Experienced campers can now enjoy a private, unguided, do-it-yourself trip to Alaska’s Pack Creek Zoological Area courtesy of Ken Leghorn, owner of Pack Creek Outfitters. For a minimum of three days, clients can explore the old growth forest and get up close and personal with the wilderness surrounding the Pack Creek Bear Sanctuary on Admiralty Island National Monument, a Biosphere Reserve located within the Tongass National Forest.
Boasting 30 years of experience at Pack Creek, Leghorn wants to use his savvy to give campers an independent experience unique to the area. Pack Creek Outfitters will provide round-trip floatplane transportation from Juneau, rental sea kayaks and all the necessary accessories and information on where to camp and how to go about exploring Pack Creek and the nearby Kootznoowoo Wilderness.
“The camping option is fantastic from early May through the end of August. Last May, we watched bears every day, feeding along the beach on clams and emerging vegetation, and watched a pair mating right on the beach, which is fairly common in May and early June,” said Leghorn.
Campers will reside on Windfall Island which lies just one mile away from the bear sanctuary, where clients will also find the viewing estuary and a trail to the observation tower.
The package starts at $475 per person for families or groups of three to eight, $575 per person for parties of two. Extending kayak rentals for an additional day is only $75 per person. Pack Creek Outfitters also offers a three-day health food package for an easier cooking experience, and we will rent out rain gear and any camping necessary camping equipment in case visitors do not bring their own. Each party must obtain a Forest Service Permit which will be available online at Recreation.gov after Feb. 1.
The Details
Pack Creek Outfitterswww.packcreekoutfitters.com
