Bear Viewing

Alaska's Brown Bears: Grizzly and Kodiak Bear Viewing

Alaska’s grizzly and brown bears are among this state’s most intriguing, elusive, prominent, and dangerous Alaska animals. Your Alaska adventure might not be complete without an Alaska bear viewing tour to see these beautiful bruins in their natural environments. You can photograph and learn about their habitats, hunting, and mating habits and watch them in action at one of the many Alaska bear-viewing lodges and retreats or along Denali National Park. Whether by land, air or water, or some combination of the three, we will take you to where the bears are, get you close, and keep you safe.

Grizzly bears live in the Interior and Arctic regions of Alaska, such as Denali National Park and Gates of the Arctic National Park. “Grizzlies” (as they are fondly referred to locally) tend to eat roots, grubs, and small rodents, and because of the difficulty in finding an abundance of food, grizzly bears tend to be smaller more aggressive than brown bears. The best grizzly bear viewing option is in Denali National Park but keeps in mind that this is a vast wilderness area, so nothing is guaranteed.

Brown bears are found in the coastal regions of Alaska, such as Katmai National Park, Lake Clark National Park, and Kodiak Island. When you see these magnificent animals on their home turf roaming freely along the coastline, catching salmon at Brooks Falls, digging for clams, or rearing young against the extraordinary backdrop of Kodiak Island – it’s a moment when you forget everything else and soak in nature at its best. Bear-watching day trips can be added to most itineraries and depart from several locations around the state.

One popular bear viewing option is visiting the Alaska Peninsula near Bristol Bay, where Katmai National Park’s Brooks Camp offers the iconic Alaska “big bears catching big fish” experience. This is the ultimate in bear viewing – at peak salmon season along the Brooks River when dozens of bears with powerful jaws and claws hunt for daily sustenance. These bear-viewing tours will genuinely give you the thrill of a lifetime!

And for the less adventurous or those with less time, you can observe all breeds of Alaska bears at the Anchorage Zoo and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center south of Anchorage.

 

Choose from 13 vacations in Alaska related to Bear Viewing

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Katmai and Brooks Falls Bear Viewing

Fly from Anchorage to one of Alaska’s most famous bear viewing destinations, Katmai National Park and Brooks Falls!  Depart Anchorage early on a scheduled flight to King Salmon (approximately 1.5 hours).  On arrival, a local representative will transfer... Browse itinerary

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Chinitna Bay Bear Viewing

Depart from Anchorage by wheeled plane for a 90-minute scenic flight southwest over Cook Inlet toward the Chigmit Mountains. Enjoy spectacular views of the Alaska and Aleutian Mountain Ranges and two active volcanoes – Mt. Redoubt and Mt.... Browse itinerary

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Bear Viewing Homer

Bear Viewing Expedition from Homer

Enjoy a scenic 1.5 hour flight in a float plane from Homer into the true Alaskan bush, flying past expansive glaciers that clothe towering mountains and steaming volcanoes. After landing, you and your group will hike 3–5 miles... Browse itinerary

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Alaska’s National Parks Tour by Car

Visit 4 National Parks: Kenai Fjords, Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias and Katmai (or Lake Clark National Park for bear viewing). Plus, an add-on opportunity for a 5th national park with a visit to Gates of the Arctic National Park... Browse itinerary

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Redoubt Bay Bear Viewing (Half Day)

Depart Anchorage on a half-day bear viewing trip to Redoubt Bay Lodge. Redoubt Bay is one of the most straightforward and accessible locations for bear viewing from Anchorage. You will travel by seaplane for a one-hour flight along... Browse itinerary

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a Kodiak brown bear sow and her cub

Kodiak Brown Bear Center

The Kodiak Brown Bear Center in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge was developed to offer unparalleled opportunities to observe and learn about the legendary Kodiak Brown bear. Enjoy deluxe private cabins with all meals while at the lodge.... Browse itinerary

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People at a log-cabin lodge watching a float-plane take off from an adjacent lake

Redoubt Bay Lodge

Departing from Anchorage's Lake Hood, it is just a 50-minute flight by seaplane over Cook Inlet to the entrance of Lake Clark Pass. Nested in a 171,000-acre critical habitat area, Redoubt Bay Lodge has three rustic cabins and... Browse itinerary

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Experience Kodiak Island

Fly from Anchorage on a scheduled flight, then embark on an excursion aboard a classic seaplane to enjoy a bird's eye view of the Island's scenic coastline and soaring mountain peaks. Kodiak is the second largest Island in... Browse itinerary

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