Alaskan Bear Encounter by Land & Sea
Description
The Neets Bay Bear Observatory is closed to the general public and accessible only by permit. As the exclusive permit holder, our guests enjoy a rare opportunity to visit one of Southeast Alaska's premier bear viewing locations—an experience available to very few visitors each year. Observe wild black bears in their natural habitat from a safe viewing platform as they forage along salmon streams and the shoreline. Located in the remote wilderness of Neets Bay, this unforgettable wildlife experience offers exceptional opportunities for bear viewing, photography, and witnessing Alaska's incredible natural beauty up close.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You will enjoy a fully narrated coach tour from downtown Ketchikan (or Ward Cove dependent upon your ship) to Clover Pass Lodge, the oldest operating fishing lodge in the state of Alaska.
Upon arrival you will board our comfortable boat, fully enclosed and meet your Captain and crew. You'll be whisked away into the wilderness for a one hour exploration of the wild and wonderful Tongass National Forest, all from the comfort of your boat.
Our destination is Neets Bay Bear Observatory. We will arrive at the mouth of a salmon spawning stream and then enjoy a walk through the incredible forest, fully guided. You'll then arrive at the observatory where we will stay on the lookout for bears feeding in the stream. While we do see bears 99% of the time, WILDLIFE IS NEVER Guaranteed. You'll spend 30 minutes quietly observing these magnificent creatures before we make our way back to the boat.
Fully narrated boat tour return to Clover Pass Lodge
Fully narrated coach return to downtown Ketchikan
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children under 5 are not recommended for this tour
Reviews(100)
Don’t think twice, book them! Captain Adam, Jane, and Joy were informative and friendly! We saw 4 bears, an eagle, and other animals. I can’t imagine any other tour being this great and the emphasis on love of community was truly felt. Highest recommendation!
opportunity to see several black bears catching salmon not far from our observation stand. There is a small waterfall where you can see the salmon jumping
Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re so glad you had the opportunity to see several black bears catching salmon up close from the observation stand. And watching salmon make their way up the waterfall is truly a special Alaska sight! 🐻🐟 We appreciate you joining us and hope you take home some wonderful memories of your wildlife adventure in Ketchikan!
As it turned out, we had two bears show up. One bear was there for a long time and was amazing. If this bear had not turned up, excursion would be a bust. Given that salmon were running in August, I expected more bears and would be very Leary about booking it again. Also when we walked back from the bear area, we waited 10-15 minutes for the boat to arrive. You would think with communication options we could have stayed in the bear area longer if they communicated with each other.
Thank you for sharing your feedback, and we're so glad you had the opportunity to watch one of the bears for an extended period — those moments are exactly what make visiting Neets Bay so special. One of the realities of viewing completely wild bears in their natural habitat is that their activity is unpredictable, even during the height of the salmon run. The salmon bring the bears to the area, but there is never a guarantee as to how many bears will appear, when they will arrive, or how long they will stay. Seeing two bears, including one that remained for an extended period, was a wonderful wildlife encounter. We do apologize for the wait for the vessel. Our boats operate on a coordinated schedule, but occasionally they can be delayed along the way. Wildlife in the area, fishing vessels and other marine traffic can require our captains to slow down, which can affect arrival times by a few minutes. Thank you again for joining us, and we're very happy that you had the opportunity to enjoy such a memorable bear viewing experience.
This was a great experience. We were able to see 3 bears on our excursion! The guides were great and told us many facts and stories about the bears, salmon, and Ketchikan history. I would recommend this tour.
Thank you so much for the fantastic review and recommendation! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great experience and were lucky enough to see three bears on your excursion! 🐻 It’s wonderful to know that our guides made the adventure even more enjoyable with their stories and knowledge about the bears, salmon, and Ketchikan’s history. We truly appreciate you joining us and hope to see you again on your next Alaska adventure!
This was just one of the best experiences we have had. We saw a mountain goat and a bald eagle on the way to our destination. After arriving and walking about 20 minutes we saw an amazing black bear fishing for salmon. When leaving we saw another bald eagle in the nest by the trail.
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience! We’re thrilled to hear that your adventure was one of the best experiences you’ve had. Seeing a mountain goat, bald eagles, and an incredible black bear fishing for salmon sounds like an unforgettable Alaska day! 🐻🦅🐐 We’re so glad you enjoyed the journey and all the amazing wildlife along the way. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to have the pleasure of adventuring with you again!
Phenomenal experience!!! This is THE tour to do in Ketchikan. Seeing bears lunge and catch salmon is an absolutely iconic Alaska thing to do. The guides were terrific. My only warning is for folks with motion sickness who maybe want a break from boats. The boat ride out to see any bears is 45-60 minutes, and it’s small and rocks a bit. My dad who gets terrible motion sickness did well due to some prescription meds he got especially for this cruise.
Thank you so much for the phenomenal review! We’re thrilled to hear that you had such a memorable experience and got to witness the incredible sight of bears catching salmon—truly one of Alaska’s iconic experiences! 🐻🐟 We’re also so glad to hear that our guides made your adventure special and that your dad was able to enjoy the experience. We really appreciate you sharing the helpful note about the boat ride as well. Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to see you again on your next Ketchikan adventure!
Absolutely amazing experience! 🐻❤️ The bear excursion in Ketchikan was one of the highlights of my trip. We had the chance to see the bears in their natural environment, surrounded by the beautiful Alaskan scenery. Everything was very well organized, and the whole experience was unforgettable. A special mention to our guide, Henry! Even though he is only 18 years old, he was incredibly knowledgeable, confident, friendly, and professional. He made the excursion so much more enjoyable and was always happy to answer our questions. You could really see how passionate he is about Alaska and wildlife. I highly recommend this excursion to anyone visiting Ketchikan. A truly memorable experience with an amazing guide! 🐻🏔️✨
Thank you so much for your incredible review! 🐻❤️ We’re thrilled to hear that our bear excursion was one of the highlights of your trip and that you enjoyed seeing these magnificent animals in their natural environment. We’re especially grateful for your kind words about Henry! We’ll be sure to share your wonderful feedback with him. His passion for Alaska and wildlife truly shines through, and we’re so happy to hear that his knowledge, enthusiasm, and friendly personality made your experience even more special. Thank you for choosing to adventure with us and for recommending our excursion. We hope to welcome you back to Ketchikan for another unforgettable Alaskan experience! 🏔️🐻✨
Excellent tour! Loved the ride to the hatchery with the Captain, Nate. He was kind enough to stop on the way and let us watch whales. He also took us by some sea lions on the way back. The hatchery is the perfect spot to watch bears and was the highlight of the cruise. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your fantastic review and recommendation! We’re thrilled to hear you had an excellent tour and enjoyed your time with Captain Nate. What a wonderful bonus to see whales and sea lions along the way! We’re especially glad the hatchery and bear viewing were the highlight of your cruise. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Nate. Thank you for choosing to adventure with us, and we hope to welcome you back again soon!
This is the best tour and a must do for Alaska trip. The helicopter ride was fantastic. The pilot was funny and took us into the glaciers and ice fields. He knew the history and facts about the glaciers and Juneau. Our guides, Ann and Sara were the best. Very informative, very interesting, knew all about the area, glaciers and ice hiking. The office staff and drivers were very helpful, funny and entertaining. The staff were very accommodating when we had to book another helicopter to fit the whole party together. I would recommend 12/10. Thanks for making our trip the best! It was our favorite part.
A key highlight achieved for us viewing Bears at Neets Bay, the experience was everything I had read and understood it to be from tour operator and research sites. Great opportunity sering the bears in thier own habitat doing what they do instinctively and naturally. Excellent.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We’re thrilled to hear that your visit to Neets Bay lived up to your expectations and provided the incredible bear-viewing experience you had hoped for. There’s something truly special about seeing these magnificent animals in their natural environment, behaving just as nature intended. We’re so glad you had the opportunity to witness that firsthand and that the experience was a highlight of your time in Alaska. Thank you for choosing to adventure with us and for your kind words. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable Alaska experience! 🐻🌲💙
