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Juneau Brown Bear Viewing Tour at Pack Creek

Excursion Overview

Pack Creek Alaska Bear Watching Tour: Floatplane & Guided Wildlife Experience

The Pack Creek Brown Bear Viewing Tour offers an extraordinary opportunity to witness Alaska’s brown bears in their natural environment. This 8-hour adventure begins with a breathtaking floatplane flight over the pristine wilderness of Admiralty Island, followed by a guided exploration of the Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary. Guests are led along scenic shoreline and forest trails to prime viewing areas, where they can watch bears fishing for salmon, foraging on beach greens, or resting in the tall grasses, creating unforgettable wildlife encounters.

Admiralty Island, known as Kootznoowoo by the Tlingit people and famously called the “Fortress of the Bears,” is home to approximately 1,800 brown bears, one of the highest densities in the world. Representing about 10% of Alaska’s brown bear population, these magnificent animals can be seen most actively during the late May to June mating season and the July-August salmon run. With experienced guides and exclusive access to this remote sanctuary, the Pack Creek Tour provides a rare and immersive Alaskan wildlife adventure that leaves a lasting impression.

This tour is typically available from May through September. Our excursions were designed for cruise ship passengers but are available to everyone.

Things You Need to Know

Inclusions:

  • Roundtrip transportation
  • Professional guides
  • Hearty, healthy snack and bottled water
  • Picnic lunch
  • Rain jacket, pants, and rubber boots
  • Forest Service permits

Requirements:

  • Minimum age: 12 years old, bear viewing is a mostly sedentary activity that requires guests to be patient and relatively quiet for long periods
  • Guests must be able to hike on uneven terrain up to 2 miles
  • Maximum weight: 250 lbs per person due to plane weight capacity
  • Signed liability waiver
  • Do not bring scented items like lotions and creams. You should not bring anything bulky that you cannot easily carry with you at all times. Food and beverages must be handed over to the guide for safe storage.

Duration: Approximately 7 hours (roundtrip from cruise ship terminal)

  • 30 minutes - van transport to headquarters for outfitting
  • 30 minutes - gear outfitting, orientation, and transport to the floatplane
  • 30 minutes - flightseeing via floatplane to Pack Creek
  • 4 hours - bear viewing at Pack Creek
  • 30 minutes - flightseeing back to Juneau
  • 30 minutes - gear unload
  • 30 minutes - van transport back to your cruise ship terminal

Meeting Instructions:

  • This tour meets near the Goldbelt Mt. Robert's Tramway building. Fully detailed instructions are included on your finalized ticket vouchers.

ADA Accessibility of Tour:

  • This tour is not wheelchair or limited mobility accessible.

    • Fully Wheelchair Accessible: No
    • Limited Mobility Accessible: No
    • Stroller Accessible: No
    • Collapsible Wheelchair & Stroller Storage Available: No

Refund Policy:

  • Due to the nature of this tour, the cancellation policy is as follows:
    Cancellations for any reason are subject to a nonrefundable $100 per person fee.
  • Please see our Refund Policy Page for complete details.

Frequently Asked Questions

We suggest wearing warm layers, a jacket, and sunglasses. Wool and fleece layers are a smart choice as well as hats and gloves. Rubber boots are provided for disembarking the plane at the beaches.

For more detailed packing tips for your Alaskan vacation, check out our What to Pack for Your Alaskan Cruise guide.

Every passenger gets a window seat.

Guests must be 12 years or older to participate. Bear viewing is a mostly sedentary activity that requires us to be patient and relatively quiet for long periods.

Yes, you may bring a backpack. You should not bring anything bulky that you cannot easily carry with you at all times. Extra items can be left in our vehicle in Juneau.

Food and drinks while permitted, must be handed over to the guide for safe storage.

Guests on group trips should be ‘moderately’ fit. At Pack Creek, guests will need to disembark the plane into about a foot of water on uneven ground. Once on dry land, the beach can be rough and slippery. Guests with mobility issues are encouraged to book a private trip. You need to be able to hike at least 2 miles on this tour. Bear viewing is a mostly sedentary activity that requires us to be patient and relatively quiet for long periods.

You will have a guide who is knowledgeable about the wildlife that inhabit the rainforest, and it is extremely likely that you will see bears but, not guaranteed.

Gratuity is not included in the tour price. Please consider tipping your pilot and guide.

Pack Creek is a wilderness location with no facilities (shelter and bathrooms). We pack out all waste and follow Leave-No-Trace Principles

The maximum weight for this excursion is 250 lbs per person however, accommodations may be made depending on availability. Please contact our team at [email protected] to inquire about accommodations for guests over 250 lbs.

Pack Creek is a highly protected brown bear sanctuary located on Admiralty Island. Because of strict permitting requirements, availability is very limited throughout the summer months. The area is seasonally staffed by Forest Service rangers and offers excellent bear viewing from May through September.

 

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$989.00

Best Price Guarantee!

$989.00

Duration: 7 hours

Best Price Guarantee!

Duration: 7 hours



Max weight 250 lbs per person

Adult (12+): $989.00

Max weight 250 lbs per person

Private Group (1-5 guests): $4,945.00

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