Alaska’s most unique bear viewing trip! This once-in-a-lifetime adventure is truly a multi-sensory experience for the adventurer looking to view, photograph and admire North America’s most magnificent big game animal. From our comfortable camp (one that we’ve made bear resistant by surrounding with an electric fence), we spend three full days watching the world famous bears of Katmai National Park in a true wilderness setting.
Our basecamp venue in Katmai National Park is arguably one of the most spectacular, remote and pristine areas in southwest Alaska to view these majestic creatures. The tundra hiking that surrounds our camp is second to none, and it’s not uncommon to see wolves, moose, and caribou during our stay. Furthermore, the fishing on the adjacent creeks for rainbow trout and salmon has been called world class! But most importantly, it’s about the coastal Alaska brown bears that visit this area each and every year to fatten up on spawning sockeye salmon from Bristol Bay and the world’s richest salmon fishery.
This 5 day expedition also includes a night at a lodge in Lake Clark National Park on the final evening of the trip. See two of Alaska’s greatest national parks on one trip! Join us for an Alaska bear-viewing trip of a lifetime.
Itinerary
This morning you’ll start the day with an orientation and gear check at our shop in Anchorage. We'll then make the transfer to Merrill Field where you'll await the flight from Anchorage to Port Alsworth. From Merrill Field, located in the heart of Anchorage, you’ll fly west through the glacially carved splendor of Lake Clark Pass, one of the most spectacular bush flights in Alaska, arriving 1.5 hours later in the small community of Port Alsworth. With your guide team, you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch on the shores of Lake Clark, discuss the adventure, and then load into float planes bound for Katmai National Park. We’ll establish our camp near the lake and will already be looking for bruins in the surrounding landscape. With camp set up and our bodies nourished for the adventure ahead, we will head out in search of the amazing creatures that we came to witness – Alaska’s coastal brown bear.
We spend our days admiring the size and fishing ability of these immense and majestic creatures. The surrounding countryside allows for unobstructed view of the bears and the landscape. With copious amounts of daylight, we’ll head out on exploratory hikes, spend hours behind our cameras, or simply enjoy the silence and solitude of our remote camp in the wilderness of Alaska.
With the memories of this amazing journey fresh in our minds, the sound of the float plane will remind us of the civilized world we left behind. We will return to Port Alsworth and check into the cabins of the Lodge. After hot showers and a celebratory dinner in the lodge dining room, we’ll tally up our wildlife sightings, and allow the satisfaction of the experience soak in.
After breakfast at the lodge, we’ll pay a morning visit to the Lake Clark National Park visitor’s center where you’ll have a chance to purchase maps and postcards, enjoy interpretive displays and short films, and share your experience with park staff. We’ll spend the rest of the day hiking to Tanalian Falls along Lake Clark National Park’s only developed trail, before boarding an afternoon charter flight back to Anchorage. If you are departing Alaska on this day, please schedule all homebound flights for after 9 pm.
What's Included
- All group gear: Expedition quality tents, group tarp, all cooking equipment & eating utensils
- Toilet supplies including TP, trowel, and hand sanitizer
- Water treatment options
- Safety Equipment: Satellite phone, maps, GPS, and medical kit
- Large, backpack-style drybag for transporting and storing personal gear while on trip
- Trekking poles
- Scenic flight tour between Anchorage and Port Alsworth with the Lake Clark Resort
- All necessary float plane flight tours
- Lodging on the final night at the Lake Clark Resort or Wilder House B&B on Lake Clark
- Professional guide service at a maximum 4:1 client to guide ratio
- All meals from lunch on day one through lunch on the final day of the itinerary
- Storage for your extra travel items while in the field
Alaska Factor: The Real Deal
While Alaska Alpine Adventures endeavors to follow our itineraries as written, odds are in fact slim that you actually will during the camping portion of this trip. The expeditionary factors at play quite often compel our guides to deviate from the written itinerary. Guide considerations could include weather conditions, group preference, individual ability, specific safety considerations, or unforeseeable circumstances; collectively what many have called “The Alaska Factor.” Flight times into and out of the wilderness may also vary based on any number of similar factors. Therefore we strongly suggest that you approach any adventure in Alaska with an open mind.
Available Dates
July 23 - July 27, 2025
8 available spots
July 30 - August 3, 2025
6 available spots
August 6 - August 10, 2025
8 available spots
August 20 - August 24, 2025
4 available spots
August 27 - August 31, 2025
8 available spots
Trip Stats
- Price:
- $4,595 /person
- Duration:
- 5-days
- Length:
- 15 miles
- Intensity:
- Level 2
- Min Age:
- 8
- Begins In:
- Anchorage
- Ends In:
- Anchorage
- Airport:
- Anchorage International (ANC)
- Location:
- Katmai National Park, Lake Clark National Park
- Wildlife:
- Bears, Wolves, Salmon
- Great For:
- Explorers, Families, Couples, Individuals
- Activity:
- Hiking
Itinerary
This morning you’ll start the day with an orientation and gear check at our shop in Anchorage. We'll then make the transfer to Merrill Field where you'll await the flight from Anchorage to Port Alsworth. From Merrill Field, located in the heart of Anchorage, you’ll fly west through the glacially carved splendor of Lake Clark Pass, one of the most spectacular bush flights in Alaska, arriving 1.5 hours later in the small community of Port Alsworth. With your guide team, you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch on the shores of Lake Clark, discuss the adventure, and then load into float planes bound for Katmai National Park. We’ll establish our camp near the lake and will already be looking for bruins in the surrounding landscape. With camp set up and our bodies nourished for the adventure ahead, we will head out in search of the amazing creatures that we came to witness – Alaska’s coastal brown bear.
We spend our days admiring the size and fishing ability of these immense and majestic creatures. The surrounding countryside allows for unobstructed view of the bears and the landscape. With copious amounts of daylight, we’ll head out on exploratory hikes, spend hours behind our cameras, or simply enjoy the silence and solitude of our remote camp in the wilderness of Alaska.
With the memories of this amazing journey fresh in our minds, the sound of the float plane will remind us of the civilized world we left behind. We will return to Port Alsworth and check into the cabins of the Lodge. After hot showers and a celebratory dinner in the lodge dining room, we’ll tally up our wildlife sightings, and allow the satisfaction of the experience soak in.
After breakfast at the lodge, we’ll pay a morning visit to the Lake Clark National Park visitor’s center where you’ll have a chance to purchase maps and postcards, enjoy interpretive displays and short films, and share your experience with park staff. We’ll spend the rest of the day hiking to Tanalian Falls along Lake Clark National Park’s only developed trail, before boarding an afternoon charter flight back to Anchorage. If you are departing Alaska on this day, please schedule all homebound flights for after 9 pm.
What's Included
- All group gear: Expedition quality tents, group tarp, all cooking equipment & eating utensils
- Toilet supplies including TP, trowel, and hand sanitizer
- Water treatment options
- Safety Equipment: Satellite phone, maps, GPS, and medical kit
- Large, backpack-style drybag for transporting and storing personal gear while on trip
- Trekking poles
- Scenic flight tour between Anchorage and Port Alsworth with the Lake Clark Resort
- All necessary float plane flight tours
- Lodging on the final night at the Lake Clark Resort or Wilder House B&B on Lake Clark
- Professional guide service at a maximum 4:1 client to guide ratio
- All meals from lunch on day one through lunch on the final day of the itinerary
- Storage for your extra travel items while in the field
Alaska Factor: The Real Deal
While Alaska Alpine Adventures endeavors to follow our itineraries as written, odds are in fact slim that you actually will during the camping portion of this trip. The expeditionary factors at play quite often compel our guides to deviate from the written itinerary. Guide considerations could include weather conditions, group preference, individual ability, specific safety considerations, or unforeseeable circumstances; collectively what many have called “The Alaska Factor.” Flight times into and out of the wilderness may also vary based on any number of similar factors. Therefore we strongly suggest that you approach any adventure in Alaska with an open mind.
Location
Trip Reviews
Everything was great! Thanks you for an incredible experience. I will miss the bears, cubs, and the fox family that resided on the hill above our campsite!
Excellent. Surpassed my expectations of bear viewing and photography. Landscape and the general camping experience also was better than expected. Jenny, the guide, also displayed excellent judgment at all times and was remarkably able to accommodate and put at ease the various personality types in the group. All around excellent company.
The guides were wonderful, very knowledgeable of outdoor life, considerate of all members of the group, great cooks and so much fun to be with, just like family.
Looking for more reviews? View all trip testimonials.
Trip Photos
Trip FAQs
Have questions about this trip? We’ve got answers.
The 3.5 Million Acre Katmai National Park it’s contained within lies the end of the Alaska Peninsula at the crest of the Pacific Rim of fire. This remote park is over 200 air miles south-west of Anchorage.
Access to Katmai National Park is solely by small aircraft or, in some instances, by boat.
Absolutely, our Katmai trips are all inclusive from Anchorage. The trip includes roundtrip flights from Anchorage to Port Alsworth and floatplane flights into and out of the wilderness.
You’ll be flying with Lake Clark Resort, located at Merrill Field. We usually schedule our flight from Anchorage for mid-morning after an orientation and gear check.
Merrill Field is located just east of downtown Anchorage. “Bush” flying is an adventure in and of itself and variable weather conditions may cause delays. We will try to keep you informed of any changes or delays as they occur.
Absolutely. Katmai National Park is home to grizzly, coastal brown, and black bears, caribou, moose, wolves, and tremendous seasonal populations of migratory birds.
Yes, there is an additional fee of $275 if you request OR end up in your own room at the lodge on the final night.
For additional information, please reach out to us.
