Your day begins with a trip briefing and safety orientation led by your experienced wilderness guide, followed by a captivating 30-minute floatplane flight to Chichagof Island. Touch down at the remote and lesser-known wilderness location of Waterfall Creek, a hidden gem that offers unparalleled brown bear viewing during the peak of the salmon run, from late July to August. The primary viewing location is just a short stroll along the rocky shoreline. Brown bears may make an appearance at any moment while you're ashore. Your knowledgeable guide will direct you to the best vantage points for optimal viewing and photography. After several hours of absorbing the beauty of brown bear viewing, embark on a hike back to your awaiting floatplane, ready to transport you back to Juneau. This is an authentic Alaskan wilderness adventure! While we cannot guarantee wildlife sightings, the abundant bear population in the Waterfall Creek area rarely disappoints.
In demand: 390 of the next 390 departures are already sold out.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 6.
Gear outfitting & orientation, transport to the float pond
Begin your wilderness adventure with a scenic 30-minute floatplane flight. Be sure to have your camera ready as you glide over amazing landscapes and look out for marine wildlife below before touching down at Waterfall Creek. This is a relatively unknown, remote wilderness location that provides unmatched brown bear viewing during the peak of the salmon run, late July-August. Brown bears may be seen at any time while ashore. The guide will direct to the best spots for viewing and photography. Groups will spend most time seated, quiet, and still to enhance the opportunities of seeing bears. While we do occasionally have close encounters, our goal is for the bears to ignore us and engage in their natural behaviors. After enjoying four hours of brown bear viewing, hike back to where your floatplane is waiting to whisk you back to Juneau. This is truly an Alaskan wilderness adventure!
Travelers cannot enter their own pickup location
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Waterfall Creek Brown Bear Viewing Juneau lasts about 6 hours. The itinerary has 2 stops.
Prices start at $1,111 per person for this Juneau experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, with 13 departures a day between 7:30 AM and 1:30 PM.
It can: 390 of the next 390 departures are already sold out, so booking ahead is a good idea.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Yes, pickup is offered. Travelers cannot enter their own pickup location
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 5 participants.
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 7 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Above and Beyond Alaska.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
I went to Waterfall Creek last month with ABAK and had an amazing time. Kelsey is a great guide! She handled the close encounter with confidence
Thank you for the wonderful review! We’re so glad you had an amazing time at Waterfall Creek and felt comfortable and confident throughout the experience. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to adventure with you again!
Four of us were scheduled to take the Pack Creek bear viewing float plane, but we got held up because of fog. Above and Beyond offered us to go to Watercreek Falls instead. We all jumped at the chance and it was worth every minute. We spent a few hours sitting on the creek side near the bears. Our guide, Mike, was very knowledgeable and we saw several bears pulling salmon from the creek every few minutes. It was a once in a lifetime experience!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled that the change of plans led to such a memorable bear viewing adventure. It’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed the close-up viewing and seeing the bears fishing for salmon. We truly appreciate you choosing Above & Beyond Alaska and are so glad the experience was a highlight of your trip!
Kelsey was our guide and she was fantastic. Knowledgeable, warm and caring. She brought great ground chairs and we were able to comfortably sit and watch which was a real plus. We saw quite a few bears and the site was not crowded - only one other small group was there. Highly recommend -- truly a once in a lifetime experience!!
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a memorable bear viewing experience and enjoyed the comfortable setup and uncrowded viewing area. It’s wonderful to know our guide helped make the experience so special. We truly appreciate the recommendation!
This was my third time with ABAK and second time at Waterfall. Excellent bear viewing every tour I’ve taken. The excursion is very well organized by the company and Kelsey is one of the best bear guides in Southeast Alaska. As a Juneau resident I wholeheartedly support folks visiting to take one of these tours.
Thank you so much for your continued support! We’re honored to have you join us for a third ABAK adventure and thrilled to hear you’ve had such great bear-viewing experiences. We truly appreciate your recommendation, especially coming from a Juneau resident. We hope to adventure with you again!
A truly wonderful experience!
Thank you for this positive review! We appreciate you making us part of your Alaska vacation.
Great experience. Unlike some other bear tours in AK, this one is quiet and serene, without loads of other tourists. We walked over to an area to observe the bears. It was 3 of us and a guide. The bears were a safe distance from us and it was lovely to watch them while on the ground with them. It felt safe and felt authentic. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed the peaceful and authentic experience of observing bears in their natural habitat. Our small-group approach allows guests to truly connect with the landscape and wildlife while maintaining a safe and respectful distance. We appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back to Alaska for another unforgettable adventure!
Waterfall creek bear viewing was truly once in a lifetime experience. The floatplane views were spectacular. Our guides kelci and Mike were super knowledgeable and kept us safe. They had us sit in a tight group about 60 or so yards from the waterfall. They brought us chairs to sit on the ground. We saw a mom and 2 cubs on the walk from the plane to the waterfall. That sight of them would have been enough but the bears were not done. Over the next 3 hours 3 bears walked right by us and our guides were calm and kept us safe. We were blessed with viewing 13 different bears feed on salmon and interact with each other. Then back to the plane. An extraordinary experience. All very professional and full of information. I highly recommend this company and the tour.
Thank you so much for your thorough review! It sounds like you had some stunning and rare views of the bears, and we're glad to hear you felt safe with our guides. We hope to welcome you back again soon!
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterfall Creek Brown Bear Viewing Juneau | 6 hours | 5.0 (7) | $1,111 | |
 Mendenhall Glacier Waterfall and Whale Watching Tour | 5h 30min | 4.8 (248) | $199 | View |
 Juneau Gold Creek Salmon Bake | 1h 30min | 4.2 (173) | $79 | View |
 Juneau Shore Fishing and Gold Creek Salmon Bake | 4h 30min | 5.0 (1) | $239 | View |
 Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching | 3h 30min | 5.0 (9,557) | $177 | View |
 Alaska Whale Watching Cruise: 3 Hours on the Water | 4h 5min | 5.0 (2,288) | $159 | View |
 Mendenhall Glacier Lake Canoe Tour | 4 hours | 5.0 (1,639) | $251 | View |