As soon as I learned about Snug Harbor Outpost from my friend Matt Atkinson, I was intrigued.
Chisik Island has its own charm…and the Snug Harbor Outpost commands the best view. It’s called the “Forgotten Shore” because there aren’t a lot of people in the area since the cannery closed. That’s good for animals!
Choose from two bear-viewing packages:
TWO-NIGHT Bears-and-a-bed. This package is the most popular. Come experience the bears in the wild-and-untouched Alaska that we know and love.
This all inclusive stay includes round trip travel by float plane out of Homer, 2 days of bear viewing and other tide dependent excursions, all meals, the use of our sauna, and double occupancy lodging (2 nights).
ONE-NIGHT Bears-and-a-bed. Perfect if you’re in a hurry. Same great features–but just spend one night.
Call Mariah Porter at 513-600-2904 to plan your great adventure.
The Porter family purchased the shuttered Snug Harbor Cannery about 20 years ago. Since then, they’ve been working on how best to accommodate folks who want to see bears, catch fish and enjoy this slice of Alaska. In Willy Porter’s words, “We want to show off what we love about Alaska.”
To get there, take a Bush plane from Homer. It’s just a short flight across Cook Inlet. Your pilot lands on the beach right in front of the lodge. Be on the lookout for “Eye of the Storm”, a 40-foot fishing and adventure boat. Eli, Abe or one of the other captains will take you in the boat to see the bears!
The Snug Harbor Cannery operated from the 1920s up to 1980, when it closed. Willy Porter’s dad fished the local waters in the “Snug 12”. It was one of several cannery boats that brought in the salmon all summer long.
Willy fished with his dad, then took over Snug 12 in the 1950s. Willy and Jennie’s kids spent summers on the boat—playing with the other kids in Snug Harbor. And where there are fish…there are bears.
On arrival at Snug Harbor, Eli’s twin brother Abe met us on the beach and helped load our bags to our room. We gather in the dining room for an orientation, then take a tour of some of the buildings at Snug Harbor. There are cranes, conveyor belts, ovens and a bunch of old cannery artifacts. Many are “off-limits” …unless you’re part of the crew to refurbish the buildings! The crew will be working quite awhile to renovate what they can and to clean up the rest.
After orientation about meals, wi-fi and other safety items, we loaded on to the “Eye of the Sorm” to see some bears upriver.
Captain Eli knows right where to go. Even though the fish weren’t yet running, the bears are active, eating the sedge grass. I guess that’s like a salad course before the main dish (red salmon).
Eli and Jace (the deckhand) were on-point regarding bears and bear-watching protocol. We didn’t get too close and were very attentive about the bears’ behavior. We even saw a clack bear and a momma bear with two cubs.
On the way back to Chisik Island and Snug Harbor, we stopped at Fossil Point. it’s essentially a rock wall with fossils falling out of it. Lots of clam and scallop fossils right on the beach!!
After watching whales in the morning, the water crossing and the bear adventure…we were beat. Everyone took a brief nap before dinner . Alicia, the chef, offered a tasty spread including halibut tacos!
The weather was perfect, just right for strolling the beach after dinner and taking in the awesome wilderness setting at Snug Harbor.
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