Where are the Grizzly's ??? (Budget Queen Requested)

[GrandCanyon2005]

The highlight of our trip will be Bear viewing. We were anticipating going to Anan when we port in Ketchikan, but we really want to see Grizzly's and it seems Anan is primarily Black. That in mind, we're going to Homer/Kodiak before our cruise (and staying there two days) to ensure we see bears ... in case Ketchikan gets rained out (which I hear it usually does in late July). I've looked at everything Tripadvisor has as well as travel books, but there is no consensus out of Homer/Kodiak. Does anyone (BudgetQueen; hint hint) have experience with lodging and Bear Viewing in that region?

[KAYEF]

Go to the thread, "Live From Alaska July 6 - 20".it's on page two right now. They started with three days in Homer and he has fantastic photos and discusses where they stayed. They then went to Seward and boarded yesterday.;)

[mapleleaves]

Not sure where you looked in tripadvisor but there are numerous Trip Reports that include bear viewing; day trips out of Homer, overnight trips from homer to Silver Salmon Creek Lodge and Homestead Lodge at Lake Clark, as well as Brooks Falls. Look in the Alaska forum and under the Top Questions you'll see a link to the trip reports for this year and last yr. They follow a format so just look at the ones that include homer, maybe Soldotna too since bear viewing flights originate there as well . Also under Top Questions you'll find an article about bear viewing.

Did you look at the Alaska Fish and Game site?

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewing.bearviewingsites

[vbmom87]

"fti" on Trip Advisor is quite knowledgable about Bear Trips in AK. You can private message him if you can't find one of his bear posts to respond to.

[trophy_23]

We just got back from the 14day alaska trip (Amsterdam) and did a bear viewing flight with Seahawk Air out of Kodiak, it was the highlight of our trip!!! We saw a ton of bears and other wild life. They are a first class operation. We also met others on the trip who had gone to Redoubt from Anchorage and to Brooks Falls out of Homer and they were successful also. Hope this helps a bit.

[frugaltravel]

Sorry that you only want Budget Queen to respond to you :(

 

We just got back from the 14day alaska trip (Amsterdam) and did a bear viewing flight with Seahawk Air out of Kodiak, it was the highlight of our trip!!! We saw a ton of bears and other wild life. They are a first class operation.

 

Where did you go with SeaHawk? Fraser Lake? When did you go? Sunday July 8th?

[greatam]

The highlight of our trip will be Bear viewing. We were anticipating going to Anan when we port in Ketchikan, but we really want to see Grizzly's and it seems Anan is primarily Black. That in mind, we're going to Homer/Kodiak before our cruise (and staying there two days) to ensure we see bears ... in case Ketchikan gets rained out (which I hear it usually does in late July). I've looked at everything Tripadvisor has as well as travel books, but there is no consensus out of Homer/Kodiak. Does anyone (BudgetQueen; hint hint) have experience with lodging and Bear Viewing in that region?

 

A couple things:

 

Are you going to Homer or Kodiak? Or both?? Or are you confusing Kodiak with KATMAI??? To get to Kodiak, you have to take the ferry or a flight. And DO NOT count on finding bears on a day viewing trip MOST of the summer IN Kodiak unless you are staying at bear camp for a few days. Kodiak bears are VERY hard to find and most of the outfitters in Kodiak fly to the KATMAI during a good portion of the summer for bear viewing trips. And once caribou/deer hunting season starts (usually about Aug 1), the Kodiak bears are even harder to find.

 

If you are going to Homer, my first recommendation is to contact Hallo Bay. http://www.hallobay.com/ They have a B & B in Homer and they have a camp in the Katmai with overnight accommodations. They LIVE there during the summer, so it is a much different experience than the Homer/Kodiak based operators who only fly. The guides at Hallo Bay KNOW where the bears are. The daily fly in operators have to FIND the bears unless it is during the salmon run (when the bears are VERY predictable).

 

What do you REALLY want to do? Stay in the "land of the bears" for a couple of days or just do a day trip? There are MANY, MANY options.

[Alaskanb]

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=brownbear.main

We saw Alaskan Coastal Brown Bears that are the same species as the "grizzly" on our cruising in Glacier Bay. "Grizzlies" are in the more northern and interior areas of the state.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=mcneilriver.travel

This lists companies that serve the McNeil River refuge.

[trophy_23]

Sorry that you only want Budget Queen to respond to you :(

 

 

 

Where did you go with SeaHawk? Fraser Lake? When did you go? Sunday July 8th?

 

Yes we went with Seahawk on the 8th. They were great, and while every other company went to Fraser Lake, they took us out to the Katmai Coast and it was fantastic!!! Some other people went to Fraser Lake with Kingfisher and they too had a good day with plenty of bears, but I think our tour was less structured and it was 1hr longer than theirs. It was really nice to be away from the crowd, and the flight over Kodiak Island and the strait to the coast was well worth the price of admission alone!:D