Family-owned
Coastal Bears of Katmai
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Join us for an exclusive and immersive experience in one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the world. The wild coast of Katmai National Park is teeming with life, especially high densities of brown bears. On this trip you will be able to observe bears in their natural habitat without any interference or any other people for miles together with your own expert private guides. You will be able to integrate yourself into the landscape and watch the daily routines of the huge brown bears as they go about their tasks of fishing, eating, napping, playing, and grazing. The backdrop is the rugged North Pacific coast on one side and dramatic glaciated peaks, braided rivers, and wildlife on the other side.
Location: Katmai National Park, Alaska
Type: Basecamp, remote camping - 4 nights, 5 days
Time: June - August
What to expect
This is one of our absolute favorite places in all of Alaska despite the weather being challenging at times! We access this remote area with a private chartered bush plane and will land on the beach at low tide. You will enjoy this remote area from the comfort of a base camp that we set up on the dunes among sedges and other vegetation and abundant wild flowers. The base camp will have a large community cook-and-eat tent that will allow you to eat in comfort, sheltered from weather, and share stories from exploring throughout the day before retreating to your personal tent. The entire camp site will be enclosed by an electric bear fence for peace of mind.
From camp you will be able to glass the beach with your binoculars, and watch bears come down during low tide to scout, graze, and dig. Beach combing is excellent – maybe you will find some fishing glass floats. During daytime we will explore the wild coast line, headlands, river drainages, and hike up to the foot of a glacier. You will be in the land of bears and can expect to see bears interacting with each other and the wilderness they call home. Apart from bears, Katmai hosts a diverse population of wildlife including wolves, eagles, lynx, wolverine, red fox, and caribou. Along the coast are sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals, orcas, and porpoise. Your expert guides are always there to offer a hot cup of coffee, teach you how to co-exist safely with bears, and interpret what is all around you. This trip is an intimate experience in one of the wildest places on Earth – opportunities are limitless to explore the wide open and expansive landscape within Katmai’s wilderness.
About Katmai National Park
Katmai National Park and Preserve is world renowned for its awe-inspiring wilderness and large brown bear population. The Katmai Wilderness contains fascinating scientific, geologic, cultural, and biological features. Katmai has 15 active volcanoes that pierce the sky, forming a dramatic piece of the Circum-Pacific “Ring of Fire” that rises nearly 7,000 feet from the Pacific Ocean. Approximately 2,200 brown bears call this pristine wilderness home, outnumbering the human inhabitants on the Alaska Peninsula. Katmai stands as one of the last bastions of undisturbed habitat for these magnificent creatures. By respecting the bears’ natural habitat and giving them space, we contribute to keeping this area and its bears wild. Katmai’s food-rich areas, such as the Pacific coast, host some of the highest densities of bears ever documented. Beyond its bear population, Katmai National Park and Preserve boasts a rich history spanning 9,000 years and serves as a vital habitat for salmon. These fish, in turn, sustain the thousands of brown bears that rely on them for sustenance. The park’s volcanic landscape remains active, providing a dramatic backdrop to this thriving ecosystem.
Itinerary
Day 1:
Meet your guide(s) in Anchorage, Alaska for a pre-trip meeting at a local restaurant where we will go through what to expect and answer any questions. Lodging on your own.
Day 2:
We will depart from Anchorage in a small bush plane and fly across the peninsula, and eventually land on the beach at low tide. We will set up our camp, cook tent, and personal tents, and enjoy the fresh air and solitude. In the evening we will take a walk and look for bears along the beach and sand dunes. Think bears and then more bears!
Day 3 – 5:
After a filling breakfast we will explore the surroundings from our base camp. Each day will bring new sights and experiences; we will share the sandy beaches with bears at low tide, hike along the steep cliffs on the rocky point, and watch bears do all things that bears do; fish salmon streams, eat, nap, play, and eat some more. This volcanic coast offers a lifetime of exploration. Beach combing and tundra hiking is followed by scouting the ocean for sea birds and whales. You can explore at your own pace with the option for longer, more ambitious day hikes.
Day 6:
We will conclude the trip with one last morning admiring the wildlife of Katmai before we pack up our camp. Weather allowing, our pilot will arrive at low tide and fly us back to Anchorage.
Included in price:
- Private flight charter past Anchorage
- Private guide(s)
- All food while at camp
- Group cooking stove
- Group eating tent
- Eating utensils
- Water filter
- Hiking poles
- Wildlife viewing
- Professional photographs
- Safety gear including electric bear fence and bear spray
Not included in price
Lodging
Food and drinks outside of camping
Personal gear and camping gear (backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothing, tent )
Gratitude for guides
Contact us if you are missing any camping gear and we might be able to help.
Price:
3 people minimum, 6 people maximum
$6500 per person
Contact us for custom group sizes, itineraries or combination trips. We can design an itinerary that meets your adventure needs!
