Alaska Bear Camp

Homer, Alaska

Arrive in Homer, a scenic fishing town of 5,500 on Kachemak Bay located near the bottom of the Kenai Peninsula. Known as 'the end of the road', Homer is the most southerly point on Alaska's contiguous highway system. Surrounded by 280 acres of protected state land, this critical wildlife habitat sustains more than 100 bird species and a large local moose population. Homer's key geographic feature is the Homer Spit, a 4.5-mile-long gravel bar that extends into the bay. Visitors to the town harbour frequently see fishing boats unloading their catch - Homer is heralded as the Halibut Capital of the World. This evening, gather with the Expedition Leader for a welcome dinner and orientation to the incredible bear adventures that lie ahead. 

Overnight accommodation: Land's End Resort 

Alaska Bear Camp - Bear Viewing

Leave Homer on a private flight across Cook Inlet to Alaska's Bear Camp. The view from our chartered bush plane is staggering as we pass snow-clad volcanoes and jagged glaciers pouring down from icefields on high. The terrain below, comprising Lake Clark National Park, where the Aleutian and Alaska ranges meet, is some of the world's most critical brown bear habitat. Look for bears in the meadows and along the shoreline as we come in for landing, taxiing down the beach. The exact timing of our arrival is dependent on the tides. Bear Camp is located on a historic homestead, a private inholding of coastal land surrounded by the roadless wilderness of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. These 4 million protected areas are the ancestral homelands of the Dena' Ina people, preserving an intact ecosystem at the headwaters of the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world. Accessible only by plane or boat, Bear Camp is ours alone for an unparalleled immersion in wild bear habitat. 

At Bear Camp, there is some of the best, most consistent viewing anywhere in Alaska, due to the season-long availability of food. In the spring, sedge grass awaits the bears as they emerge from their dens, protein-rich food that supports rapid growth. Bears also dig clams from the beach as they await their late summer feast: by late July or early August, the region's salmon runs help provide the fat that enables the bears to survive a long winter. Two viewing platforms, one elevated for a territorial view, enable us to see bears nearby and at a distance. And we often watch them right from camp, which is surrounded by electrified wires, ensuring our safety on site.

After an exhilarating day, gather this evening in the dining tent for dinner—fresh local fare is always on the menu, including abundant Alaskan seafood.

Overnight accommodation: Alaska Bear Camp 

Alaska Brown Bear Experience

Nothing comes close to the immersive experience, being among bears in their wild home. Against a backdrop of sheer-sided peaks rising above the green valley floor, the bears are sometimes near enough that we can hear them chewing their food and communicating with one another in woofs, purrs and growls. Alaska's mighty brown bears - the coastal version of the interior grizzly bear (which is the same species, (Ursus arctos) - are the largest land predators in North America. Adult males can weigh up to 1,500 pounds. 

While the bear activity we witness will vary according to the season, weather conditions and timing of the salmon runs, and we can never predict exactly what bear behavior we'll witness, there's always something riveting going on. Earlier in the season, we might see mating activity. Later on, we could catch a sighting of mothers with playful cubs. Once the salmon start running by mid- to late summer, we may see bears fishing in streams. And while bears are usually plentiful right in the vicinity of camp, we also go into adjacent Lake Clark National Park for added variety. At every turn, we explore the area in the careful company of our Expedition Leaders, seasoned bear naturalists who offer thorough coaching in respectful "bear etiquette" to ensure your safety. Our low-impact presence ensures that we never disturb the bears, and they in turn grant us comfortable access to watch them go about their daily routines.

Overnight accommodation: Alaska Bear Camp 

Bear viewing / Fly to Homer / Depart

Few travellers ever have such an encounter with solitude and wilderness on the scale that surrounds us here. The size of the landscape, the raw beauty, the profound silence - these things alone would make for a life-transforming experience. But the chance to watch Alaskan brown bears, these incomparable icons of the wild, on their turf, their terms...it's a wonder to have bears welcome us into their world. We have one last chance this morning to marvel at them, admiring their majesty and whimsy alike. And one thing is certain: no one leaves here unmoved by the bears' plight, intensely aware of the threats from mining, climate change and other potential impacts to the health of this vital ecosystem on which bears rely. 

All too soon, it's time to leave our Alaska Bear Camp behind. Boarding our small bush plane, we taxi down the beach and into the sky, bound again for Homer. We depart as ambassadors for the bears, our time among them leaving an incredible mark on us, inspiring us to do all we can to protect them.