The Wildlife and Scenery Adventure Package caters to those a little less interested in fishing and more interested in the abundance of wildlife and magnificence of Alaska. However, for those that would like to do at least a little fishing can choose to do so on several of these trips. We can also customize this trip for you to focus primarily on wildlife and scenery but add a day or two of dedicated fishing if that’s what you would prefer.
The Wildlife and Scenery Adventure Package caters those a little less interested in fishing and more interested in the abundance of wildlife and magnificence of Alaska. However, for those that would like to do at least a little fishing can choose to do so on several of these trips. We can also customize this trip for you to focus primarily on wildlife and scenery but add a day or two of dedicated fishing if that’s what you would prefer. We are happy to make substitutions and customize these trips to suit your needs.
Wildlife and Scenery Adventure Packages are typically done between 3-7 days but we can accommodate fewer or more days as well. The trips below are our recommended prioritized trips for this adventure package. Keep in mind that due to scheduling complexities, regulations, and more the order in which the trips may be done could change.
Our bear viewing trips originate out of both Soldotna and Homer. Homer is the departure point for Katmai National Park and Preserve viewing at Brooks Falls and our other trips to Crescent Lake, Big River Lakes, Kustatan, and more originate in Soldotna. Brooks Falls is bear viewing only while fishing is optional on all other trips.
Without a doubt these trips are one of our guest’s favorite trips of all time. Trip duration will be around 6 hours in length with departure times at various times throughout the day. Generally we can do morning, mid morning, noon, and early afternoon. Many of our days begin with early fishing so this trip is a chance to get a few more hours sleep before the short 15 minute drive to the float plane base. Being able to see the geography of the Kenai Peninsula, Lake Clark National Park, and views that extend hundreds of miles in each direction is breath taking. Departing Soldotna we’ll head across Cook Inlet and head straight at the active volcano Mt. Redoubt with Mt. Iliamna just to the south.
Beautiful Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is one of the nations newest national parks and about a 35-40 minute from from the float plane base. Being such a remote wilderness area, accessible only by plane, where unspoiled wilderness Alaska is just a 40 minute flight from our location. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is one of America's newest national parks and one of the least visited leaving its wilderness pristine and largely untouched. It also supports an incredibly healthy sport fishery for lake trout, dolly varden, sockeye salmon, and silver salmon. The sockeye salmon rune averages 80,000 fish in July alone and the silver salmon run is non-stop from mid-August through September. We provide all the gear you need and a three fish limit usually lets you return with a lot more than just memories.
Once we depart from the float plane base, we'll fly west-bound directly over the glaciers and land at one of our several lakes and rivers that include Crescent lake, Big River Lake, Kustatan River, Wolverine Creek, and even Brooks Falls range on some of our longer bear viewing trips. Once we've landed we'll transfer to a river boat where you guide will show you around the area. It's not uncommon to see as many as 20-30 bears with cubs just learning to fish the rivers and streams for salmon. Like the bears, we'll fish the same waters for sockeye and silver salmon depending upon the time of year. As mentioned before, the limit is 3 sockeye salmon and 3 silver salmon per person per day and limits usually come pretty easy on these trips making it a spectacular day for pictures with the bears and pictures with your catch.
Once it's time to depart we'll load back into the float plane taking off from the mountain lake and usually flying within just a few feet of the nearby glaciers for a spectacular view. The flight back will take about 35 minutes.
Brooks Falls Bear Viewing is an iconic and well-known bear viewing platform. Those pictures of Alaska bears you see catching jumping salmon out of the water making their way up the cascading waterfall was likely taken at Brooks Falls. We could literally sit there all day and watch these bears compete for space, teach their cubs to fish, and catch salmon.
The float plane departs Homer and lands in Katmai National Park. After a brief bear orientation from a park ranger regarding habitat, bear behavior, and salmon migration, it's a 1 mile casual stroll to the falls.
Trip time is approximately 6-7 hours total. Flight time is about 75 minutes across scenic glaciers, mountains and volcanos, and beautiful Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet. There is a minimum age of 7 years old on these trips.
50% deposit; minimum of 30 day cancellation policy; outside of 30 days is a 5% cancellation fee; inside of 30 days; the deposit becomes the cancellation fee.
We offer 3 different scenic float trips down the upper Kenai River:
The 2 hour float trip departs twice a day and travels between Cooper Landing and the famous Russian River Ferry. The 3 hour float trip continues past Sportman’s Landing and pulls out just above the Kenai River Canyon and Jim’s Landing. Finally our full day, 6 hour float, continues past Jim’s landing and goes through the Kenai Wildlife Refuge before crossing the upper 7 miles of Skilak Lake. These trips are suitable for all ages.
While it is impossible to call ahead and ask the wildlife to put on a show for us, moose, brown bear, black Bear, lynx, beaver, otters and more call this home. Starting from the headwaters of Kenai Lake, and flowing 20 miles, the upper Kenai River is also home to bald eagles, cormorant, harlequin ducks,
After our fishing trips and bear viewing The Kenai National Fjords Marine Tour is our next most popular adventure and break from the fishing action. The world-class wildlife and glacier cruises depart from the beautiful town of Seward. These tours range anywhere from 4 to 8.5 hours and explore the glacier carved fjords and abundant wildlife of Resurrection Bay which is also known as the Gateway To The Kenai Fjords.
Full-day cruises explore the abundant wildlife and tidewater glaciers of Kenai Fjords National Park. Ranging between 6 and 8.5 hours, these cruises are ideal for those who are interested in seeing tidewater glaciers and want the best opportunities for wildlife viewing and whale watching. The most popular cruise is the 6 Hour Cruise. If you’re a glacier enthusiast, we recommend the 7.5 Hour Cruise that spends amble time at two tidewater glaciers. If you’re a more adventurous traveler, our 8.5 Hour Northwestern Fjord Cruise is the cruise for you. This small-vessel adventure cruise takes you to remote areas of Kenai Fjords National Park and is ideal for photographers, birders, and wildlife enthusiasts. While 8.5 hours may seem like a long time, it really isn't – the time will absolutely fly by.
You know those moments in your life where you see something so amazing you rush to get your camera out, snap the picture, only to be disappointed that the photo didn’t even come close to recreating the moment in that photograph? Well that’s what you should think about when you see pictures of Exit Glacier. Photos of Exit Glacier don’t even come close to capturing the magnificence of the glacier.
Exit Glacier is one of the most visited glaciers in the world. It descends about 3,000 feet in just a few miles and for those willing to hike to the top of the trail you can literally witness the Harding Ice Field as far you can. Exit Glacier is the only portion of Kenai Fjords National Park that’s accessible by road.
Exit Glacier hiking can easily be done self-guided and there is a hike for just about every level of fitness. Just a short 15 minute drive from the beautiful town of Seward. There is a well marked trail at the parking area and you can choose how far up the trail you'd like to go. From paved shorter loop trails to whole day adventures, you won’t be disappointed as any hike in this spot will drop your jaw on the floor.
The Harding Icefield Trail is the most popular hiking trail. This is an 8.4 mile round trip (4.2 miles to the top), all day hike where you ascend up past the Exit Glacier onto the Harding Icefield. The large expanse of this majestic landscape stretches as far as the eye can see. Hiking the 8.4 mile round trip is definitely a work out but is easily accomplished in 1 day. It's not necessary to do the full 8.4 mile to the top as Marmot Meadows at mile 1.4 and Top Of The Cliffs at mile 2.3 are great vistas in themselves. You definitely want to prepare for both hot and cold as you may want to be in shorts and T-shirts at the bottom but by the time you even reach the midpoint you'll be wanting long sleeves, pants, gloves and hats.
If you'd like to get up close and personal with the glacier we strongly recommend a guided hike. The glacier is constantly changing and being with an experienced guide is crucial. The trip begins with a 90 minute hike through a long incline before going down a 45º rock garden as we reach the surface of the glacier. Moose, bears, marmots, and other wildlife are often seen.
Once on the ice you'll change into crampons, harnesses, and a helmut. Waterfalls, giant crevasses, deep holes (moulins), and other extraordinary features are everywhere. Blue canyons filled with crystal clear water meander across the surface of the ice and frequently cross our path as we explore. Ever heard the sound of a glacier? Well you should, and you will!
The Kasilof River is one of the most underrated rivers and fisheries in Alaska. It’s located just 12 miles south of the Kenai River and this river would be a lot more famous if it weren’t sitting so close to the mighty Kenai River. The Kasilof River is one of the best-kept secrets in Alaska. While this river is smaller than the Kenai, the Kasilof River is a powerful water body that carries a strong current and The Kasilof River is fed by the 8th largest lake in Alaska – Tustamena lake, 26 miles long, 6 miles wide, and 1000 feet deep.
On the Kasilof River we leave the zooming, wake creating power boats behind as this is a drift boat only river. With no motors, no wakes, we fish and foat all 18 miles of this river – pretty much daily all summer long. While it may not receive the attention of the nearby Kenai River, Kasilof River fishing or scenery float (or both!) is something that needs to be considered on every Alaska fishing vacation. Alaska department of fish and game keep track of Kasilof River fish counts as well so there is very good historical data on the sockeye salmon that spawn up this river. Additional just upstream of the Kasilof River Bridge is the Crooked Creek Hatchery which boasts a beautiful King Salmon augmentation to the natural King Salmon that call this river home.
The Kasilof River is a river on the western Kenai Peninsula in southern Alaska located just 12 miles south of the Kenai River and the town of Soldotna. The name is an anglicization of Reka Kasilova, the name given to the river by early Russian settlers in the area. It’s often considered the little brother of the Kenai River. While it may not receive the attention of the nearby Kenai River, Kasilof River fishing is something that needs to be considered on every Alaska fishing vacation. Alaska department of fish and game keep track of Kasilof River fish counts as well so there is very good historical data on the sockeye salmon that spawn up this river.
Kachemak Bay is Alaska’s first state park and contains roughly 400,000 acres of mountains, glaciers, forests and ocean. The bay’s twisted rock formations are evidence of the movement of the earth’s crust. Highlighted by constantly changing weather patterns, the park’s outstanding scenery is a backdrop for high quality recreation. Park visitors will find opportunities for fishing, boating, kayaking, hiking, camping and mountain sports. It’s also home to the world famous Homer Spit where visitors can enjoy the visibility of several glaciers, fishing opportunities from the shore or Nick Dudiak Lagoon, and local shopping and food.
Kachemak Bay is a critical habitat area, supporting many species of marine life. Visitors frequently observe sea otters, seals, porpoise and whales. Intertidal zones offer natural settings for marine studies. Land mammals include moose, black bear, mountain goats, coyotes and wolves. The many species of birds that inhabit the bay, including eagles, gyrfalcons and puffins, make it a popular area for bird watching.
Enjoy 3 ½ hours of amazing wildlife, intense beauty, fascinating information, and a great time for all. Come and explore the beauty of majestic Kachemak Bay, one of the richest, most diverse marine areas in Alaska.
You'll visit Gull Island, a renowned seabird rookery that is home to 20,000 nesting birds. Seven species of birds raise their young on this craggy set of rocks that jut out of the sea, and these birds have to contend with an ever-present population of hungry, predatory bald eagles. You'll also see several old homesteader cabins, sites of archaeological importance, amazing rock structures and magnificent fjords. On a clear day, three of our magnificent volcanoes in “The Pacific Ring of Fire” dominate the far horizon. Wildlife along the way is usually very abundant and includes sea otters, humpback whales, seals, porpoises, sea lions, and always hope to spot minke and orca (killer) whales. It's really amazing on those days when Orcas make an appearance or breaching whales decide to start showing off.
Come and explore the beauty of majestic Kachemak Bay, one of the richest, most diverse marine areas in Alaska. We will visit a vibrant seabird rookery, skirt the shoreline of Kachemak Bay State Park, take you through pristine glacial waters beneath the Kenai Mountain range past beautiful islands, glide over kelp forests in search of sea otters. You will have plenty of time to explore the Seldovia before our departure for Homer. We expect to find abundant wildlife on the way, including many species of birds, humpback whales, seals, porpoises and sea lions. We also always hope to spot minke and orca (killer) whales.
Past guests will attest that Kachemak Bay State Park is an absolute breathtaking trip but also the trip is really good value. This tour has a little bit of something for everyone. Seldovia is a picturesque town accessible only by plane or by boat and only has 270 year-round residents. Prior to the Alaska highway system and the development of Homer, Sedlovia was a thriving hub – today you can still visit it's rich history and many Alaska residents treat this as a weekend getaway during the many festivals and celebrations held here every summer. Have lunch in one of the excellent restaurants, or bring a pack lunch to enjoy in one of the many picnic spots overlooking the beautiful harbor or on the beach on the Otterbahn Trail. Get it? Otterbahn Trail?
We chart a straight course back across the bay to Homer, and as we venture further offshore, this is often when we have our most outstanding humpback whale encounters. We aim to be back in the harbor between 5.30 and 6pm, depending again on the abundance of wildlife viewing opportunities along the way, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the evening in our wonderful, vibrant home town of Homer.
There are some phenomenal hiking opportunities in Kachemak Bay State Park. You can choose from things like a 2-3 hour round trip hikes to overnight opportunities. Some of the hiking opportunities include:
Several of these are only a couple of hours round trip of easy hiking but most will require a water taxi. This makes it a great opportunity to see Kachemak Bay and it's widlife from the water during transit, enjoy a hike to a beautiful glacier, and still arrive back in Homer in time for dinner and exploring the Homer Spit. Remember, the days go on forever in the summer in Alaska as the sun barely sets for a large part of the summer.
Sixmile creek is one of the greatest whitewater runs in North America. In addition to amazing whitewater, Sixmile creek is a pristine natural waterway. Four of the five species of pacific salmon call Sixmile home. Bears, moose, eagles and other wildlife rear their young and live their lives in the Sixmile drainage. Carving its way through the Chugach national forest, Sixmile creek is an amazing trip even without the whitewater, but don’t forget to bring your “A game” because this is a true whitewater adventure!
One thing to keep in mind is that this adventure is big water.
This isn't one of those trips where a few rollers splash you a little bit. This is paddle hard, high-side, helmuts on, and there is a swim test because this is one of those trips where getting really wet is a real possibility.
6 mile creek is no creek, don't let the name fool you. Six Mile Creek is, perhaps, Alaska's most accessible technical whitewater run, well suited to kayak or paddle raft, mostly Class IV and one class V canyon. Each of the three canyons is beautiful and challenging surrounde by green rainforest walls. A truly world class section of whitewater that happens to be half-day accessible and gives a one-of-a-kind Alaskan adventure in just a few hours. This creek cuts right through the gorgeous Chugach National Forest and then pours into the pacific ocean at turnagain arm just south of Anchorage. Due to it's location we will often schedule this trip on either your arrival day or departure day – especially if you have one of the common late night departure times. It makes for a great ending to your Alaska vacation as you head for the airport.
Both 2 canyon and 3 canyon raft tours include a mandatory (yet fun) in-river swim test before the start of the tour. This also is to help demystify the experience of being in the moving water and currents, to practice self-rescue, and check everyone’s swimming abilities prior to the trip launch. Sixmile Creek is one of the highest quality and highest adrenaline experiences you can have.
There are two different Sixmile Creek rafting options: Both start and end at the same check-in and pick up location.
The first option is the two to three hour, 2-canyon, whitewater run with predominantly class IV rapids and has a 12 year age minimum. The second option includes continuing through the the third canyon which has a 16 year age minimum. It is possible to drop off youth at the end of the 2nd canyon before continuing on. The 3rd canyon is generally considered 100% Class V rapids.
Kenai Riverside Resort offers customized fishing & adventure packages and a unique glamping experience on one of the most majestic rivers in the world.
