Sasquatch Alaska Adventure Co - Homer, Alaska

Abby Adams

Our bear-viewing adventure with Sasquatch was a highlight of our Alaskan vacation. Zach is a consummate pro and we felt completely safe and well taken care of in his plane and on the ground with the bears. And yes you will see bears. And they are wondrous and beautiful. Zach flew us over the glacier as we left the area - it was as awe-inspiring as watching the bears. I actually cried. Quite a moving experience all in all. Highly recommend Sasquatch Adventures.

Brooke Lewis

Our group of 3 did an afternoon bear viewing tour in early July 2023 and we all loved it! This certainly was one of our favorite things we did on our trip to the Kenai Peninsula! Our guide and pilot was Tim, and there were two other pilots from Sasquatch that flew groups over and walked around the area with us (one of them that we talked with was Ty). Each plane held 6 people, including the pilot. Both of these pilots and guides had a lot of knowledge about the bears and understood their behavior. We flew to Katmai National Park near Mt. Douglas, landed on a beach and walked to a tidal flat where the bears were eating sedges. Our 3 groups were the only people there. Looking across the flat, we saw more than 20 bears. We walked in amongst the bears on the flat where the bears were free to move around us. We felt safe the entire time and even had one bear that did a bluff charge at our group but the guides were able to diffuse the situation with their behavior, although they had the bear flares out in their hands ready to use if they needed them. The guides all also carry a firearm, but said they had never needed to use them. The guide gave direction to the group as we moved amongst the bears so people didn’t do anything that accidentally threatened the bears. They said the coastal brown bear that live in Katmai are less aggressive than the grizzlies on the main land because of the plethora of resources for them.

Yes, it is an expensive excursion and we debated but honestly can say it was worth the money, and in fact, would do it again if we get the opportunity.

Note that one of the more famous spots to go in Katmai NP is Brooks Falls which is where the salmon run up the river and jump up the falls and the bears stand on top catching the fish - you probably have seen this in documentaries before. We considered that option but are so thankful we didn’t book that as our timing was before the salmon were running there. No salmon there means no (or few) bears, and groups that were going there (when we would have) were only seeing one bear periodically. (I didn’t find this information on the companies that were booking Brooks Falls tours). While I’d love to see Brooks Falls someday, I will be sure to check the timing of the salmon running first. Sasquatch guarantees you’ll see bears on this trip (or your money back) and will go to where the bears are at that time in the season.

Book your trip - you won’t regret it! It was an amazing opportunity to watch the bears in their natural environment and get a lot of great photos, all while feeling safe yet being close to the bears.

Jeannette Schulze

Highly recommended bear viewing tour
For us this excursion to Katmai National Park with Sasquatch Alaska Adventure was a once in a lifetime experience. Zack flew us there after delaying by a few hours due to fog - he perfectly timed it. The flight alone is breathtaking. It ended up being the picture perfect day, no clouds. We saw Mt. Iliamna, flew right by Mt. Augustine, circled a glacier lake in a caldera, glaciers galore and and all that exhilarating experience before we saw coastal brown bears with Mt. Douglas as a backdrop. We did not just see them, we were with them, within 20 yards, meters as they dug for clams, moved to the river to catch flounder, they let us BE with them. Zack is completely in tune with them. He’s been for the past 19 years. There were the 4 year old twins strongly bonded to one another, there was Lippey, the dominant male, there was a 500 lbs approx. 8 year old that allowed us to be by his side for more than an hour and once he was done with digging for clams, jumping for fish in the river just 15 yards/meters from us and having a good scratch on a log, he plonked himself into the meadow and laid on his back and scratched some more. The log became our rest stop for snacks while this bear was about 25 yards/meters from us and 4 other bears were in the distance in the same meadow. There were many more bears but it really isn’t about the number of bears you see - it is the experience and time you have and are with them.
A humbling and absolutely beautiful experience, that’s all I can say.
Thank you to Sasquatch Alaska Adventure for knowledgeable and skilled passion and safety and for only leaving footsteps in the sand!
Our son (who ended up being ill on the day and had to miss out) is enjoying the pictures and videos we took and the ones Zack took and makes available after the tour.

dcwenger99

An outstanding experience all around. To start, SAA went above and beyond to find waders to fit my husband’s size 16 feet so he would be comfortable. The flight to Katmai National Park was spectacular and our pilot flew right over glaciers and around an active volcano. The beach landing was very smooth. The pilots/guides were professional, knowledgable about the terrain and the bears, and instilled a sense of safety during our bear observations. They knew where the bears would be and we saw no less that 12 bears, being able to observe them eating sedge grass, digging for clams, mating, and playing. I highly recommend SAA!

Lisa McAlee

Amazing!! We were unable to land in the morning so the pilots rescheduled for an afternoon flight. Our pilot/guides- Tim/Ty were excellent. Flights were great and they knew exactly where to find the bears- up close and personal. We saw over 25 bears- mama's and cubs as well as eagles and a fox!

Starrr Lynn

The trip was amazing! Zach was our pilot/guide. He is very professional, nice and chill :)) At the beginning I was worried that I couldn’t get any clear photos of bear cuz my camera was out of battery and I had to use my iPhone. It turned out that we were actually very very close to bears, appropriately close, but not too close to startle them. Bears and we share the same space without bothering each other (as how we suppose to do with all other animals). The bear kept digging fresh roots and we kept observing and awwing. There was only once, during the tour, one of the bears kept approaching us, we were only about 10ft away, and Zach calmly deterred him. He really knows how to get along with bear ?. He is also very considerate and always help people out when passing streams/muddy slopes. Btw I really like his bear key charm 😀 I wanna get the same thing but forgot to ask where he got it. Maybe I’ll ask next time when I go to the tour and I’ll definitely bring my friends with me XD

Sharon Nelson

Excellent day, beautiful experience. Had a great time on the bear viewing! Smooth flight, great weather, informative and responsible pilots/guide, and of course - so many bears!! Great day

Barbara Janjya

Beyond all expectations . Tim Hendricks and his Cook Inlet Pilots are wonderful Guides. Couldn't ask for a better flight and tour. Only group we would recommend for a bear tour.