Bear Viewing Charters
Pack Creek and Pavlov Bear Viewing Areas
Pack Creek is a Wilderness area. Permits are required to visit Pack Creek from June 1 through September 10. There are no facilities (i.e. bathroom, shelters or cell phone service) on site. Boots, rain gear and extra layers are recommended. Wilderness visitors face inherent risks of adverse weather conditions, isolation, physical hazards, and lack of rapid communications.
On-site staff are available to provide orientations and answer questions during your visit. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by a ranger at the South Spit and given an orientation after which you will either walk to the Viewing Spit or to the Observation Tower. The ranger will provide advice on the likelihood of seeing bears at both of these areas, but you will be free to decide where you want to go. The ranger will also review all of the rules to be followed while visiting Pack Creek.
Camping is not permitted in the bear viewing area but is allowed on nearby Windfall Island and Swan Island.
The Tlingit people called this area “Kootznoowoo” meaning “fortress of the bears" located South of Juneau on Admiralty Island. At the island’s center is the Pack Creek Bear viewing area which has been actively managed since 1985 by the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. After many generations, the bears have become accustomed to the presence of people and are not distracted by them therefore allowing the bears to spend their time fattening up on salmon and rearing their young.
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How It Works
Upon arrival, you will disembark the plane into 8-12 inches of water on the beach. Boots are recommended. A ranger will greet you and provide an orientation including rules and important information to be followed while visiting Pack Creek. You can then walk the beach to the viewing spit or hike about one mile to the observation tower and spend the day enjoying the wilderness.
​No humans or bears have ever been harmed at Pack Creek. In order to maintain this record, all visitors must strictly follow the rules. This will ensure a safe and stress free environment for the bears that make Pack Creek their home.
Camping and Permits
The Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area is within a Wilderness Area. This means there are no facilities on site: no bathrooms, no shelter from the elements, and no cell phone service.
Bear-proof lockers are available for storing all food and gear. Food is allowed at Pack Creek, but it is restricted to the entrance site.
Camping is one of best ways to make the most of your trip. Although camping is not allowed in the immediate Pack Creek area, camping is permitted on nearby Windfall Island as well as on Swan Island and in Windfall Harbor.
When you have purchased your permits contact us and we will reserve your flight. We will do all the flying and you will do all the touring. The typical visitor to Pack Creek spends between 4 and 6 hours there. Visitors can arrive as early as 9:00am with our latest pick-up being 6:30pm. Your permits and more information can be found at Recreation.gov.
