Alaska Bear Viewing

Want to increase your chances of seeing bears without resorting to the Alaska Zoo? Rust's Flying Service will whisk you off into the Alaskan wilderness for a day of world-class brown-bear viewing in their natural habitat. We love Rust's, which has been safely carrying people far away from the crowds since 1963 and provides two-way headsets and window seats for every passenger.

Take off by seaplane for an all-day bear viewing expedition past glaciers and volcanoes to the land of the giants, the brown-bear country of southwest Alaska . Your Seaplane Bear Safari will take you to Brooks River Falls in Katmai National Park , home of the world ' s largest salmon run—i.e. bear-viewing central. During your 200-mile safari, numerous bears can often be spotted from the air as well.

That's not your only option. You can also fly 70 miles southwest of Anchorage to the entrance of Lake Clark Wilderness Preserve, home of the Redoubt Bay Lodge and incredible bear viewing. An experienced natural history guide will take you by boat through bear country, where Wolverine Creek empties into Big River Lakes.

Look for bears as they fish for salmon, and don't forget to watch for other wildlife along the way. Guests receive a Redoubt Bay Field Guide that provides interesting facts about bears and a checklist of flora and fauna specific to this region.

Both sites are very popular, and both draw a fairly large crowd of people. It's not uncommon to be within 100 feet of a bear, or even closer.

So how do you choose between these two great locations?

• Timing: The peak season for Brooks River Falls is July, while you can enjoy good bear viewing anytime between mid-June and mid-August at Redoubt Bay Lodge
• Cost: For travelers on a budget, Redoubt Bay is more affordable
• Setting: At Brooks, you stand on a Park Service viewing platform, watching bears snatch salmon as they jump up the falls. It's not really guided — rangers escort you to and from the falls. At Redoubt, you're in a boat, but this location provides more consistent viewing. And here, guides are with you the whole time.
• Flight Time: It's only 50 minutes of flying time to Redoubt, and 2 hours plus for Katmai-both flights offer gorgeous scenery.
• Schedule: The Redoubt Bay Lodge trip is shorter (6 hours vs. 10), and offers two separate departure times as well
• Weather: Sometimes weather does shut down the trips. Katmai tends to be a little more finicky, due to the greater distance. But don't worry, weather won't affect the bears.