Chichagof Island Tour: Brown Bear Search
Hoonah, Alaska
Rating: 
Trip Type: Nature & Wildlife
Duration: 3 hours
Embark on a small-group, 3-hour tour of Chichagof Island. The community of Hoonah, with a year round population of approximately 750, is located in the northern part of Chichagof Island. The vast majority of the island is pure, uninhabited, Alaskan wilderness teeming with wildlife! Chichagof Island has the highest population of bears per square mile of any place on Earth.
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Embark on a small-group, 3-hour tour of Chichagof Island. The community of Hoonah, with a year round population of approximately 750, is located in the northern part of Chichagof Island. The vast majority of the island is pure, uninhabited, Alaskan wilderness teeming with wildlife! Chichagof Island has the highest population of bears per square mile of any place on Earth.Your tour begins when you are picked up just outside the gates of Icy Strait Point. Chichagof Island, or Shee Kaax, is an island in the Alexander Archipelago of the Alaska Panhandle. At 75 miles long and 50 miles wide, it has a land area of 2,048.61 square miles - making it the fifth largest island in the United States. Chichagof Island has the highest population of bears per square mile of any place on Earth.
The community of Hoonah, with a year round population of approximately 750, is located in the northern part of Chichagof Island. The vast majority of the island is pure, uninhabited, Alaskan wilderness teeming with wildlife! The Ursus arctos, or Brown Bear, is the king of the forest but Sitka black-tail deer, bald eagle, mink, marten, beaver, duck and sea birds thrive on the island and are frequently spotted on this tour. One of the last grizzly strongholds, the dense rain forests of Chichagof Island in southeast Alaska hide more of brown bear per square mile than any other place on Earth.
This tour is offered May through September because those months afford the highest probability of seeing bears. In late April and May bears are coming out of hibernation. In June, the bears are mating and eating grasses on the tidal flats. Older males fight other males for dominance and mating rights with the females, who at times, are not receptive and force the male to give chase. Not too far off from human behavior is it? In July, the Salmon start their migration from the ocean up the rivers and you'll find the bears feeding in coastal rivers and streams. In August and September, the salmon have made it further up the rivers to shallow streams where the bears chase them.
Depending on the month and the weather, the wildlife can be found in different locations throughout the island. Your guide spends a lot of time in the forest and knows where to look.
Please Note: While there is a high probability of seeing bears, we cannot guarantee sighting. We can guarantee a journey into wilderness and a chance to experience the sheer beauty and ruggedness of the Tongass National Forest! This tour is limited to 12. We will allow up to 14 if the group is all together. Otherwise, we like to leave extra room for comfort.
This tour is operated in the Tongass National Forest under special use permit from the Forest Service, USDA.
The community of Hoonah, with a year round population of approximately 750, is located in the northern part of Chichagof Island. The vast majority of the island is pure, uninhabited, Alaskan wilderness teeming with wildlife! The Ursus arctos, or Brown Bear, is the king of the forest but Sitka black-tail deer, bald eagle, mink, marten, beaver, duck and sea birds thrive on the island and are frequently spotted on this tour. One of the last grizzly strongholds, the dense rain forests of Chichagof Island in southeast Alaska hide more of brown bear per square mile than any other place on Earth.
This tour is offered May through September because those months afford the highest probability of seeing bears. In late April and May bears are coming out of hibernation. In June, the bears are mating and eating grasses on the tidal flats. Older males fight other males for dominance and mating rights with the females, who at times, are not receptive and force the male to give chase. Not too far off from human behavior is it? In July, the Salmon start their migration from the ocean up the rivers and you'll find the bears feeding in coastal rivers and streams. In August and September, the salmon have made it further up the rivers to shallow streams where the bears chase them.
Depending on the month and the weather, the wildlife can be found in different locations throughout the island. Your guide spends a lot of time in the forest and knows where to look.
Please Note: While there is a high probability of seeing bears, we cannot guarantee sighting. We can guarantee a journey into wilderness and a chance to experience the sheer beauty and ruggedness of the Tongass National Forest! This tour is limited to 12. We will allow up to 14 if the group is all together. Otherwise, we like to leave extra room for comfort.
This tour is operated in the Tongass National Forest under special use permit from the Forest Service, USDA.
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