THINGS TO DO
ANAN BEAR & WILDLIFE OBSERVATORY
WHEN
30 MILES SOUTH
On the mainland, off the island
GETTING THERE
Boat or floatplane. There is no road.
SEASON
JULY - AUGUST
COST
Required in peak season. Limited Daily. Book well ahead.
ONE OF THE FEW PLACES WHERE BLACK BEARS AND BROWN BEARS SHARE THE SAME STREAM.
Anan Creek runs a heavy pink salmon return every summer. The bears come for it, and so do eagles, seals and a lot of other things that eat salmon.
It's 30 miles south of town with no road to it. You get there by boat or floatplane, or you don't get there.
The bears generally manage to share the creek — or at least put up with one another when the fishing is good.
WHAT IT’S LIKE
A boardwalk trail leads from the shore to a covered viewing platform above the creek. From there you're looking down at bears fishing, usually close enough that you won't need much lens.
A photo blind sits below the platform, reached by a short set of stairs, with a limited number of slots each day.
Forest Service staff are on site through the season. Follow their instructions — they know which bears are where.
BOOKING IT
Most visitors go with a local guide, and that's the simplest way — the operator handles the boat or plane, the permit and the timing.
Permits are issued by the Wrangell Ranger District and are limited per day during peak season. They go early.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Permits are required in peak season and are limited daily — reserve well in advance.
It's a full-day trip. Build the whole day around it.
Bring rain gear and boots. The trail is a boardwalk through rainforest and it is usually wet.
Binoculars or a zoom lens. Do not move closer for a photo.
Follow all Forest Service and guide instructions on site.
Pack out everything, including food waste.
The weather decides whether you go. Build a spare day into the trip.
NEAR BY ATTRACTIONS
WILDLIFE
STIKINE RIVER
ALASKA BEAFEST
PLAN AROUND IT.
Pick a season, then figure out how to get here and where to stay.