Fortress of the Bear
Nonprofit Bear Rescue Centre · Sitka, Alaska
A non-profit bear rescue centre about 5 miles east of downtown Sitka, founded in 2007 by Evy and Les Kinnear inside huge concrete tanks left from an old pulp mill. It gives a permanent home to orphaned brown bear cubs that could not survive alone in the wild, and visitors watch the grown bears play, swim and forage from elevated platforms overlooking two large habitats. Staff explain why cubs become orphaned and how people can prevent conflicts with bears. It is one of the few places in Southeast Alaska where visitors are guaranteed to see brown bears up close and safely. In 2026 it opened daily 10 AM-4 PM from May to September, last admission 3:30 PM, and on weekends in April and October, weather permitting. Admission was $20, and on busy cruise days entry used 40-minute timed slots, with limited walk-up tickets.
4639 Sawmill Creek Road, Sitka, Alaska, 99835, United States
May-September 2026: daily 10 AM-4 PM, last admission 3:30 PM. April and October: weekends only, weather permitting (check fortressofthebear.org).
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