Overview

This distinctive heli-bear tour whisks you from the charming coastal town of Homer to Chinitna Bay on the southern border of Lake Clark National Park, an area renowned for its concentration of brown bears. Much of your short flight is spent crossing Cook Inlet. On a clear day you'll see Augustine, Iliamna, and Reboubt. These three active volcanoes form an impressive line bordering the inlet and vast western Alaskan. Nearing the mouth of Chinitna Bay, you'll descend along steep green coastline and then to a miles-long beach for a gentle landing at Bear Mountain Lodge.

An area renowned for its concentration of brown bears.

From here you'll meet your bear guide and climb aboard a customized four-wheel-drive bus for a short drive to prime viewing areas. Keep your eyes peeled, bear viewing in Chinitna Bay is unique in how many ways there may be to observe bears in the wild. Your first glimpse may be of a lone bear padding across the beach at low tide, pausing often to dig for clams. Or it may be a tawny-brown sow with spring cubs grazing in a meadow of sedge grass.

Your guide is a wealth of bear behavior knowledge, so along with photo opportunities and plenty of time to simply marvel, you'll also end the day knowing a great deal more about the fascinating Alaskan brown bear. Your tour concludes with a return helicopter flight to Homer.

More Details

The Homer Helicopter Chinitna Bay Bear Viewing Flight lasts four hours with about 50 minutes of flight time and about three hours on the ground at Chinitna Bay. Lunch is included in the excursion. For the safety of guests and the bears, visitors must closely follow the direction of their guides. The chance of seeing bears on this tour is high but not guaranteed. Earlier in the summer season bears feed on sedge grass and clams, and then move farther up the bay as the salmon run starts in August.

What to Bring

Much of the excursion is spent outside, so dress in warm layers and take rain gear. Bring a camera, binoculars, and bug spray. Since Chinitna Bay is very remote, bring essential medications as well.

Special Instructions

This is an active excursion that requires walking short distances on uneven terrain to bear viewing areas. To calculate accurate weight and balance for the aircraft, each passenger must provide their weight when making a reservation.

Transfers & Meeting Points

The tour departs from tour operator office on the Homer Spit. Complimentary transportation is available from the Homer Aspen Suites Hotel.

Rates & Dates

Here are the rates and operating dates for this product. Remember, we have a lowest price guarantee for nearly everything we sell.

Child rates apply to children under the age of 12. Infants under the age of 2 may travel for free but must sit on an adult's lap.

Departure Times

Departure times and locations are listed below. Click on a link for an interactive map.

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Availability

Select a departure below to see current availability. If your desired date is sold out (red) we will do our best to find an alternative, but we may not be able to accommodate your request.