Quick Details
Adult
Ages 18+
$ 999
Child
Ages 10 to 17
$ 999
Join us for the best kayak glacier tour!
How can we begin to describe Bear Glacier? Let’s start with the facts. As the largest glacier within the Harding Icefield of Kenai Fjords National Park, it stretches over 12 miles in length and 3 miles in width. This impressive glacier is located 14 miles south of Seward, and within Bear Glacier Lagoon, you’ll encounter massive icebergs ranging in size from a car to a shopping mall. Experiencing them in person is the only way to truly appreciate the untouched beauty of this remarkable location.
Kayaking in such an awe-inspiring environment offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Witnessing the piercing blue ice, hearing the thunderous cracks as ice calves around you, and pausing in moments of silence to appreciate the remote location are just glimpses of what words can convey about this place.
For all these reasons, we prioritize honoring this magical place with every visit. It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, yet even pictures cannot fully capture the experience of Bear Glacier. As highlighted above, this is the quintessential glacial experience in Alaska! The only regret you’ll have is not staying longer.
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- This is a 9 – 10hr trip. This is a door-to-door time frame including flight time. Total paddling time is on average 5 – 6hrs.
- How do we get out there? We take a 15min helicopter ride in a Robinson 44 or 66 to our private campsite in the lagoon. This flight is one of the most scenic ways to see the Kenai Fjords National Park from above as you travel through the mountains and coastline of Alaska. Once you fly over the peaks you will descend down into a beautiful glacial lagoon where you will fly above the immense icebergs providing a rare view of the ice. You will then land at our base camp that offers an in-your-face view of Bear Glacier. Call us to ask about adding an extended flight before or after your trip to see more of the amazing coastline and mountain ranges!
- The paddling experience –This paddle is like no other that you will find in this part of Alaska. The icebergs can be beautiful but also can be very unpredictable and hazardous due to their movements. Your guide will lead you through this area providing glacial interpretation and travel routes as you paddle and view these beautiful icebergs. Bear Glacier is an extremely dynamic environment and each trip is a unique experience.
- What if it’s raining? – Seward is in a temperate rainforest, so assume it will be raining! All our trips run rain or shine. We do supply full rain gear for all of them.
- Is there any wildlife viewing? – Look for bears, mountain goats, and bald eagles as you fly over these rugged areas and there is a chance of seeing whales when flying over the bay. Often, we see harbor seals, many different birds and bears as we paddle around the lagoon. We usually see “Henry”, our old reliable harbor seal that likes to hang around our campsite!
- How many people are on the trips?– We keep a ratio of 1:6 for all our kayaking trips. This does not mean every trip will have this ratio, but it will not exceed this amount. This is a group activity; we will move as fast as our slowest kayakers. Don’t want to join a group kayak trip? Check out our private trip options! (Private trips are a common request for Bear Glacier).
- What kind of kayaks?– All of our guests are in tandem sea kayaks; we do not offer single kayaks for our group trips.
- Is it dangerous out in Bear Glacier? – Don’t get us wrong, there is always inherit risks and it can be difficult to get there, but this is an added reason to what makes Bear Glacier so special. We take these trips very seriously; we have strict operation practices and we always maintain a safe distance in the case of icebergs rolling.
Rick Brown, owner of A60N first came to Seward in 1997 and has been full time resident since 2004. He was one of the three pioneers to first start guiding in Bear Glacier. Because of Rick Brown, we at Adventure Sixty North, have the most experience in Bear Glacier of all the guiding companies. Some companies choose not to operate in the lagoon for the fear of glacial outburst floods, known as “jökulhlaups”. These floods can cause the water line to rise in the lagoon, but not at any dangerous rate. In Rick’s long time operating in this area, he has never experienced a flood that has put any of our trips in risk. However, we have procedures in place to be active in observing any changing conditions that could possibly put the trip at risk. Bear Glacier is a place you MUST respect and you will always want to come back once you have experienced it!
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For this trip we require everyone’s weight for the helicopter flight. It is VERY important that the weight is accurate and weighed with clothing and shoes on. The helicopters have a limited weight capacity that they can take and if the weights provided are inaccurate and we need to add or upgrade the helicopter to accommodate extra weight, it will be done to the expense of the guests. If the guests decide not to cover the extra expenses, the trip will be cancelled and no refund will be issued.
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- Full rain gear, dry bags, PFDs, lunch, snacks, hot chocolate and hot cider
- Pick up/drop off to and from our local Seward hotels, lodges and campgrounds
- 30-minute scenic helicopter ride (round trip)
- A trip of a Lifetime!
- Sandwich Lunch
- Hot drinks
- Snacks
- Dry bag
- Rain Boots
- Rain Jacket & Pants
- Kayaking gear!
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- Always bring layers and rain gear if you don’t want to use ours. Your Guide will make sure it’s up to snuff for this trip
- Hat, gloves, sunglasses and your camera!
- Water bottle and snacks
- A tip for your great Guide!
Our Guides –We are very proud of our guide team, and you’ll understand why after just one trip with us! All of our guides hold ACA Level 2 certification, which includes extensive training in water rescues, group management, and more. They also maintain current Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certifications and participate in a comprehensive three-week training course each season to enhance their skills. For guides operating in the Bear Glacier area, additional specialized training and a rigorous assessment are required to ensure they are fully prepared for this unique environment.