Bear Glacier Heli/Kayak Half Day

​The Best Kayak Glacier Tour Ever!

How can we start to explain Bear Glacier? Let’s just start with the facts, shall we? Bear Glacier is a beautiful and diverse environment. It is the biggest glacier of the Harding Icefield in the Kenai Fjords National Park with over 12 miles long and 3 miles wide. This Goliath sits 14 miles south of Seward and inside Bear Glacier Lagoon you will find giant icebergs from the size of a car to the size of a mall. Only seeing them in person can put into perspective the raw beauty of this special place.

Being able to kayak among such an intense, awe-inspiring environment is a once in a lifetime opportunity. To see the piercing blue of the ice, to hear the sounds of thunder cracking as the ice calves all around you, to stop in moments of silence to appreciate the true remote location you find yourself in, this is only a fraction of what words can express about this place.

For all these reasons we make it a priority to honor this magical place with every visit we make. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, yet not even pictures can tell the true story of experiencing Bear Glacier. As we have expressed above, this is THE Glacial experience of Alaska! The only regret you will have by coming here is that you didn’t decide to stay longer!

What to Expect

• This is a 5 – 6hr trip. This is a door-to-door time frame including flight time. Total paddling time is on average 2.5 – 3hrs.  Added flight time can be purchased on request.
• 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!

IMPORTANT!

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.

What’s Included

• Full rain gear, dry bags, PFDs, snacks, hot chocolate and hot cider
• Pick up/drop off to and from our local Seward hotels, lodges and campgrounds
• 30-minute helicopter ride (round trip)
• A trip of a Lifetime!

What to Bring/Wear

• 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 and sunglasses (it’s always good to stay optimistic!)
• Water bottle and a camera
• A tip for your great Guide!

Our Guides – We take great pride in our guides; one trip with us and you will see why we do! All of our guides are ACA level 2 certified that covers water rescues, group management and plenty more. They have up to date WFR certifications. They go through a 2-week training course every season to sharpen their skills. All guides that are cleared to operate in Bear Glacier have to go through extra training and pass an assessment before being able to guide in this amazing place. Our guides always carry bear spray, 1st Aid Kits, SAT Phone and InReach for Bear Glacier trips.