Admiralty Island Is The #1 Place To See Brown Bears
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Admiralty Island Is The #1 Place To See Brown Bears
With such wide-open wilderness and breathtakingly beautiful natural beauty to see just about everywhere you go, southeast Alaska, and Juneau in particular, is an incredible destination to visit. From visiting stunning places like Mendenhall Glacier and cruising down the Tracy Arm Fjord to seeing Alaska’s impressive wildlife in person at places like Admiralty Island, there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy this special place, either.
In between your adventures to places like Admiralty Island, you’ll need a place to stay. Our downtown Juneau hotel is exactly what you’re looking for. We’re located right in the heart of downtown Juneau, which puts you within walking distance of the town’s finest restaurants, breweries, shops, and attractions. We offer a variety of comfortable guest rooms for you to sink into at the end of a long day, and all the amenities you could possibly ask for. This includes access to our one-of-a-kind rooftop hot tub, the perfect place to relax and unwind after a day of adventure, and a hearty and delicious breakfast each morning of your stay.
From here, you can easily access the Perseverance Trail network, hike up to the top of Mount Roberts, and even bike out to beaches or to Mendenhall Glacier itself. Staying at our downtown Juneau hotel really is the best of both worlds. From here, expand your adventures, visit the bears on Admiralty Island, and enjoy the vacation of a lifetime! Book your trip to our Juneau Hotel and stunning southeast Alaska today!
See the Bears at Admiralty Island in Juneau
Juneau, Alaska’s capital city, is part of what’s known as the Inside Passage. It’s home to the Alexander Archipelago, and an incredible collection of islands and remote destinations worth visiting. One such place is Admiralty Island, which is home to the Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area, which is part of the Stan Price State Wildlife Sanctuary. If you want to see Alaska’s most famous wild inhabitant, this is the place to do it.
Admiralty Island National Monument, which is located just 15 miles southwest of Juneau, is home to an impressive one million acres of old-growth rainforest, alpine tundra, and rugged coastline. This ancestral home of the Tlingit People also happens to have one of the highest density of brown bears in North America. In fact, the Tlingit name for Admiralty Island is “Kootznoowoo,” which means “Fortress of the Bear.”
It’s estimated that there are 1,600 brown bears living on Admiralty Island – which definitely explains why it’s such a popular place to watch these incredible animals. But bears aren’t the only wild inhabitants of Admiralty Island. It’s also known to house the world’s greatest concentration of nesting bald eagles, with more than 5,000 of these majestic birds calling the area home. And, of course, there are plenty of harbor seals, porpoises and sea lions, and humpback whales in the waters off the coast of Admiralty Island.
Bearing viewing is best in the mornings and evenings, as they feed on spawning salmon, though they can be seen throughout the year. The easiest way to get to Admiralty Island is via floatplane from Juneau, though it can also be reached by boat if you’re camping on nearby islands or via ferry on the Alaska Marine Highway. Permits are needed to visit Admiralty Island and the Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area, so it’s definitely something to plan well in advance for.
Best Place to Stay in Downtown Juneau
After just one visit to southeast Alaska and places like the incredible Admiralty Island near Juneau, you’ll have an entirely new appreciation for this wild and special place. Given that Juneau can only be reached via plane or boat, it’s definitely a destination that requires a lit bit of advanced planning to get to. Once in Juneau, there are an amazing variety of places to explore, which can be reached via boat or plane from Juneau.
Bookending your trip, of course, will be your time spent in Juneau itself. Don’t shortchange your time here, as Juneau is a wonderful destination to explore in its own right, home to famous attractions like Mendenhall Glacier and the Tracy Arm Fjord. Though there are a number of hotels and other lodging properties in the Juneau area, none of them come close to matching the comfort and hospitality of our downtown Juneau hotel.
You can’t possibly see it all in one trip to Juneau – but you can certainly get a good start by visiting places like Admiralty Island and the Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area. Start planning your trip, and book your room at Juneau’s finest hotel today!
