Located 50 air miles from Port Hardy, British Columbia. This fully self-contained floating lodge is situated at an outstanding wildlife viewing location. It is fully self-sustainable, and the wind and solar powered lodge is in keeping with the company’s commitment to low-impact ecotourism.
Driven by passion, Great Bear Nature Tours has been operating a Grizzly Bear viewing program since 1999. Great Bear Lodge is the only wildlife viewing operation in British Columbia’s river system, providing guests a true wilderness experience.
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5 Days 4 Nights
Spring, Summer, and Fall
Port Hardy, British Columbia
All grizzly bear tours include the following:
The following itinerary is based on a tour in autumn. Tour itineraries change through the seasons as we need to allow for differing hours of daylight.
Arrive in Port Hardy and check into your hotel in Port Hardy. Explore Port Hardy, as it sits at the very edge of the coastal wilderness and is the gateway to an authentic, unspoiled, nature-driven adventure.
Departing from Port Hardy in the afternoon, you will leave behind the noise of modern life for a remote wilderness. Transportation is by seaplane. Journeying to our site is a spectacular adventure in itself, traveling over the breathtaking scenery of the central coast and over the rich waters of Queen Charlotte Strait, the home of orca, gray and humpback whales.
Upon your arrival at the lodge, your hosts will be on the dock to welcome you to your wilderness retreat. Settle into your private room at the lodge, before joining the group for your first wildlife viewing session. We have a range of different viewing sites, and will choose one according to where the bears have been most active. Estuary sites are reached by boat, while river sites are reached by a wilderness track. The viewing blinds on the river have been constructed with the photographer in mind, and are optimal and comfortable places from which to view bears.
There is nothing quite like seeing your first grizzly emerge from the forest.
Returning to the lodge that evening, you will be treated to a wilderness-gourmet meal. Our biologist will present slides and videos, explaining the interaction of the grizzly bear with this unique ecology.
In the morning, you will be on the trail of the grizzly bear again after some good coffee and breakfast. A typical viewing session lasts three hours.
After a morning of adventure, you will return to the lodge for lunch and a chance to relax. Spend the early afternoon exploring the surrounding area with the guide. A popular activity is the interpretive rainforest walk, examining bear sign and the general ecology of the area. In mid-afternoon you will venture out to see the bears before relaxing in the lodge for dinner. On clear nights, the stars are amazing.
As your stay at the lodge continues, you begin to settle into the natural rhythm of the valley. The bears are generally most active in the early morning and late afternoon hours, which is why we focus our viewing sessions on these times. Over the course of your stay we will take you a variety of sites, depending on the bear activity.
For the afternoon recreation today we may take a boat excursion to explore the glacier-carved inlet. Or you may prefer to relax and enjoy the view from the lodge. The Great Bear Rainforest is home to many animals, including grey wolves, otters, black bears, mink and bald eagles. One of our favorite dishes is marinated salmon baked on a cedar plank.
After your parting session with the bears, lunch and an afternoon activity, you will be returned to Port Hardy by floatplane in the afternoon sometime between 4pm and 6pm. Your final night will be spent at the Kwa’lilas Hotel in Port Hardy, owned by the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations on whose traditional territory we operate.
