McNeil River Bear Sanctuary Transportation

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McNeil River Bear Sanctuary | Only Available By Permit!

McNeil River State Game Sanctuary and Refuge is an incredibly special place. Serving the needs of permit winners and Alaska State Fish and Game staff with our beaver (which has served McNeil River for close to 20 years) has been an incredible experience.

This unique bear viewing opportunity is only accessible by permit. Anyone from around the world can apply before March 1st each year to enter the lottery for a chance to win an adventure-of-a-lifetime! Winners are selected and assigned a viewing block during the summer.

They spend approximately four days viewing bears with the ADF&G McNeil Bear Guides, and their nights enjoying the beautiful views from camp. View the links, maps, and more information below on how to apply for a McNeil Permit and your chance to win an unforgettable experience in Alaska’s backcountry viewing majestic coastal brown bears!

fly to mcneil river out of homer alaska with beluga air beaver floatplane

Your Trip To McNeil River Bear Sanctuary

Congratulations on winning your McNeil permit. Beluga Air is excited to help with getting you there and back safely. Round trip flights start at $1600 per person and we have options to maximize your travel convenience and increase the probability of getting you to McNeil on time. Arrival and departure into McNeil depend on a high tide, for exact dates and times for block permit winners please email info@belugaair.com or call (907) 235-8256 for details.

Option 1
Fly from Homer to McNeil on your scheduled day of arrival and departure. $1600

Option 2
Fly Anchorage to Iliamna then Iliamna to McNeil on your schedule day of arrival departure. $1750

Option 3
You have made it this far!!!! Extend your trip and make a once in a lifetime experience even better.

Intricate Bay Outpost https://www.intricatebayoutpost.com sits just 24 miles from McNeil Sanctuary and is nestled in a perfect cove on Lake Iliamna. Centered between Lake Clark National Park and Katmai National Park, its location provides endless opportunities for adventure. Trips can be before or after your McNeil Permit Block and up to a week if desired.

Enjoy luxury in remote Alaska while exploring Katmai National Park and Lake Clark National Park via day trips. Price is $500 per person per day and includes lodging and all meals. Daily guided activities are $500 per person.

Day trips options from Katmai National Park are:

  • Bear viewing at Brooks Falls or Moraine Creek

  • Photo Workshop with Abe Blair master wildlife photographer and lodge manager

  • Guide Fishing for salmon and world class rainbows

  • Camping and Backpacking

  • Hiking

Day trips options from Lake Clark National Park are:

  • Twin Lakes Proenneke Cabin

  • Camping and Backpacking

  • Hiking in Port Alworth

INQUIRE TO LEARN MORE
fly to mcneil river out of homer alaska with beluga air beaver floatplane

Our Services & Permit Information

  • We offer seat fare to and from McNeil in our De Havilland Beaver and Cessna 206. This means you pay for a seat and not the entire aircraft. For a drop off and pick up would be $1600.00 per person. 

    This all-inclusive rate covers all taxes, park permits and ensures there are no additional fees or fuel surcharges. We accept cash, check and or credit cards.

    You don’t have to work with other permit winners in your block to request a charter and split the costs. We can take separate payments per seat but must be paid in full within 10 days of making the reservation.

  • We can take up to 4 passengers (possibly 5) on each charter flight to McNeil flying in our De Havilland Beaver on floats. We carry up to 1,200 lbs. which includes passengers fully clothed body weights and all gear/cargo you are bringing with you.

  • McNeil Sanctuary

    2024 Guided Permit Blocks/Tides

    Permit Information

    Application

  • January 1-

    Submit applications then through end of February!

    March 1 -Application Deadline

    Applications must be submitted online or, if mailed, must be received in the ADF&G office

    Early March

    Permit winners selected by random lottery

    Mid March

    Permit winner notification begins

  • RENT CAMPING GEAR

    Need quality camping equipment to withstand the weather at McNeil for a cozy and comfortable experience?

    We have you covered with our “McNeil Camp Kit” which includes everything you need and leaves out all the items already provided at McNeil River Camp! All you have to bring is clothing, food, and your camera and leave the rest to us!

  • There are some things you don’t need to bring that McNeil River Camp provides.

    -chair (crazy creek chairs are provided for back support during bear viewing).

    -pots and pans

    -cooking utensils

    -propane and or stove

    -firewood

    -water (water is collected by staff and is available each night at the cook shack for boiling). Having a water filter is still be recommended for acquiring water while out of camp.

    -bear spray or weapons

    -Inappropriate gear incapable of Alaskan conditions such as high profile 2-season tents or large car camping tents. These lower quality tents repeatedly fail in the sustained winds that McNeil Camp experiences.

  • Make sure your gear is appropriate to handle the weather conditions McNeil Camp experiences.

    Here is a link to a printable list recommend by ADF&G of what to bring. PRINT LIST HERE

    If you don’t have these items, check out the Beluga Air page to rent our MCNEIL CAMP KIT, specifically created for McNeil Permit Winners.

  • Overview of Information

  • Visitor Information

    During Your Stay

    Videos

    What To Bring

  • MAPS

  • Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game

    Division of Wildlife Conservation

    Attn: McNeil River State Game Sanctuary

    333 Raspberry Rd

    Anchorage, AK 99518-1599

    (907) 267-2189

    dfg.dwc.mcneil-info@alaska.gov

  • Adam Dubour, Lands and Refuges Manager

    Division of Wildlife Conservation

    333 Raspberry Road

    Anchorage, AK 99518-1599

    (907) 267-2189

    adam.dubour@alaska.gov

  • “In Wild Trust” by Jeff Fair

    This book can be purchased in our office or on our online store.

    For thirty years, Larry Aumiller lived in close company with the world’s largest grouping of brown bears, returning by seaplane every spring to the wilderness side of Cook Inlet, two hundred and fifty miles southwest of Anchorage to work as a manager, teacher, guide, and more. Eventually—without the benefit of formal training in wildlife management or ecology—he become one of the world’s leading experts on brown bears, the product of an unprecedented experiment in peaceful coexistence.

  • Learn more about the Friends of McNeil River!

    The Friends of McNeil River’s purpose is the preservation of the McNeil River State Game Sanctuary's bears, their habitat and to have a voice in its future.

    You can also follow the Friends of McNeil on Facebook for up to date information about the bears, Pebble Mine, related events, permit dates, and more!

INQUIRE TO LEARN MORE

Maps in slideshow provided by ADF&G and can be also located and downloaded via the link in the “Camp Maps” drop down.

Map showing McNeil Cove with McNeil River, McNeil Lagoon, gravel spit, campground, sedge flats, riffles, and trails near falls. Includes scale and north arrow.
Aerial view of a campsite with labeled structures including two public outhouses, a staff outhouse, staff cabins, a tool shed, food cache, multiple tent sites, and a cook cabin. Paths connect the various areas, and there's a beach with driftwood alon
Map of McNeil River Campground showing locations of sauna, cook cabin, tent sites, staff cabins, observation tower, tool shed, wood cutting area, outhouses, pond, and trails. Includes symbols for boat storage, picnic tables, and various natural featu
Bar graph showing average bear sightings per day at McNeil River State Game Sanctuary from 2015 to 2020, categorized by time block and location: Other Areas, Mikfik Creek, Lower McNeil, and McNeil Falls, with peaks in July.
Map of McNeil River State Game Refuge and Sanctuary in Alaska, showing boundaries, rivers, trails, McNeil Falls, and surrounding national parks.
Hand-drawn map labeled "McNeil River Campground Map" showing various features including sauna, cook cabin, tool shed, food cache, fish and game storage areas, wood cutting area, and outhouses. Other elements include tent sites, trails, a pond, shrubs
Map of McNeil River Cove area showing landmarks such as McNeil River, Sedge Flats, McNeil Falls, lower falls, upper falls, and Mud Flats. Includes Polly Cove, Mitfik Creek, Walker Creek, Colleen Creek, and a marked campground. North arrow is present.
Map of McNeil River State Game Refuge and Sanctuary in Alaska, showing land status, boundaries, and areas of interest such as wildlife observation locations and trails. Includes a legend for land status and boundaries, and a location inset map showin
Map of McNeil River State Game Refuge and Sanctuary indicating bird, fish, and mammal habitats, anadromous fish streams and lakes, eagle nests, seabird colonies, and other wildlife concentration areas within Alaska.
Topographical map of McNeil Trails, featuring trails such as McNeil Falls Trail, Cliff Trail, and Beach Trail. Includes landmarks like McNeil River, McNeil Lagoon, and Mikfik Creek. The map shows areas like Sedge Flats and highlights mudflat crossing
Rocky beach with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.
Scenic landscape with mountains, cloudy sky, and river in foreground
Rural landscape with green fields, purple wildflowers, and tents near wooden cabins in the background under a cloudy sky.
Yellow tent in a grassy field with wildflowers, camping gear nearby, and mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.
Wooden porch with green metal roof overlooking a grassy landscape and small pond with lily pads.
Wooden building with a sign reading 'McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game. Access by Permit Only, Closed to Brown Bear Hunting.'"
A scenic landscape with a field of purple flowers in the foreground, several small wooden cabins in the middle ground, and distant mountains under a partly cloudy blue sky.
Landscape with a river, grassy shoreline, and distant mountains under a cloudy sky.
Animal paw print in wet mud
Bear paw prints in sandy soil
A bear standing in a narrow stream with grassy banks, surrounded by a vast landscape featuring mountains under a cloudy sky.
A mother bear and two cubs in a shallow creek surrounded by green grass and rocky hills.
Silhouette of mountains and trees at sunset, reflecting on a calm lake.
A rustic outhouse sits in a field of wildflowers with mountains and a sunset sky in the background.
McNeil River State Game Sanctuary wooden building at sunset with woodpile, picnic table, and wildflowers.
Foxes on a rocky beach with mountains and a lake in the background
A coastal landscape featuring driftwood scattered on a sandy beach. The horizon shows a range of mountains under a partly cloudy sky. The shoreline curves gently toward a body of water on the right.
Interior of a rustic kitchen with wooden walls, shelves holding various cooking supplies, a kitchen stove with pots and kettles, maps and signs on the walls, and a table with bags and notebooks.
Rustic cabin interior with wooden walls, a large map on the wall, a whiteboard with notes, a picnic table with benches, a wood stove, garbage bins, and storage shelves. The room has cleaning tools, fire extinguishers, and a window with a view.
Rustic cabin kitchen interior with wooden walls, shelves with kitchen items, a table with a backpack, water bottle, sanitizing spray, a gas stove with a kettle, blue water jugs, maps on the wall, a window, and books.
Rustic kitchen with wood stove, gas burners, pots, and kitchenware in a wooden cabin.
Two bears on a riverbank with dense greenery, one bear eating a fish.
Brown bear wading through a river in a grassy landscape.
Brown bear fishing in a river with birds in the background.
Two brown bears standing in a river with forest in the background.
Brown bear standing in a river with grassy shoreline in the background.
Grizzly bear standing in tall grass near a riverbank with a forested background.
Brown bear running in a river, splashing water, with a grassy shoreline in the background.
Brown bear walking along a rocky shore near a body of water.
Two red foxes playing on a sandy beach with trees in the background, rocks scattered on the ground.
A red fox sitting on a sandy ground near a grassy area.
A young red fox walking on a rocky surface.
Bald eagle perched on a fallen branch in a field with green foliage in the background.
A bird with long legs standing on a small grassy mound surrounded by water and rocks.
Mountain landscape with river and greenery in foreground, fallen tree trunk over water, bird standing on rock in shallow stream.
Purple aster flower with a yellow center surrounded by green leaves and grass.
Two brown bears running through a shallow stream, splashing water, with seagulls nearby, in a grassy natural setting.
Brown bear walking in shallow water of a river.
A mother bear standing upright in a river with two bear cubs nearby, surrounded by a grassy landscape.
Two bear cubs running on a pebbly riverbank with green grass and a river in the background.
Young brown bear walking on pebbled shore near a river with grassy background.
Bear walking in a grassy wetland with mountainous landscape in the background.
Two bear cubs standing in a river.
A brown bear wading in a shallow river.
Brown bear lying in tall grass near a rocky riverbank.
Close-up of yellow goldenrod flowers with green leaves in a natural setting.
Side view of a red fox standing on a rocky terrain.
Bald eagle perched on driftwood with a mountain in the background.
Two swans flying over a green landscape with mountains in the background

Inquire about Charters to McNeil River Camp!