Bald Mountain Air Service - Homer, Alaska

Mary

I’m so glad that we chose Bald Mountain for our Brooks Falls trip- our group of 7 people had a blast!!!

Mary Jo is absolutely incredible- she was very informative and helpful, giving us all the tips on our Alaska trip planning. Her patience and honesty was the reason that I decided to use Bald Mountain instead of other operators.

Based on her suggestion, we altered our itineraries to increase the odds of seeing bears at Brooks Falls (staying in Homer in July instead of June, 3 nights instead of 2). Our booking was for 7/1, and we had been monitoring the live cameras and weather forecast every day, but the outlook wasn’t promising. On the morning of 7/1, Mary Jo informed me that the trip was canceled due to bad weather, and we’ll fly to Brooks the next day instead. So we swapped the plans per her recommendation, and took the water taxi to glacier lake hike that day (sooo worth it, see the photos attached).

What a difference a day makes! We flew to Brooks on 7/2, sunny and warm, and the bears were there, many of them!!! Gary the owner gave us an overview of the trip before the flight, so we knew what to expect. The awesome pilot Ricky took us for a scenic ride, showing us beautiful water falls, glaciers, volcanoes, lakes, and so much more….

Because Bald Mountain’s trips are much longer than most of their counterparts, we were able to sign up for upper deck viewing multiple times, taking many photos and videos of the bears in action. It was a trip of a lifetime! The pictures don’t do justice, and you really have to see it yourself to understand the beauty of it…

Thank you Bald Mountain for the fantastic experience! Thank you Many Jo, Ricky, and Gary!!!

Angie S.

Our first flight over to Katmai NP got canceled and Bald Mountain was able to get us on their flight the next day! We had a few bumps due to weather systems but our pilot chose a couple great routes to keep it to a minimum. It was an awesome day in the rain visiting the park and seeing the bears throughout the area. A truly amazing experience and many thanks to Mary Jo for getting us booked and our pilot for an awesome flight (and words of advice from doing this for a long time)!!

James W.

What a great trip! Our pilot Gary was fantastic! He got us to Brook Falls and comfortably. The time at Brooks Falls was incredible. I am so glad that we spent the money to do this. We saw so many brown bear catching salmon! We also saw brown bear almost catch a couple of flyfisherman! Silly guys!

Janni H.

Absolutely loved our brown bear experience.
Our pilot/ guide Gary was a “Bear Whisperer Legend”. We trudged thru tundra, seaside and hillsides to see the bears in their wild habitat.
We learned so many things about bears but mostly how to be patient and give the bears time to trust us in their space.
Highly recommend this Flyout with Bald Mountain Air.

Andrew C.

After booking with one of their competitors, we found out at the last minute that they were not going to be able to accommodate us, so they called Bald Mountain to confirm that they still had availability and that's how we wound up with them.

I could not have been more pleased with this company. The flight was smooth and easy, our pilot/guide (Ryan) was vastly knowledgeable about the bears and even though we went later in the season, the bears did not disappoint.

The group moved at a decent pace, but it was made clear to us from the very beginning that we were in no rush to get anywhere. For me that, was comforting due to many medical issues including, two bad knees, a bad shoulder, and a bad hip...a hip that is scheduled for surgery in 2-3 weeks. Yes, you read that correctly. If that isn't enough, I'm also a type one diabetic. Why do I mention all of this? If I can do it, you can do it.

To be within 20-25 feet of some of these amazing creatures is nothing like I've ever experienced. It's life without a net, or maybe chainlink fence rather. I was amazed to hear tales of their mating habits, when they come to feed, feeding dominance, etc. It was truly the trip on a lifetime and I'm not sure how I could possibly sell anyone still reading on this any better.

Bald Mountain delivered - they were knowledgeable, trustworthy, safety conscious, and provided a great experience. Thanks guys!

Theresa N.

Great trip to Katmai on the bear safari! We saw tons of bears and the pilots/guides got us close without it ever feeling dangerous. Would highly recommend!

Brian F.

Amazing experience! We took a flight with them to Katmai for a bear viewing tour on the way back our pilot Ricky took us close to mountains and volcanoes for some amazing views of the landscape and even wildlife right from the plane.

Lucie L.

Do not miss this activity if you can afford it. It's is just amazing. I don't like flying and I felt very safe and I enjoyed it so much. Seeing the bears fishing at Books Falls was fantastic. The return trip was just amazing. So much great memories.