Daytrip to Katmai National Park (Honest Review of Bald Mountain Air)

The bears at Katmai National Park's Brooks Falls are some of the most famous in the world, and seeing them (in my personal opinion) should be on everyone's bucket lists. Unfortunately getting here to experience it yourself is quite difficult and can be quite expensive as well. After experiencing this once in a lifetime adventure for myself, I thought it would be only fitting to share my complete, honest review of my experience with the Bald Mountain Air Service.

My Essential Alaska Travel Resources :
There are a lot of travel companies out there, but some are better than others. These are my favorite websites and resources to help plan an incredible trip to the 49th State.

For flights, I recommend using WayAway or Hopper to compare the cheapest dates to travel to Alaska.

Car rentals, arguably the best way to see Alaska, are best through Discover Cars!

I always use AGODA for hotels. They have an easy-to-use platform where you can compare the best rates.

To keep cell phone service if you're traveling internationally, I always use Airalo’s easy to purchase eSIM’s (no installation required).

For fun things to do, I recommend Viator to find the best tours in the area, otherwise Klook also does the trick.

Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

Day Trip to Katmai & What to Expect

Bald Mountain Air Service is a float plane company operating out of Homer, Alaska, which takes guests to Katmai National Park to see the infamous brown grizzly bears there. The brown bear season in Katmai National Park typically runs from the beginning of June to mid September, and the exact location you'll be taken to entirely depends on the month, the current salmon runs, and of course the bears behavior - but typically it'll follow the pattern below :

• June - Mating Season, you'll land at a river mouth and view bears along the Katmai coast
• July - Brooks Falls, following the red salmon run
• August - Moraine Creek or Crosswind Lake, a guided walk with stops along the way to take photos of the bears
• September - Brooks Falls, preparation for winter - meaning the bears will be very fat!

This epic adventures begins with an approximately 1 hour float plane ride from Homer to your designated area. The plane ride itself has a 300 pound maximum weight limit per passenger, and 12 pound weight limit per personal carry-on luggage - however I also think it's worth mentioning they never weighed our bags. Our check in began at 8:30 a.m. at their Homer Beluga Lake Office followed by a rundown of what to expect from our trip and all emergency procedures with the plane, with a final departure around 9 a.m. After this we were flown over some of the most beautiful views I've ever seen (seriously), and arrived at the Katmai National Park office where we had to undergo a 20 minute "Bear Safety School" before we could venture around the park ourselves. Overall, we ended up having about 4 hours with the bears before we had to jump on our flight back home.

The exact tour I recommend :
- Katmai National Park Bear Viewing

My Honest Review of Bald Mountain Air

No doubt about it, this is a bucket list experience that I can only hope everyone experiences at least once in their lifetime. I'll be honest the price point is quite high per person, especially for just a one day trip, but for what you're getting (and comparing the price with other Alaska tours), I truly believe it is 100% worth it. The flight itself is a little small and there's no bathroom, so if you get motion sickness I would take dramamine and try to get a seat near one of the windows. If you're extra lucky, you might even get to sit in the front of the plane for some extra special views!

My only complaint is that we wish we would have had more time with the bears. Of course, I feel like even spending a week there wouldn't be enough time for me. The safety briefings are quite long, especially when you're so excited to see the bears up close, but they're there for a reason and I 100% support that. The flight views were incredible, the bears were incredible, the photos we got were incredible, the whole experience was incredible.

To help you make the best of your visit, I've also included some of my best tips when visiting Katmai National Park via Bald Mountain Air :

• Wear Layers : the weather can change quickly in Alaska, and this will be an all day adventure, so wear layers and bring anything you don't wear (like a raincoat) in a small backpack
• Bring Lunch : during your time at Katmai you'll have to find a spot to have lunch (but only in the electric-wired safety zones), so make sure to bring any food and drinks with you that you'll want, when you arrive at the park you'll have to leave these in special food storage containers so you might want to label it as well
• Bring Camera Gear : this epic experience is a once in a lifetime adventure, so make sure to bring your best camera and maybe an extra battery and sim card! (like all other National Parks in the US, there are NO DRONES allowed at Katmai National Park)
• Head to the Brooks Falls Viewing Platform First : trust me, when you first get out of the required "Bear School" you'll want to stop at every bear you see - however, especially in peak seasons - the best thing to do is to go to the Brooks Falls Viewing Platform at the very end of the trail, sometimes it gets so busy that there'll even be a waiting list to get in and with your time restraints this is one thing you won't want to miss. While you wait for your time slot, you can go back and enjoy the other viewing areas.

Watch my Adventures at Katmai here!

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Other Alaska blog posts you might be interested in : 
-> 15 Easiest Alaska Glaciers to Visit
-> Where to Rent Bear Spray in Alaska
-> 7 Best Tours in Alaska

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