The black bear is the smaller of the two bear species in Southeast Alaska, with adult males weighing 400 pounds or more. A black bear can be distinguished from the brown or grizzly bear by its straight facial profile. The two types of bears aren't distinguishable by color, as black bears in Alaska can be black, brown or cinnamon colored. The rare blue or "glacier" bears are also a variety of black bear.

The salmon-feeding brown bear living in coastal areas is actually the same species as the smaller grizzly living in the Interior.

The brown bear is larger than the black bear, with a noticeable shoulder hump and longer claws. A male brown bear can weigh more than 1,000 pounds, females half as much. One of the best places to observe brown bears is at the Pack Creek Bear Viewing Area on Admiralty Island.

The Bear Facts

Intelligent and fascinating creatures, bears are to be treated with respect.

When in bear country:

• Be aware of your surroundings, even in town.


• Make noise, sing, and clap your hands.


• Feeding bears is illegal. Store food in bear-proof containers away from the camp.


• Never approach or follow a bear. Always leave it an escape route.


• If you encounter a bear, talk and wave your arms to let it know you're a human. A bear standing on its hind legs isn't threatening you. It's trying to identify you. Stand your ground. Never try to outrun a bear. Bears may instinctively chase anything that runs.

For more information on how to behave around bears, contact the Alaska Department of Fish & Game at (907) 465-4265 or check out its web page.

Pack Creek Bear Viewing

Admiralty Island, known in Tlingit as "Kootznoowoo," meaning the fortress of the bears, is home to more than 1,600 brown bears - more than anywhere else in Southeast Alaska.

The Pack Creek estuary is about a 30-minute flight one-way southwest of Juneau and provides a unique opportunity to observe wild brown bears as they feast on pink and chum salmon during summer months. About 25 bears gather at this popular viewing site from mid-July to mid-August. There are no roads to nor accommodations in the area. Nearby campsites and open shelters are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bear viewing permits are required throughout the summer. Numbers are limited during peak season - July 5 through Aug. 25 - when brown bears feed along the creek and travel along nearby tidal flats.

Licensed guide packages include round-trip transportation, viewing permits, and the benefits of a knowledgeable guide. Visitors are advised to bring binoculars, telescopes, or cameras with long telephoto lenses.

For more information about the Admiralty Island National Monument, or for a permit application for Pack Creek viewing, write the USFS at 8150 Mendenhall Loop Road, Juneau, AK 99801, or call (907) 586-8790.

Internet users can download a permit application at www.fs.fed.us.