Alaska Bear Camp Adventure

Our plan this morning is to fly from Homer via private chartered bush plane across Cook Inlet to Nat Hab’s Alaska Bear Camp. However, weather in this region is often fickle and unpredictable, so we are prepared to work with our pilots to determine the best window of opportunity and adapt our timing as needed. Once we’re in the air, the view is staggering as we pass snow-clad volcanoes and jagged glaciers winding down from icefields on high. Our destination, where the Aleutian and Alaska ranges meet, is Lake Clark National Park, some of the world’s most critical brown bear habitat. Look for bears along the shoreline as we come in for a landing, taxiing down the beach. Bear Camp is located on a historic homestead, a rare private inholding of coastal land surrounded by the roadless wilderness of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. These 4 million protected acres are the ancestral homelands of the Dena’ina people, preserving an intact ecosystem at the headwaters of the largest sockeye salmon fishery in the world. Accessible only by plane or boat, Bear Camp is ours alone for an unparalleled immersion in pristine brown bear habitat.

Once we reach Bear Camp, gather for an orientation and safety talk with coaching on bear etiquette. Then, it’s time to meet the bears! Here at Bear Camp, we have some of the best, most consistent viewing anywhere in Alaska, due to the season-long availability of food. In the spring, sedge grass awaits the bears as they emerge from their dens, protein-rich food that supports rapid growth. Bears also dig clams from the beach as they await their late summer feast: by late July or early August, the region’s salmon runs help provide the fat that enables the bears to survive a long winter. All season long, nature serves a steady bounty to these omnivores. And since the bears are sated by this abundance, they see us humans merely as part of the scenery, allowing us to move safely in their midst on guided outings, at times observing them from just a few yards away. Two viewing platforms, one elevated for a territorial view, enable us to see bears nearby and at a distance. And we often watch them right from camp, which is surrounded by electrified wires, ensuring our safety on site. After an exhilarating day, settle into your weatherproof tent cabin before we gather in the dining tent for dinner — you’ll be surprised at the outstanding meals our resident chef is able to prepare in such a remote location. Fresh local fare is on the menu, including Alaskan salmon and other offerings from the region’s seasonal abundance.

Prior to this rare opportunity, most travelers will have seen bears only in zoos or nature documentaries. Yet there’s nothing that comes close to this immersive experience, being among the bears in their wild home. Against a backdrop of sheer-sided peaks rising above the green valley floor, the bears are so near one can hear them chewing their food and communicating with each other in woofs, purrs and growls. Alaska’s mighty brown bears—the coastal version of the interior grizzly bear (which is the same species, Ursus arctos)—are the largest land predators in North America. Adult males can weigh up to 1,500 pounds!

While the bear activity witnessed will vary according to the season, weather conditions and timing of the salmon runs, there’s always something riveting to watch. Early-season bear viewing in this region is especially good, with mothers and cubs feeding, frolicking and playing. And while bears are usually plentiful right in the vicinity of camp, the group can also go into adjacent Lake Clark National Park for added variety. At every turn, explore the area in the careful company of the expedition leaders, seasoned bear naturalists who offer thorough coaching in respectful “bear etiquette” to ensure your safety. This low-impact presence ensures that the bears are never disturbed, and they in turn grant comfortable access to watch them go about their daily routines.

If the weather cooperates for our flying schedule, we’ll likely have one last chance this morning to marvel at the bears in Lake Clark National Park, admiring their majesty and whimsy alike. All too soon, it’s time to leave Alaska Bear Camp behind as we board our small bush plane and taxi down the beach, bound for Homer. Few travelers ever have such an encounter with solitude and wilderness on the scale that surrounds us here. The size of the landscape, the raw beauty, the profound silence—these things alone would make for a life-transforming experience. But the chance to watch Alaskan brown bears, these incomparable icons of the wild, on their turf, their terms…it’s a wonder to have bears welcome us into their world. And one thing is certain: no one leaves here unmoved by the bears’ plight, intensely aware of the threats from mining, climate change and other potential impacts to the health of this vital ecosystem on which the bears rely. We depart as ambassadors for the bears, our time among them leaving an indelible mark on us, inspiring us to do all we can to protect them.

Back in Homer, we’ll have lunch, and there may be time to wander around the Homer Spit before heading out on a private boat cruise to explore the abundant waters and striking scenery of Kachemak Bay. The bay is transformed daily by some of the largest tidal fluctuations in the world, and it’s home not only to coveted sport fish but other plentiful marine life, too. Sea otters, seals, porpoises, sea lions and whales are common sightings. A highlight of our cruise is the Gull Island seabird rookery, home to 10,000 nesting seabirds with a chance to view puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, murres and more. Later this evening, we celebrate our adventures at a farewell dinner.

The Bear Camp adventure comes to a close today as you transfer to the airport for homeward flights.