Bear Viewing Charters
We service two bear viewing areas by charter. Please click on the area you are interested in to learn more:
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​Step into bear country with confidence. Partner with one of these two proven guide services—experts in navigating Alaska’s wild landscapes while delivering exceptional, up-close wildlife experiences done right.
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​Bear Creek Outfitters, Southeast Alaska’s longest serving guiding service for Fly Fishing and Bear Viewing in Juneau, Alaska.
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For an all inclusive guided experience for bear viewing please check out Juneau's Bear Viewing Specialists - Wild Coast Excursions
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Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area
Pack Creek is a Wilderness area. A day use permit is required to visit Pack Creek between April 1st and September 30th. Visitors are limited to 24 people per day. 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.
Waterfall Creek Bear Viewing Area
Tucked along the rugged coastline of Southeast Alaska, this part of Chichagof Island—within the renowned ABC Islands (Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof)—is often referred to simply as Waterfall Creek Bear Viewing. And that name tells you exactly why people come.
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Here bear viewing is best between July 1st and Sept 30th when coastal brown bears gather at a narrow cascade where salmon are funneled into a predictable climb. The falls create a natural pinch point. Fish hesitate. Bears do not.
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Late summer and early fall bring a steady rhythm to the scene—bears positioned below the drop, standing chest-deep in current, or perched strategically above the lip of the waterfall waiting for the right moment. It’s not a meadow setting. It’s rock, water, spray, and muscle. Wild and elemental.
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Chichagof Island, named for Russian Arctic explorer Vasili Chichagov, spans roughly 75 miles long and nearly 50 miles wide, covering more than 2,000 square miles—making it the fifth largest island in the United States. It lies north of Baranof Island and is bordered by Chatham Strait, Icy Strait, Cross Sound, the Gulf of Alaska, and Peril Strait.
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The nearby communities—Hoonah, Pelican, Tenakee Springs, and Elfin Cove—are part of a water-based economy built on fishing, guided hunting, and maritime work. But this waterfall area remains roadless and undeveloped.
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How It Works
The Waterfall Bear Viewing area on Chichagof Island, part of Southeast Alaska’s ABC Islands (Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof), offers a true wilderness experience.
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There are no facilities on site.
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No restrooms.
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No shelter from the elements.
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No cell phone service.
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​Visitors should come prepared for changing coastal weather and uneven, natural terrain.
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​No permit is required to visit this area.
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Food is allowed, but it must remain in the designated floatplane drop-off area. Food is not permitted in the bear viewing zones.​
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Most visitors to Waterfall spend between 4 and 6 hours on site. Arrivals can begin as early as 9:00 a.m., with the latest scheduled pick-up at 6:30 p.m., allowing ample time to experience the bears at the falls and along the stream corridor.
When you reserve your flight, we handle the flying—you enjoy the adventure.
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Enhance Your Waterfall Creek Visit
If you’ve never visited Waterfall Creek for bear viewing, we recommend partnering with one of the professional guiding services that operate there (link above).
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Ward Air handles the flying — and these experienced guides (link above) provide expert interpretation, safety leadership, and a deeper understanding of coastal brown bear behavior in the wild landscapes of the ABC Islands.
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For more information on the state park please visit the state website : https://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/marinepark/pavharborsmp.htm
