Bear Viewing Week at the Copper

Please download Java(tm). We select a couple weeks every year to be our Bear Viewing Weeks, usually in late July. This is the prime time of year to view bears in their natural environment, and not on a crowded viewing platform. Let our skilled guides take you up some of the beautiful and small rivers that flow into Lake Iliamna. These rivers are blessed with some of the largest sockeye salmon runs in Alaska. As a result the grizzly bears (actually Alaskan Brown Bear) flock to these small streams for the easy prey.

You will hike up the beautiful Copper River, which is filled with shallow rifles that the salmon have to risk their lives to swim through. Often times the bears will be waiting for one of the unlucky salmon to venture too close. There are very few ecosystems in the world as rich as the streams of Iliamna. The Copper River gets a sockeye salmon run of over 100,000 salmon in only 20 miles of river. This is over 5000 salmon per mile on a river that is sometimes less than 20 ft wide! With a good spotting scope and binoculars you can watch these bears for hours. We also use jet boats to access more remote aspects of this river, and to get a little closer to the wildlife.

If there happens to be a fisherman in the group we can certainly catch a few trout or salmon while you wait for the bears to come out.

We also have a 20 ft lake boat that can take you into Lake Iliamna to view even more remote creeks with bears and other wildlife. Hiking, Kayaking, float plane sight seeing, and other non fishing opportunities are also other possibilities. It is a great family trip.

Please call, or email us about the availability for this fantastic week. We can also do partial weeks, to fit your schedule a little better.