Bear Viewing Flight to Prince of Wales Island

This exciting Ketchikan excursion brings you up close and personal with bears on massive Prince of Wales island, the third-largest island in the United States. The tour combines forest flightseeing with a wildlife encounter and is offered from August through mid-September.

Departing from the harbor in your quintessential Alaska bush plane, the legendary Dehavilland Beaver, you will fly westward out of Ketchikan toward Prince of Wales Island. The aircraft seats up to 6 passengers, with each passenger having a window seat. During the panoramic 20-minute flight, you will see the islands and waterways that make up this section of the Inside Passage. You will touch down on Polk Inlet, a long finger of saltwater where Dog Salmon Creek meets the sea. Four species of salmon come home to spawn in this creek, drawing the black bears you're hoping to observe.

You will be met at the dock by an experienced and knowledgeable guide and you will walk about an eighth of a mile to the viewing area. Your guide will provide a natural history course on the plants and animals found in this lush rainforest ecosystem, from berries to bears. During this scenic nature tour, watch for bald eagles and ravens and scan for the bears we sometimes see while in transit to and from Dog Salmon Creek.

At the creekside viewing platform maintained by the U.S. Forest Service, you will safely witness bears and salmon in nature's vital contest - salmon running a gauntlet of waterfalls and predators to spawn upstream, and bears feasting and fattening before their long winter hibernation. This is one of the most popular bear viewing sites on Prince of Wales, with good chances to spot a bear when the salmon run is high. Throughout the excursion, naturalist guides will answer your questions about the wildlife and flora of this rich temperate rainforest.

This exciting Ketchikan tour is offered through a permit with the U.S. Forest Service, and opportunities to visit Dog Salmon Creek are limited. Book your seat as soon as possible, as space on this tour is very limited and sells out quickly. Sign up today!