Chichagof Island has to offer. This tour is a three-hour driving tour with a few very short walks. Wildlife is not guaranteed but your guides will do their best to point out any sightings.

Things You Need to Know

Inclusions:

  • Roundtrip transportation from the Icy Strait Excursions Hub

Requirements:

  • Minimum age to participate is 5 years old

Duration: 3 hours (Roundtrip from the Excursions Hub.)

  • 3 hour narrated scenic drive around the island

Meeting Instructions:

  • This tour meets at the Excursions Hub. Fully detailed instructions are included on your finalized ticket vouchers.

ADA Accessibility of Tour:

  • This tour is limited mobility accessible. Guests must be able to climb into and out of the van. There is minimal storage for collapsible wheelchairs or walkers. Please leave a comment during checkout if accommodations for collapsible equipment will be required on tour.

Refund Policy:

  • You may cancel for any reason up to seven (7) days prior to the date of the tour for a full refund.
  • Please see our Refund Policy Page for complete details.

Frequently Asked Questions

The minimum age to participate is 5 years old.

Booster seats will be provided for anyone who is 5+.

Our success rate for seeing bears is very high, however, wildlife cannot be guaranteed. Our area has more bears per square mile than any other place in Alaska with 1.7 bears per square mile.

Backpacks, small bags, and purses are allowed on this tour.

Non-alcoholic beverages in closeable containers and snacks are allowed on tour.​

Food and drinks are not included.​

 

Guest Reviews

4.9

87 total

93%
5%
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Suzette S

On Aug 2025

This was by far the best excursion we went on! John and Marilyn were like having our neighbors giving us the tour, they were welcoming and friendly and worked hard to spot bears for us. When I was thinking we might not see any we saw a pair come under the bridge that we were driving over and we got to get out and watch them for 15 minutes! They each caught a salmon and ate it! I have both photos and video of it! They were 100% committed to getting us back to the ship in plenty of time and yet their excursion went longer than it said whereas all of our other excursions were a bit shorter than they said they would be. Recommend 1000%

Kamneev S

On Aug 2025

John & his lovely wife were amazing guides. They shared so much knowledge of the area and their culture, which was truly special. We were so happy to be learning about the land from people who are indigenous to the area, to hear how they grew up and why the land and animals are so special to them. Very happy to support a locally owned and run team. Highly recommend!

Ayala R

On Aug 2025

We had an amazing experience with two lovely tour guides. We enjoyed seeing grizzly bears playing in the water in their natural habitat, a surreal experience. We loved it, I highly recommend it.

Michelle T

On Aug 2025

Just perfect. The owner's / guides. are amazing. So knowledgeable and pleasant. We saw 3 bears. 2 were in the stream playing then chasing and eating salmon. A total National Geographic site. The best part of our cruise. A must do

Tracy C

On Aug 2025

This was an amazing tour. We had a wonderful local couple, John and Marilyn. I loved their life stories and what life is like in Alaska as well as hearing of their culture. I highly recommend.

$145.00

Best Price Guarantee!

$145.00

Duration: 3 hours

Best Price Guarantee!

Duration: 3 hours



Adult (13+): $145.00

Child (5-12): $100.00

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