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Your experience will start with a narrated tour through Ketchikan, followed by a scenic coastal drive to the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary. Within a very short time, you’ll find yourself in bear country. The only drive to bear viewing areas in Southeast Alaska….
This tour offers the same duration for black bear viewing as our comprehensive Black Bear & Wildlife Exploration tour. However, it is streamlined to exclusively focus on black bear sightings, omitting the additional time allocated for exploring our mini-features on site.
This experience is curated strictly for seeing black bears in their natural habitat. When you arrive at the sanctuary, naturalist guides will join you, bringing the rich forest to life as you walk along an improved trail. You’ll be surrounded by magnificent stands of spruce, hemlock and cedar trees. And soon you’ll be watching for wild bears in search of spawning salmon and ample berries. These are safe, protected raised boardwalks, exclusively for bear tours only. You can expect to have an intimate viewing experience and to reduce environmental impacts, only a limited number of groups have access to this private bear viewing area.
Your guide will lead you along another boardwalk system perched over the grassy wetlands alongside Herring Creek. You’ll have the chance to observe a rich run of spawning salmon and the bears and seals that come to fish for them, along with bald eagles and other birds that wait for scraps in the tidal estuary nearby. Your transportation will be waiting to pick you up where the tour began.
Please Note: The half-mile long trail is over relatively flat terrain. The focus of your tour will be on viewing black bear in their natural habitat. Your guide may change the order of the tour or time spent in any one area to give you the best chance to see bears. Although the chances for seeing bear are excellent, wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed. The wildlife viewing time is approximately 60 minutes. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. No food or drink is allowed on the trail. You must follow your guide’s instructions at all times to ensure your safety.
This tour operates in all weather conditions.
2 hours
Minimum age is 8 years old
Comfortable walking shoes, layered clothing and waterproof jacket are recommended
Difficulty Level: Moderate
This experience includes walking for short distances over gently sloping terrain, possibly with a few steps or slight inclines. The path is a lightly graveled trail. Please expect to be on your feet (either standing or walking) for the entirety of your tour. Participants should be able to move into and out of buses or vans.
In the heart of the Tongass National Forest lies Kawanti Adventures’ very own Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary. The sanctuary is known for its forest trails and boardwalk system that leads to an open estuary complete with a creek running out to the famous Herring Cove. The sanctuary is a hot spot for all wildlife, but specifically bald eagles and black bear.
The Black Bear Express tour was AMAZING! Would highly recommend it! |
Sarah H.
- 2024
Black Bear Express - fabulous! I would have been heartbroken to go back to Australia without seeing a bear in the wild. This tour (and Sarah and Valentina) did not disappoint. Thank you! |
Julia
- 2024
Bear experience in the rain forest was amazing! |
Alan M.
- 2024
The guides did a great job. It was very, very rainy the whole day and the previous week. On the tour, they taught us how to spot a bear and help others see it quietly. We saw a male, female, and a cub. One walked up near us (5 ft) and relaxed into a nap under the bushes. Though it was pretty expensive, we’re happy with the experience. |
Stephanie K.
- 2024
Incredible afternoon with the black bears. Kawanti Adventures is the only way to go!!! |
Brett D.
- 2024
*Rate is only valid for tours purchased through the website
Kawanti Adventures and Taquan Air take you places you’ve only imagined. Live your dreams. Check us out and book your adventure today.