Expedition Black Bear

Observe Wildlife On A Ketchikan Bear Viewing Tour

Your Six-Pack licensed captain guides you on a saltwater safari through the Tongass Narrows, Clover Passage, and temperate rainforest to Traitor’s Cove or Neets Bay, navigating the vessel on a path of scenic sanctuaries, stunning bays, and inlets, and past a majestic lighthouse seeking marine and coastal wildlife viewing opportunities along the way.

Quite often we’re able to observe the captivating behavior of whales breaching and tail-slapping, revere bear trails and salmon streams, and marvel at bald eagles feasting on salmon leftovers from the bears foraging.

Your captain/guide is well equipped and very familiar with travel in bear country, as well as knowledgeable about local flora, fauna, and wildlife that inhabit the rainforest.

Traitor’s Cove

In mid-summer and early fall when the salmon arrive to spawn, Margaret Creek in Traitor’s Cove is host to a high concentration of black bears making it the perfect place for Ketchikan, Alaska bear tours.

Traitor’s Cove is 26 miles north of Ketchikan and approximately 60–70 minutes by boat. At Traitor’s Cove dock your adventure continues as you drive 1.25 miles by private van to the Margaret Creek trailhead. From here you continue on a short 250-yard walk along a rainforest trail to the bear viewing falls.

Neets Bay

At Neets Bay black bears line the shore catching as many protein-rich salmon as they can. Watching them fish and interact with each other in a natural setting is an amazing experience. Keep an eye out as you may also spot Sitka black-tailed deer, mink, marten, and seals that populate the area.

While wildlife is abundant, sightings are not guaranteed.