Anan creek bear observatory

[EMED2010]

Yvette- your pictures are incredible!

 

We booked in February for next August. We are just waiting to hear if we got the permits. She said Fall. When did you find out?

[BrusselsGirl07]

Yvette- your pictures are incredible!

 

We booked in February for next August. We are just waiting to hear if we got the permits. She said Fall. When did you find out?

 

Hi there and thank you - we did get some good photos, I still look at them!

 

I first emailed Island Wings on 22 February 2013.

 

I sent a few reminder emails in-between as I did not want to be forgotten, and we had confirmation on January 27 2014.

 

We had our amazing day in Anan Creek on 30 July 2014.

 

I think they are pretty good at getting the passes for their clients, there are about 60 passes per day given out. I hope you have an amazing day when you get there!

 

Yvette

Edited September 29, 2014 by BrusselsGirl07

[EMED2010]

Hi there and thank you - we did get some good photos, I still look at them!

 

I first emailed Island Wings on 22 February 2013.

 

I sent a few reminder emails in-between as I did not want to be forgotten, and we had confirmation on January 27 2014.

 

We had our amazing day in Anan Creek on 30 July 2014.

 

I think they are pretty good at getting the passes for their clients, there are about 60 passes per day given out. I hope you have an amazing day when you get there!

 

Yvette

 

I emailed them a couple days ago and they said the permits are issued October 15 but "no worries" so I feel a lot better. We will be there next year about 10 days after your trip was this year so I imagine the salmon will still be running.

[ubarpants]

I tried to email Island Wings for our trip in July 2015 just recently (we were slow in making up our minds), and they said that their tentative permits for that day are spoken for but that we can check back in November. Has that situation worked out for anyone else in the past? I don't know if I should hold out hope at this point. :)

 

I also emailed another vendor, and they said that they won't know anything about their availability until the permits are issued in October. Is the concept of "tentative permits" something that only Island Wings does, based on past years or something? Another question I had was that it seems like all of the other vendors have tours that are at least an hour shorter than Island Wings, for the same price, is this just a difference of how they account for the time, or do you get less time at Anan with the other guys?

 

And final question, if we're going on the Denali shuttle to Wonder Lake (or Eielson depending on weather), will we see enough bears there to make Anan a little redundant, or is it still worth the cost to go there too?

[mapleleaves]

info about the permits and lottery system:

https://fsplaces.fs.fed.us/fsfiles/unit/r10/tongass/r10_anan_reservations.nsf/MainPage?OpenForm

[bearbait]

I tried to email Island Wings for our trip in July 2015 just recently (we were slow in making up our minds), and they said that their tentative permits for that day are spoken for but that we can check back in November. Has that situation worked out for anyone else in the past? I don't know if I should hold out hope at this point. :)

 

I also emailed another vendor, and they said that they won't know anything about their availability until the permits are issued in October. Is the concept of "tentative permits" something that only Island Wings does, based on past years or something? Another question I had was that it seems like all of the other vendors have tours that are at least an hour shorter than Island Wings, for the same price, is this just a difference of how they account for the time, or do you get less time at Anan with the other guys?

 

And final question, if we're going on the Denali shuttle to Wonder Lake (or Eielson depending on weather), will we see enough bears there to make Anan a little redundant, or is it still worth the cost to go there too?

 

You can't compare Anan to Denali as they are entirely different types of experiences.

[donaldsc]

 

And final question, if we're going on the Denali shuttle to Wonder Lake (or Eielson depending on weather), will we see enough bears there to make Anan a little redundant, or is it still worth the cost to go there too?

 

At Denali, you will probably see a few bears but at a distance. At Anan, you will see more bears than you can count that are very up close and personal. On my last visit to Anan with my granddaughter, she telephoned her folks that night and told her Dad that she was only a yard from a bear. She was only exaggerating at bit as she was maybe 2 or 3 yards from the bear. I should add that the only thing separating her from the bear was a single layer 3 foot high wooden fence that the bear could easily get over and also that there were enough salmon that the bear was not interested in eating her.

 

DON

[Mrs. Squirrel]

I tried to email Island Wings for our trip in July 2015 just recently (we were slow in making up our minds), and they said that their tentative permits for that day are spoken for but that we can check back in November. Has that situation worked out for anyone else in the past? I don't know if I should hold out hope at this point. :)

 

I also emailed another vendor, and they said that they won't know anything about their availability until the permits are issued in October. Is the concept of "tentative permits" something that only Island Wings does, based on past years or something? Another question I had was that it seems like all of the other vendors have tours that are at least an hour shorter than Island Wings, for the same price, is this just a difference of how they account for the time, or do you get less time at Anan with the other guys?

 

And final question, if we're going on the Denali shuttle to Wonder Lake (or Eielson depending on weather), will we see enough bears there to make Anan a little redundant, or is it still worth the cost to go there too?

 

I am on the same cruise. I contacted Island Wings in August. Apparently, you and I were both too late. I was told a group of 5 booked way back in the spring. IW put us down with the possibility of adding another airplane/pilot that day. I really wanted to go with Michelle. I noticed the same thing about the time difference between vendors.

[bearbait]

I am on the same cruise. I contacted Island Wings in August. Apparently, you and I were both too late. I was told a group of 5 booked way back in the spring. IW put us down with the possibility of adding another airplane/pilot that day. I really wanted to go with Michelle. I noticed the same thing about the time difference between vendors.

 

Just so you know her trip to Anan isn't any different then one you'd take if you went with Family Air, Carlin Air or Southeast Aviation. The pilot doesn't accompany you to the bear viewing platform. I found the narration on the flight to pretty much all be the same since these pilots have been flying out of Ketchikan for years. Don't get yourself locked into just one vendor based off of internet reivews or you may just miss out on a once in a lifetime trip.

[GrammieMame]

I booked in mid-September for next July. Waiting to hear about the permits.

[donaldsc]

I am on the same cruise. I contacted Island Wings in August. Apparently, you and I were both too late. I was told a group of 5 booked way back in the spring. IW put us down with the possibility of adding another airplane/pilot that day. I really wanted to go with Michelle. I noticed the same thing about the time difference between vendors.

 

The flight to Anan is just the bus to get you to the place. It really does not matter who you fly w as long as you fly safely and get there. It isn't a flightseeing trip, it is transportation to Anan.

 

Once you get there, you walk up the same trail as do the people who come in by boat or by other air carriers.

 

You get to see the same bears if you go with Michelle or with anyone else. Just pick anyone who can get you there and you will have a great time.

 

DON