Alaska has three species of bears: black bears, brown bears and polar bears. For our Big River Lakes and Crescent Lake bear tours, visitors are most likely to see brown bears, though we have seen our fair share of black bears, too! Polar bears are the only species of bears you definitely won’t see on our fly-out bear viewing trips. You’ll have to go quite a ways up north for that!

There are so many bears in Alaska but if you don’t go on a fly-out bear viewing trip, you won’t have a very good chance of seeing one! In the summer on the Kenai Peninsula, very lucky visitors might spot a brown bear along the Kenai River catching salmon, or a black bear in the Kenai Mountains, but this is quite rare. Flying over to the West side of the Cook Inlet is a fantastic way to give yourself an excellent chance to spot brown bears. There are hundreds in the area and the fact that we fly to such a remote area gives you a great chance of seeing the bears undisturbed by human influence.

For your best chance to see brown bears, visit Alaska between June and September. Brown bears are drawn to the influx of returning salmon in summer and early autumn, and that’s when visitors have a great chance of seeing them around rivers and streams. Similarly, summer and autumn are prime times to see black bears.

Bear viewing in Alaska is not dangerous – our professional guides have years of experience and will keep you safe.  At River Rock Lodge, we have an extra layer of protection because all of our bear viewing tours are conducted by boat. Guests get a unique vantage point from the water, and it’s an extra layer of protection that our visitors love!

If you want to see bears in Alaska, you’ll give yourself the best chance by booking a fly-out trip to the West side of the Cook Inlet – it’s one of the most densely populated bear areas in the world!