Xootsnoowú – Fortress of the Bears

Pack Creek Bear Tours

Pack Creek bear viewing has been world-renowned since the area was protected from hunting in the 1930s. Pack Creek lies within the Kootznoowoo Wilderness of Admiralty Island National Monument — one of Alaska’s most remarkable brown bear habitats.

Brown bear cub and adult female feeding in sedge at Pack Creek, Admiralty Island — close-up view from a Juneau bear tour in May.
Brown bear foraging in sedge at Pack Creek on Admiralty Island — natural behavior seen on Pack Creek bear tours.
Brown bear chasing salmon at Pack Creek, Admiralty Island — classic late-season behavior on Pack Creek bear viewing trips.
Brown bear at the shoreline beside a floatplane at Pack Creek, Admiralty Island — a rare close encounter on Juneau’s Pack Creek bear tours.

Trip Availability:
May to June 20
August 26-Sep 15

Limited: July 20-August 25
5.5 – 6.5 hours Door to Door

Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

$999 plus tax per guest

Xootsnoowú – Fortress of the Bears

Pack Creek Bear Viewing — Admiralty Island (Kootznoowoo Wilderness)

May – June 20 | August 26 – Mid September | Limited Trips July 15- August 25

An Alaskan Wilderness Classic — Experience Admiralty Island’s world-famous brown bears on a Pack Creek Bear Viewing Tour.

The Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area sits within the Kootznoowoo Wilderness of the Admiralty Island National Monument, a crown jewel of the Tongass National Forest. Centered around the mouth of Pack Creek, this protected site offers exceptional viewing as bears forage on tidal flats in spring and fish for salmon through late summer and early fall.

Admiralty Island—known as Xootsnoowú, “Fortress of the Bears,” in Lingít (Tlingit)—is home to more than 1,500 coastal brown bears, roughly one per square mile, the highest density ever documented. Pack Creek itself supports more than twenty resident bears that regularly use the viewing area, many of whom are habituated to predictable, respectful human presence. Additional bears move through the estuary throughout the season, creating remarkably consistent opportunities to observe natural feeding and social behavior. Thanks to this long-managed and protected site, Pack Creek offers the only reliable early-summer brown bear viewing near Juneau.

Pack Creek has been famous since the 1930s, when hunting was closed and the area became a sanctuary for brown bears. Today, visitors can experience this historic location on a wilderness day trip from Juneau.

Pack Creek Inclusions:

Pack Creek requires a limited-availability USFS permit, and trips often fill early. Access is via a scenic 25-minute floatplane flight over Admiralty Island.

All permits, flights, lunch, and guiding are included, and all trips are carbon-negative through our partnership with the Alaska Carbon Reduction Fund.

Pack Creek Bear Viewing Season:

We offer trips to Pack Creek most days from May to June 20th, and again from August 26th to September 16th.

We also offer a limited number of trips from July 20-August 25, please email us directly for viewing during these limited dates.

Pack Creek bear viewing is available as Custom Private Trips, with optional flightseeing over the Juneau Icefield.

$999 per person

We welcome individual bookings, but we require a minimum of two guests to run a trip. The lowest minimum group size in Juneau.

If you do not see the time or date needed for your group, please send us an email!


Trip Info: Pack Creek Bear Tours

Your Trip Includes:

-An Expert Guide
-Two 25 Minute Seaplane Flights
-2.5 to 4 Hours of Bear Viewing
-All Pack Creek Permits
-Rubber Boots and Rain Gear
-Binoculars and Spotting Scope
-Healthy Lunch From a Local Cafe
-A 125% Carbon Negative Trip!

Does Not Include:

-Gratuity For Your Guide

Please read the full trip info below!
See our FAQ here.

Our trips are operated under a special use permit with the US Forest Service.

We are proud to offer trips to the Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area in the Tongass National Forest and Kootznoowoo Wilderness. We are also grateful to live and work in Lingít Aaní.

What Our Guests Say About Pack Creek

“Peter with Wild Coast Excursions did an amazing job. We were in contact with him before we arrived in Alaska, and he personally led our tour. We chose the Pack Creek adventure because we went in September, and even though it was at the end of the season, we had a great experience and were watching bears the whole time we were there. We watched two mama bears and their cubs fish for and catch salmon. Highly recommend! This was our big splurge for the trip, and a favorite experience for all of us.”

★★★★★ — Cindy H.

“Viewing the Grizzly bears on Admiralty Island has been on my bucket list… You will not be disappointed, Our family will never forget the day we had on Admiralty Island. It has changed us forever.”

★★★★★ — Katie E.

What Our Guests See At Pack Creek

Pack Creek Bear Tour Information (The Fine Print)

Space is extremely limited!

Meeting Locations:

All guests arriving by cruise ship or staying downtown will meet at the “Peratrovich Plaza” near the downtown Juneau Public Library. This is in the middle of the Port of Juneau, just a few minutes walk North of the Mt. Robert’s Tramway and the drop off for the AJ Dock Shuttle. Please contact us if you arrive at the AJ Dock within 30 minutes of the trip departure, or if you are staying at a hotel outside of downtown Juneau.

Guest who are driving themselves should meet at Ward Air’s office for outfitting. Guests staying outside the central downtown area should please contact us to arrange their pick up.

Please Bring:

  • Warm clothing in layers. Bear viewing is a mostly sedentary activity, and Coastal Alaska is a cool wet environment.
  • Your own rain gear and waders/rubber boots if you have them (not required).
  • A camera with a good zoom and an extra battery (not required).
  • Any medications that you need daily.

Booking Policies:

  • To secure bookings and acquire your permits, we need a payment in full at the time of booking. We recommend booking early as our trip availability is extremely limited.
  • We will gladly work with you to reschedule if needed. The more notice you can give us the better!
  • If you need to cancel your trip entirely, this is our cancellation policy:
    • For cancellations 60+ days before your trip: a full refund minus a $100 per person non-refundable permit fee
    • For cancellations 59-30 days before: a 50% refund of the cost of your trip
    • Cancellations less than 30 days before your trip are non-refundable
  • If we cancel your trip for any reason (including minimum group numbers or unsafe weather), guests will receive a full refund minus a $100 per person non-refundable permit fee.

Essential Trip Info:

  • Bear sightings at Pack Creek are highly likely, but never guaranteed — this is real Wilderness Alaska.
  • Our 5–6 hour trip duration may run slightly longer depending on weather and floatplane scheduling. We always work with guests to accommodate timing needs, and additional time in the field typically enhances the experience.
  • Trip times are influenced by Juneau’s daily port schedule. Morning departures often allow for a longer Pack Creek bear viewing experience than afternoon trips. If your group requires a modified schedule, please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate.
  • Pack Creek is a true wilderness setting within the Kootznoowoo Wilderness, with no facilities or shelter at the viewing areas. We follow all Leave-No-Trace Principles and pack out everything we bring in.
  • Our trips operate in all safe weather conditions, and guests must dress for variable coastal weather. Bear viewing at Pack Creek is often better on cool, overcast days than on warm sunny ones.

Guest Requirements:

  • The minimum age for our group trips is 12 years old. The minimum age for a private trip is 8.
  • Our small aircraft have a per passenger weight limit of 250lbs (113kg) per seat. There is a $300 per person charge for guests over this limit.
  • Guests must be able to walk 2 miles over uneven and sometimes slippery ground to reach the viewing areas. Guests who need special accommodation should consider a private trip.
  • We keep strict control over all food and scented items. Please limit the scented items you bring, and please let us know about all of them.
  • Each guest is limited to one backpack each. You must be able to easily carry everything you bring with you.
  • All guests must agree to follow the guide’s directions at all times.
  • Guests must disclose all pertinent medical history and bring any required medications.
  • All guests must sign a liability waiver before departing.
  • Due to weather and variations in flight schedules caused by weather delays, it is strongly recommended that you do not schedule other tours on the same day as our bear viewing trips.

Wild Coast Excursions reserves the right to cancel any trip due to unsafe weather, inadequate trip sign ups (2 guests), inappropriate guest health or fitness, or any other safety issues. In the event we have to cancel your trip, we will make every attempt to reschedule it. If we cannot reschedule your trip, we will issue you a full refund minus a $100 per person non-refundable permit fee.

Contact Us

What Will You Discover?

We’d love to hear from you! Drop a us question or booking request and we’ll do our best to get back to you within one business day.

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