Kenai Bear Viewing

After viewing bears at Wolverine Creek, you can take a tour across Big Lakes, where you’ll often see bears right along the shoreline. When it’s time to leave, you’ll re-board the floatplane for a breathtaking flightseeing tour. Your pilot will take you over a glacier—so close you feel as if the wingtip could brush the ice—and then circle a volcano that may be venting steam. You’ll also fly over the peaceful flatlands, where some guests have even witnessed a brown bear and a black bear fighting. Moose sightings are almost guaranteed as you head back toward Alaska West Lake and return to the lodge.

Fishing can also be added to your trip, and we highly recommend including it. You can bring your freshly caught fish back, and we’ll throw them on the grill for you—an unforgettable way to end the day.

Another bear-viewing option, though more expensive, is Brooks Falls. This trip takes you by plane to Katmai National Park, where you can watch bears catching salmon at the famous waterfall. However, I still recommend the Wolverine Creek experience over Brooks, because at Brooks you are limited to only a half hour on the viewing platform before the next group rotates in.

Closer to home, another excellent spot is the Russian River, where you can hike the paved trail up to the Russian River Falls. There is a dedicated viewing platform where you can watch bears fishing in late summer and fall. Along the Sterling Highway in this same region, you may see bears across the river or even crossing the road in front of you.

Finally, you can also take a boat across Cook Inlet, where it’s common to see bears on the beach digging for clams—a unique and memorable sight.