Bear Viewing in Ketchikan
Witness Alaska’s most powerful wildlife up close with Voyij’s unforgettable bear viewing tours. Travel by floatplane, boat, or guided trail to reach prime viewing areas where brown bears fish for salmon and roam freely. These tours are safe, expertly led, and ideal for nature lovers, photographers, and anyone seeking a once-in-a-lifetime wilderness experience.
7 Activities
Traitors Cove Bear Viewing Tour
The Experience: The Traitors Cove Bear Viewing experience begins with a short 20-minute floatplane flight over the lush wilderness of the Tongass National Forest. Your pilot will narrate along the way, pointing out key points in the area. After you touch down in Traitors Cove, you will be met on the floatplane dock by your personal Alaska Bear Guide who will drive you about one mile down a United States Forest Service (USFS) road to a trailhead. Your guide will safely escort you down the trail (approximately 250 yards) to the Margaret Creek Bear Viewing platform. Along the trail, your guide will point out the flora, fauna, berries and trees as well as any wildlife you encounter. Keep your eyes peeled all around – bald eagles and even bears are known to perch high above in the trees. USFS Facility: The Margaret Creek Bear Viewing observatory is maintained by the USFS whose policy allows bear tours from late July into late September. We operate our bear viewing tours from the beginning of August through mid-September in order to maximize the peak of the bear viewing season. To protect this delicate habitat, only a small number of visitors are allowed on the platform at one time and there is a restriction for the total number of visitors per day. As a result, you are guaranteed an intimate and awe-inspiring experience. An opportunity to visit this location is an opportunity not to be missed! It is advised to book this tour as early as possible due to the strict availability. The Amenities: Upon arrival to the platform, you will be at a prime vantage point to see Alaska’s REAL fisherman! Watch the true champions of the tour – the 5 species of salmon battling in the last part of their life, to arrive upstream to spawn. They are fighting not just the swift current but also the bears. See the black bears fattening up for winter, plunge into the rushing water with jaws wide, to eat the wild salmon heading upstream to spawn. Besides bears feeding, you are also likely to see Bald Eagles feeding on salmon scraps left over by the bears. Your naturalist/guide will answer any questions you have about the local wildlife, flora, and fauna.
Expedition Black Bear Traitor's Cove
Come experience bear-watching in Ketchikan, Alaska! In mid-summer and early fall when the salmon arrive to spawn, Margaret Creek, in Traitor’s Cove, is host to a high concentration of black bears. Begin your Alaska bear adventure from Ketchikan Cruise Ship Dock, Berth 3. Traitor’s Cove is located 26 miles north of Ketchikan and approximately 60-70 minutes (one way) by boat. Your Six-Pack licensed captain guides you on a saltwater safari through the Tongass Narrows, Clover Passage, and temperate rainforest to Traitor’s Cove navigating the vessel on a path of scenic sanctuaries, stunning bays, and inlets, and past a majestic lighthouse seeking marine and coastal wildlife viewing opportunities along the way. Quite often you will be able to observe the captivating behavior of whales breaching and tail-slapping, revere bear trails and salmon streams, and marvel at bald eagles feasting on salmon leftovers from the bears foraging. In mid-summer and early fall, when the salmon arrive to spawn, Margaret Creek, in Traitor’s Cove, is host to a high concentration of black bears. At Traitor’s Cove dock, your adventure continues as you drive 1.25 miles by private van to the Margaret Creek trailhead. From here you continue on a short 250-yard walk along a rainforest trail to the bear-viewing falls. The boat is a 30’ Aluminum Chambered Boat with twin Honda 250 outboards, heated cabin and restroom on board, life jackets, and light snacks provided; smooth riding, superior maneuverability, generous deck, and great visibility for memorable photos. Your captain/guide is well equipped and very familiar with travel in bear country as well as knowledgeable about local flora, fauna, and wildlife that inhabit the rainforest. Join us on our epic bear tours in Ketchikan, Alaska.
Black Bear Express
Ketchikan's finest bear viewing accessible by road! Visit Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary for this unique opportunity to see black bear in their native habitat. Watch for bears from the safety of the raised boardwalks which maximize your viewing and provide protection. This is a short tour focused on opportunity to view bears. Your experience will start with a narrated tour through Ketchikan, followed by a scenic coastal drive to the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary. Within a very short time, you’ll find yourself in bear country. The only drive to bear viewing areas in Southeast Alaska…. This tour offers the same duration for black bear viewing as our comprehensive Black Bear & Wildlife Exploration tour. However, it is streamlined to exclusively focus on black bear sightings, omitting the additional time allocated for exploring our mini-features on site. This experience is curated strictly for seeing black bears in their natural habitat. When you arrive at the sanctuary, naturalist guides will join you, bringing the rich forest to life as you walk along an improved trail. You’ll be surrounded by magnificent stands of spruce, hemlock and cedar trees. And soon you’ll be watching for wild bears in search of spawning salmon and ample berries. These are safe, protected raised boardwalks, exclusively for bear tours only. You can expect to have an intimate viewing experience and to reduce environmental impacts, only a limited number of groups have access to this private bear viewing area. Your guide will lead you along another boardwalk system perched over the grassy wetlands alongside Herring Creek. You’ll have the chance to observe a rich run of spawning salmon and the bears and seals that come to fish for them, along with bald eagles and other birds that wait for scraps in the tidal estuary nearby. Your transportation will be waiting to pick you up where the tour began. *Please Note: The half-mile long trail is over relatively flat terrain. The focus of your tour will be on viewing black bear in their natural habitat. Your guide may change the order of the tour or time spent in any one area to give you the best chance to see bears. Although the chances for seeing bear are excellent, wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed. The wildlife viewing time is approximately 60 minutes. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. No food or drink is allowed on the trail. You must follow your guide’s instructions at all times to ensure your safety. *ABOUT ALASKA RAINFOREST SANCTUARY In the heart of the Tongass National Forest lies Kawanti Adventures’ very own Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary. The sanctuary is known for its forest trails and boardwalk system that leads to an open estuary complete with a creek running out to the famous Herring Cove. The sanctuary is a hot spot for all wildlife, but specifically bald eagles and black bear.
Anan Bear Viewing Tour
Your unique Anan Creek Bear Viewing experience begins not at Anan Creek, but at Seawind Aviation’s home base in Ketchikan, Alaska. Within minutes of departing Ketchikan in one of Seawind Aviation’s seaplanes, you will take flight and be transported over inlets, bays, and lakes and over the lush, wilderness of the Tongass National Forest on a 40-minute flight to the Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory. After the water landing at Anan Creek, the pilot will guide the seaplane up to the beach, which, depending on the tidal currents, may be covered with kelp and mussels and possibly a starfish or two. Be aware, however, that the rocky beach may be wet and slippery, so good footwear is a must! On the beach, your party, including a Seawind Aviation “bear guide” will be met by U.S. Forest Service personnel, the stewards of the Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory, as you move to the trailhead and down the half-mile path to the observatory. Along the way, you will see the thick flora, fauna, and fir and cedar trees that define the rain forest. And don’t forget to look up – bald eagles and sometimes even bears have been perched high above in the trees. * The Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory The Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory, maintained and operated by the U.S. Forest Service, is open for permitted “bear tours” from early July into late August, which is typically when the salmon run is most abundant and bears are most hungry. After a short walk to the trailhead, and then down the trail – about 1 mile in total – you will arrive at the Anan Wildlife Observatory, which consists of a covered viewing shelter, a photo area accessed by stairs, and outhouse facilities. The viewing “season” is short, as it is the salmon run that brings the bears down to the creek-side. And, to protect this delicate habitat, the U.S. Forest Service issues only a small number of daily passes (obtained by Seawind Aviation upon booking your tour) and a limited number of viewers are allowed on the platform at any one time. Based on past experience, in order to maximize your opportunity for the best bear viewing experience – after all it is Mother Nature! – Seawind Aviation offers Anan Creek “bear viewing tours” during the peak season from early-July through August. So, it is advised to book this tour as early as possible and not miss this intimate and awe-inspiring experience!
Private Alaska Ocean Wilderness Expedition
Rates Up to 12 Passengers (Ages 5+): $1400 Duration 2 Hours and 30 Minutes (on the water) About Go on an adventure as you explore the deep mysterious waters of island studded sea passages in search of wildlife aboard a rugged Zodiac expedition craft. Your experienced captain and expert naturalist will use their considerable local knowledge of the area to unlock the secrets of this biologically rich ecosystem. You will feel ocean air on your face and taste the salt of sea spray as you skim across the waves. You will indulge your curiosity as you navigate narrow channels, next to rocky coast lines, emerald forested islands, and black sandy beaches. You will become an explorer, a mariner, an adventurer. The Private Alaska Ocean Wilderness Expedition option allows guests to book an exclusive tour for their group. Up to 12 passengers can be accommodated on this private tour. Please note our private tour cancellation policy prior to booking as it differs from our standard tours. More Information Our meeting & outfitting location is about a 10-15 minute walk from the downtown cruise ship docks (Berth 1-3), and about a 20 minute walk from Berth 4 & the Ward Cove shuttle drop off. Most guests enjoy the walk through the historic downtown area which includes several points of interest like Creek Street. If you require a pickup from the downtown cruise ship docks, please contact us at least 48 hours prior to your tour time. For our guests arriving at Ward Cove (NCL and affiliates), we will reach out with more information regarding the Ward Cove shuttle.
Backwater Bears & Whale watching Excursion
Approximately 50-100 miles round trip, we pick you up right at the cruise ship or convenient dock. From there we head out FAST in order to cover ground and ensure you the best chance at witnessing the wildlife that make often frequent the wilderness rivers and tributaries of the the Tongass National Forest. Wildlife hot spots like Neets Bay, Traitors Cove, and Cleveland peninsula are on our list locations to check in order to provide you the best chances at witnessing these wild animals no matte *DEPARTURE TIME MAY VARY
Private Misty Fjords National Park Tour
Approximately 100-150 miles round trip, deep into the Misty Fjords National Monument, a 2.3-million acre wilderness of shear rock walls, temperate rainforest, and glacier-carved waterways. Bring the camera because we are going to need it! Whales, Bears, Deer, Mt Goats and even wolves are often seen on this epic ride into the wilderness on our high speed boats. We also stop off at the Iconic New Eddystone volcano that erupted 15,000 to 13,800 years ago. Once in a lifetime trip. *DEPARTURE TIME MAY VARY
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