Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area
Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area
The native TlingĂt people call Admiralty Island "Kootznoowoo," or "Fortress of the Bears." The island is home to an estimated 1,500 brown bears -- more than all the Lower 48 states combined.
At the Pack Creek Brown Bear Viewing Area, you can enter the bears' world and watch these magnificent creatures in their natural setting.
A 30-minute floatplane ride from Juneau, Pack Creek is popular with locals and visitors alike.
As you plan your trip it is important to keep in mind the following information:
- The Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area is a Wilderness Area. This means there are no facilities on site, including no bathrooms, no shelter from the elements (except at the Observation Tower) and no cell phone service.
- Access to and traveling around the bear viewing area requires getting your feet wet, so make sure you have rubber boots.
- Bring rain gear and extra layers, even if the weather seems to be nice. The weather can turn cold and rainy at any time of the year in southeast Alaska.
- Not often, but occasionally, flights to and from Pack Creek are cancelled due to high winds and poor visibility. Have a contingency plan and be prepared by bringing extra clothing, snacks, and any vital medications.
Lastly, no bears or people have been harmed at Pack Creek since the area has been actively managed. In order to maintain this record all visitors must strictly follow the rules outlined by the rangers. This will ensure a safe and stress free environment for the bears that make their home at Pack Creek.
To protect the bears and other wilderness resources at Pack Creek, a permit is required to visit Pack Creek between April 1 and September 30. Visitors are limited to 24 people per day.
Pack Creek is managed cooperatively by the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, whose staff are available to provide orientations and answer questions during your visit. Staff are present early May – September 10th.
You are invited to explore the links at right for more information on visiting Pack Creek. If you need more information than you can find at this site, call 907-586-8800 or reach out to the Admiralty National Monument.
Pack Creek is cooperatively managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.
Pack Creek Related Information
There is no road to Pack Creek. Access is by floatplane, motorboat, sailboat, kayak, or canoe ONLY. Most visitors arrive by floatplane from Juneau; the trip usually takes about 30 minutes each way. Follow the links below to learn more about the various transportation options.
Whichever method you choose, remember that the weather in Southeast Alaska is often poor and always unpredictable. Flights are sometimes cancelled due to high winds and poor visibility. Be prepared for this contingency by bringing extra clothing, snacks and any vital medications.
Air Charter vs. Guide
Air charter companies are like taxis -- they provide transportation only. They will not accompany you while you are at Pack Creek, and you must purchase your own permit from the U.S. Forest Service.
Guide companies will provide you with a Pack Creek permit, arrange for transportation, and accompany you at all times while you are at Pack Creek. Only the six commercial guiding companies listed here are authorized to visit Pack Creek. Note that Alaska Coastal Outfitters and Bluewater Adventures do not offer trips to Pack Creek during the peak season.
IMPORTANT NOTE: For the protection of Pack Creek's bears and the safety of all visitors, the Pack Creek mud flats are closed to boat traffic at all tides. These flats flood at approximately +12' tide. Please refer to this boater information map.
Information for Boaters
Pack Creek (approx.):
57.8991°N, 134.2807°W.
- Upper Seymour Canal contains several uncharted rocks, reefs and shoals. Navigation north or east of Windfall Island is not recommended.
- The best route to Pack Creek is the channel between Staunch Point and Late Point (Windfall Island). Windfall Harbor offers the nearest sheltered anchorage.
- In the summer, orange buoys at Pack Creek indicate submerged outhaul lines. To avoid these lines, please stay outside the orange buoys. Rangers may contact you on VHF Ch. 16, and will help moor your boat or dinghy to the outhauls.
- If you observe a bear on the beach, please do not approach it.
Information for Pilots
- Please refer to FAA Advisory Circular AC 91-36D (pdf) for information regarding flights over national monuments and Wilderness areas. The FAA and the U.S. Forest Service request that pilots maintain a minimum altitude of 1,000 feet AGL within a two-mile radius of Pack Creek. Please consult this map of recommended flight paths before departing.
- The landing of helicopters in National Forest Wilderness is prohibited by 36 CFR 261.16(c).
- Your cooperation is appreciated. Adhering to these guidelines will help ensure the continued safety of Pack Creek's visitors and staff.
Information for Paddlers
- For those seeking an unrivaled opportunity for solitude, the best way to Pack Creek is by kayak or canoe. A rail-mounted pushcart at Oliver Inlet lets you move personal gear and small watercraft between Seymour Canal and Stephens Passage. This route is more than 80 miles shorter from Juneau than the water-only route around the southern tip of Admiralty Island's Glass Peninsula.
- Primitive camping is available near Pack Creek on Windfall Island and in Windfall Harbor. Keep in mind that fresh water is not available on Windfall Island.
- Allow at least six days for a roundtrip. Several companies in Juneau offer transportation to and from Oliver Inlet, further shortening the trip.
- Be sure to check the tide! Arriving at either end of the tram during low tide can mean a long walk across hundreds of acres of mud flats.
- The State of Alaska maintains a cabin at the southern terminus of the tram. Contact the Division of Parks at (907) 269-8400 for information on reserving this cabin (88 kb pdf).
- Kayaks are available for rent within the Pack Creek Zoological Area with advanced notice from Above & Beyond Alaska. Please call (907) 364-2333 or call (907) 364-2333 email info@beyondak.com or Web: www.beyondak.com
- For more information on paddling to Pack Creek, contact Admiralty Island National Monument at (907) 586-8800.
Pack Creek is about 40 miles south of Juneau, Alaska, in the northeast corner of Admiralty Island.
The native Tlingits knew Admiralty Island as "Kootznoowoo", meaning "Fortress of the Bears." Today more than 1,500 brown bears inhabit the island, more than are found in all the Lower 48 states combined.
Pack Creek has been a popular bear viewing destination since at least the 1930s. Today the area is cooperatively managed by the USDA Forest Service and the Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game.
WHAT TO EXPECT
When you arrive at Pack Creek you will disembark the plane or boat into 8-16 inches of water on the beach. Please be aware that access to the bear viewing area requires stepping in water. There is no dock; rubber-boots or other waterproof options are necessary for keeping your feet dry when exiting planes and boats. Outhaul lines are available to moor kayaks and tenders from June 1 - September 10. A Forest Service or Alaska Department of Fish and Game ranger will be on site to greet you in the arrival area from early May - September 10. Please contact Admiralty National Monument at (907) 586-8800 if you are planning a visit to Pack Creek in April or late September for more information as conditions during these seasons can be challenging.
You can choose to walk the beach to the viewing spit overlooking Pack Creek or hike one mile to the observation tower and spend time enjoying the wilderness. The viewing spit not only overlooks the salmon rich stream but also gives unobstructed views of tidal flats and sedges meadows. The observation tower, nestled in an old growth forest overlooks Pack Creek providing an aerial view of the activities in the stream.
The Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area is within a Wilderness Area. This means there are no facilities on site: no restroom, no shelter from the elements, and no cell phone service. If you are planning a full day at Pack Creek, it is recommended to bring a lunch. Food items are not allowed past the entrance area and must be consumed or stored in the provided bear proof lockers prior to departing the entrance area.
Always bring rain gear and extra layers, even if the weather seems to be nice. The weather can turn cold and rainy at any time of the year in southeast Alaska. Average maximum temperature in July in Juneau is 64° F.
Much of the viewing area of Pack Creek is within a tidal estuary. For a couple of hours on a few days each summer, high tides above 16.5 feet can negatively impact bear viewing and the ability of visitors to travel within the area. Be sure and check the local tide book to ensure your trip will not be affected by high tides.
The Bears
The Tongass National Forest is home to both black bears (ursus americanus) and brown bears (ursos arctos). However, Admiralty Island is inhabited exclusively by brown bears.
Brown bears (akin to "grizzlies" in the interior) are easily distinguished by a large hump of muscle over their shoulders, as well as a dish-shaped face.
Color is not a reliable way to determine species, as bears come in countless shades of brown, blonde, black and even cinnamon.
A typical bear's year begins in the spring when it emerges from hibernation. Adult males are the first to leave their den, sometimes as early as March. Females with cubs spend the most time hibernating, with some not leaving until May.
A History of Bear Viewing
Bear viewing at Pack Creek dates back to at least the 1930s, when the area became popular with visitors from Juneau. In 1934 the Territorial Game Commission prohibited bear hunting within 20 square miles around Pack Creek. One year later, the Civilian Conservation Corps built a trail and a small tree stand overlooking Pack Creek (this stand was replaced with the current tower in 1990).
The Alaska Board of Game expanded the hunting closure in 1984 to include Swan Cove, Swan Island and Windfall Harbor -- a total of about 95 square miles.
This is one of the few areas of Admiralty that is closed to bear hunting; more than 95% of the island remains open.
The 60,800-acre Stan Price State Wildlife Sanctuary was created in 1990, and includes the Pack Creek drainage and the mud flats at the mouth of Pack Creek.
The Nature of Pack Creek
From its headwaters 4000 feet above sea level, Pack Creek descends rapidly to the ocean salt water in upper Seymour Canal. Sediments are deposited at its mouth, creating a 400-acre estuary. These mudflats are an important source of food for many animals, including bears, which feed on clams, shellfish and other creatures throughout the summer.
Bears gather here when the pink and chum salmon return to spawn in their natal stream. Like all things wild, it is not possible to know exactly when the salmon runs begin in Pack Creek as it is part of an intricate and dynamic system. In the last several years bears begin catching fish between the second and last week of July.
The Pack Creek ecosystem is home to more than just brown bears. The wilderness world of Pack Creek contains endless opportunities for inspiration and discovery. Admiralty Island contains the highest concentration of bald eagle nests in the world. Other birds, mammals and marine life thrive in this rich ecosystem of old growth rain forest and coastal marine environments.