McNeil River
Guided Viewing Permit Dates

The table below lists the available time blocks, permittees per time block, average chance of winning, bear viewing activities, and number of bears you are likely to see during your visit in those time blocks.

Access to McNeil River is generally by floatplane during the daily high tide and is influenced by the height and time of the high tide, weather conditions, and the transporter's capabilities. The highlighted dates and tides below may present an access problem when tide height is below 15.0 feet, or occurs too late or too early in the day to safely operate. Difficulty accessing McNeil River on these days may require lengthening your stay by arriving one or more days early or staying later. Your transporter will determine flight accessibility depending on their equipment and operational constraints.

Please review the table and consider this information in your period selections and travel planning. Additional days at the sanctuary are "in-camp" days; bear viewing with the group is only approved for your permitted period.

Time Block Letter Time Block Dates 2024 High Tide Time (24 hour) 2024 High Tide Height (Feet) Number of Permits Available % winning 5-Yr. Average by time block Viewing Areas/Bear Activities 2011 - 2020
Average Bears/Day Viewed
Tide Flats Sedge Flats Mikfik Creek McNeil River falls Lower McNeil River & Lagoon
  5-Jun 14:54 17.45 0  
6-Jun 15:42 17.79 0
A 7-Jun 16:27 17.77 10 15 c V*       13
8-Jun 17:11 17.4 15
9-Jun 17:55 16.77 12
10-Jun 18:40 16.01 16
B 11-Jun 19:25 15.27 10 10 c VM* FM*     16
12-Jun 20:13 14.69 15
13-Jun 21:01 14.37 18
14-Jun 21:49 14.35 16
C 15-Jun 22:36 14.62 7 7 c VM* FM*     17
16-Jun 23:21 15.15 16
17-Jun 12:28 12.82 17
18-Jun 13:21 13.74 19
D 19-Jun 14:08 14.73 10 6 c VM* FM*     20
20-Jun 14:52 15.65 23
21-Jun 15:34 16.42 22
22-Jun 16:16 16.98 19
E 23-Jun 16:57 17.31 7 5 c VM* FM*     23
24-Jun 17:39 17.44 22
25-Jun 18:22 17.42 25
26-Jun 19:07 17.32 25
F 27-Jun 19:55 17.21 10 5 c VM* FM*     26
28-Jun 20:45 17.16 23
29-Jun 21:40 17.21 30
30-Jun 22:37 17.41 34
G 1-Jul 23:36 17.73 10 3 c Vm* Fm* Fm*   37
2-Jul 13:00 14.64 35
3-Jul 14:00 15.57 41
4-Jul 14:52 16.42 38
H 5-Jul 15:37 17.05 10 3 c Vm Fm* Fm*   44
6-Jul 16:18 17.4 44
7-Jul 16:56 17.48 48
8-Jul 17:32 17.3 53
I 9-Jul 18:07 16.93 10 3 c vm fm Fm*   50
10-Jul 18:41 16.44 54
11-Jul 19:15 15.91 49
12-Jul 19:51 15.41 46
J 13-Jul 20:29 15.01 7 2 c vm fm Fm*   50
14-Jul 21:14 14.78 47
15-Jul 22:08 14.79 52
16-Jul 23:07 15.17 51
K 17-Jul 13:00 12.94 10 3 c vm fm Fm*   55
18-Jul 13:53 14.19 49
19-Jul 14:38 15.49 52
20-Jul 15:19 16.73 48
L 21-Jul 15:58 17.81 10 3 c vm fm Fm*   42
22-Jul 16:36 18.66 41
23-Jul 17:14 19.23 37
24-Jul 17:53 19.46 34
M 25-Jul 18:32 19.34 7 2 c v f Fm*   31
26-Jul 19:15 18.89 31
27-Jul 20:01 18.2 26
28-Jul 20:55 17.4 28
N 29-Jul 21:59 16.73 10 4 c     Fm* f 28
30-Jul 23:12 16.5 27
31-Jul 13:03 14.12 27
1-Aug 14:01 15.24 25
O 2-Aug 14:47 16.26 10 4 c     Fm* F* 23
3-Aug 15:25 17.08 22
4-Aug 15:59 17.66 22
5-Aug 16:30 18 20
P 6-Aug 16:58 18.1 7 4 c     F* F* 22
7-Aug 17:26 17.96 22
8-Aug 17:53 17.61 19
9-Aug 18:19 17.09 18
Q 10-Aug 18:48 16.45 10 8 c     f F* 21
11-Aug 19:20 15.75 18
12-Aug 20:01 15.06 19
13-Aug 21:00 14.53 15
R 14-Aug 22:20 14.52 10 11 c     f F* 18
15-Aug 23:41 15.37 17
16-Aug 13:36 14.36 16
17-Aug 14:17 16.03 13
S 18-Aug 14:54 17.67 10 13 c     f F* 14
19-Aug 15:30 19.16 12
20-Aug 16:06 20.35 12
21-Aug 16:41 21.09 9
T 22-Aug 17:17 21.29 10 18 c       F* 11
23-Aug 17:55 20.88 12
24-Aug 18:35 19.91 8
25-Aug 19:20 18.5 8
  26-Aug 20:15 16.92 0  
27-Aug 21:30 15.61 0
28-Aug 23:06 15.23 0

C=clamming; M=Mating behavior; F=Fishing; V=Foraging on Vegetation

Capital letter indicates behavior common; small letter indicates behavior less common.

* indicates primary areas visited during guided bear viewing tours.