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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, large and dangerous Alaska animals. Your Alaska adventure just 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, so grizzly bears tend to be smaller and more aggressive than brown bears. The best viewing option is in Denali National Park but keep in mind they live in a vast wilderness.

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 just 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 a visit to 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 sustenance for days on end. These bear viewing tours will truly give you the thrill of a lifetime!

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

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Choose from 19 tours related to

Chinitna Bay Bear Viewing Save to Favorites

Duration: Day Tour
Starting at: $921 / per person

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... Read more.

Kodiak Brown Bear Center Save to Favorites

Duration: 6 Days
Starting at: $6129 / per person

The Kodiak Brown Bear Center is located in the heart of the 1.9 million acre Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge on Karluk Lake. The Kodiak Refuge is on one of the most productive... Read more.

Katmai Wilderness Lodge Save to Favorites

Duration: 6 Days
Starting at: $4979 / per person

Located on the Katmai Coast and in Katmai National Park, this lodge offers one of the most unique bear viewing experiences in Alaska. Imagine being able to safely stay at a... Read more.

Redoubt Bay Lodge Save to Favorites

Duration: 2 Days
Starting at: $1635 / per person

Redoubt Bay Lodge is a rustic nature lodge located 50 miles southwest of Anchorage at the entrance to Lake Clark Pass on the shores of Cook Inlet. This classic Alaska adventure lodge... Read more.

Alaska Homestead Lodge Save to Favorites

Duration: 3 Days
Starting at: $1899 / per person

Alaska Homestead Lodge is nestled at the foot of Mt. Iliamna in Lake Clark National Park and near Silver Salmon Creek, a place of unsurpassed beauty. The lodge is reached via airplane... Read more.

Zachar Bay Lodge Save to Favorites

Duration: 4 Days
Starting at: $3079 / per person

Zachar Bay is located in the heart of Kodiak Island National Wildlife Refuge. Zachar Bay is the perfect nature lodge for a great Alaskan wilderness vacation. You can choose daily... Read more.

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