Frequently asked questions

Late May through early September from Homer. Late May through July, bears are on the coast digging clams and grazing sedge meadows. Late July through early September, they move to the streams for salmon. Brooks Falls runs July 1 through September, with a dip in mid August before activity picks back up in early September. Historically, bear activity picks up after the first week of June, though some years the coast is busy from opening day. July and August are the peak, more bears and salmon in the rivers.

Emerald Air Service runs both as 8 hour days from Homer with about 5 hours on the ground. The guided expedition takes a maximum of 9 guests to the Katmai coast with a naturalist guide, walking 3 to 5 miles through sedge flats and streams. Minimum age 9. The Brooks Falls trip is self guided. A 1.5 hour flight, a 1 mile walk on boardwalks, and platform viewing at the falls with bathrooms and lunch available. All ages. The guided expedition is intimate and adventurous, hiking in the wild with the bears. Brooks Falls is platforms, boardwalks and infrastructure.

Pack light and pack for weather. Bring a small daypack with lunch and snacks, nothing crumbly and nothing fish, and one to two liters of water. Wear quick drying layers with a fleece and a rain jacket on top. The jacket doubles as a windbreaker in the tall grass. Thick socks matter, you will be in our wader boots all day on the guided trip. Bring binoculars and your camera with spare batteries and cards. A longer lens is nice to have, not a need. Insect repellent and sunscreen are worth the space. Bring two days of any medication in case weather holds you overnight, we carry survival gear but a spare layer is smart. Smoking and vaping are not permitted, so bring nicotine gum or patches if you need them. Bear spray and firearms are prohibited. Pant waders and boots are provided on the guided expedition.

Yes, with the right people. Katmai is home to over 2,000 brown bears and the park's own guidance is that preparation and knowledge are what keep viewing safe. Every guest gets a briefing before the flight on bear behavior, how we move around them and what to do on the ground. Our guides read the bears all day and keep the group at a respectful distance. We never surprise a bear and we always give them room. In the air we fly under strict FAA rules with weight limits, weather minimums and a plan for the unexpected. On the ground you have waders, boots and a guide who has done this for years. Emerald Air Service has 35 years in Homer, tens of thousands of guests, and a safety record we stand behind.

Your day starts at our base in Homer with a safety and gear briefing from your pilot and guide. You board a De Havilland Otter or Beaver on floats and fly about 1.5 hours across Cook Inlet, past glaciers and volcanoes, into Katmai National Park. On the guided expedition you land on a remote coastal flat or lake and spend about five hours walking 3 to 5 miles with your naturalist guide through sedge meadows and streams where the bears are feeding. On the Brooks Falls trip you land at Brooks Camp, walk a mile of boardwalk to the viewing platforms, and watch bears fish the falls for about five hours at your own pace. Then it is a scenic flight home and a short debrief on the dock. Floatplanes reach habitat no road touches, which is why the bears are there and the crowds are not.

Ask anyone who has done it. You fly over glaciers and volcanoes into a national park with no roads, land on a wild coast, and spend five hours on foot with brown bears that are fishing and feeding a stone's throw away. No fences, no crowds, no schedule but the bears'. Guests tell us it was the best thing they have ever done, not the best thing on their trip, the best thing. Most people get one shot at this in a lifetime. This is the way to take it.

Look at three things. Time on the ground: Emerald Air Service gives you five hours, most give you two or three. The people: 35 years in Homer, the longest running bear viewing operation in town, with pilots and guides who have spent their careers in Katmai. The service: how you are treated from the first phone call to the debrief on the dock. That is where first class shows. Read the reviews, call us with questions, and compare. We are confident where that lands.

No. At Emerald Air Service the price you see is the price you pay. Park fees, the flight, and on the guided expedition your guide, waders and boots are all in it. Many operators post a low rate and add park fees, permit charges or gear fees at checkout. We do not. The only exception is a 4.5% booking fee on online reservations, and you can skip it by booking by phone at 907 235 4160.

Yes. The Brooks Falls day trip is all ages. It is a 1.5 hour floatplane flight from Homer, a 1 mile walk on boardwalks, and platform viewing at the falls with rangers, bathrooms and a lodge on site. Kids see bears catching salmon from a safe, elevated platform. The guided Katmai expedition is for ages 9 and up. It is 3 to 5 miles of hiking through sedge flats and streams with a naturalist guide, and better suited to older kids who can walk all day. Families with a mix of ages usually pick Brooks Falls.

Weather in Katmai changes fast and safety comes first. If the forecast looks bad, we call you ahead of time so you can shift your schedule to a better and safer day, as best we can predict it. If it turns on the morning of, we make the call then and contact you directly. Emerald Air Service runs one trip a day, not two, so we have room to move you to the next day when most operators cannot. We will do our best to get you out during your stay. If we cannot rebook you, you get a full refund. Book your bear viewing early in your Homer visit so there is room to work with.

Both Emerald Air Service trips include the round trip floatplane flight from Homer, about 1.5 hours each way, and all Katmai National Park fees. Every seat has a headset, so you hear the story of what you are flying over. On the guided expedition your naturalist guide is with you from takeoff to landing and pant waders and boots are provided. On Brooks Falls you get the ranger orientation at the park. Bring your own water, layers and rain gear. Bring your own lunch too, or on Brooks Falls you can buy lunch at the lodge. The price you see is the price you pay. No park fees added later, no fuel surcharges, no gear rental. The only exception is a 4.5% booking fee on online reservations, and you can skip it by booking by phone at 907 235 4160.

For Brooks Falls, no. It is a 1 mile walk on flat boardwalks and gravel from the lodge to the falls, at your own pace, with benches and platforms along the way. Most people in reasonable health do fine. The guided expedition is a real day outdoors. You walk 3 to 5 miles over tidal flats, sedge meadows and shallow streams in waders. No trails, uneven ground, and you carry your own daypack. You do not need to be an athlete, but you should be comfortable on your feet for several hours. If you have knee, hip or balance issues, call us and we will talk it through. Guests over 260 lb including gear should also call before booking.

As early as you can. Both trips run with a maximum of 9 guests per plane, and July and August fill first. Peak dates are often gone two to three months out. If you are coming in June or September there is usually more room, but do not count on last minute. Booking early also gives you the best shot at rebooking if weather moves your day. Call 907 235 4160 or book online.

Yes. Every bear viewing trip is also a flightseeing trip. You fly about 1.5 hours each way across Kachemak Bay and Cook Inlet, past the volcanoes of the Alaska Peninsula and into Katmai, with glaciers, coastline and open tundra below you, weather permitting. Headsets on every seat so you hear what you are looking at. Many guests say the flight alone was worth the day. If you want flightseeing without the bears, we also run Kachemak Bay glacier and volcano flights and private charters from Homer.

It depends on the month and where the food is. Late May through July the guided expedition goes to the Katmai coast, Hallo Bay and the sedge meadows around it, where bears dig clams on the tide flats and graze. Late July through September we move to the salmon streams, Moraine Creek and the coastal rivers, where bears fish. Our guides pick the spot each morning based on where the bears have been that week. Brooks Falls is fixed. You fly to Brooks Camp and watch bears fish the falls from the platforms, from July 1 through September, with a dip in mid August.

Floatplanes have strict weight and balance limits, so we ask every guest for an accurate weight at booking. Guests over 260 lb including gear should call us at 907 235 4160 before booking so we can plan the load. In most cases we can make it work. Please be honest on the number. It is a safety issue, not a judgment.