Fortress of the Bear
4.7 from 1222 reviews
Address 4639 Sawmill Creek Rd, Sitka, AK 99835
Phone Number +19077473550
A Google User
This place is fantastic! Reclaimed historic structure purchased to house orphan bear cubs. The animals are happy and healthy. The nonprofit also gleans food from local venues to feed the animals, leaving more resources to tend to animal needs. The only way this could be better is if it was larger to save more cubs! Note on logistics: don’t waste money on overpriced tours. Take the free shuttle from the pier to downtown. Walk half a block to the visitors center for a map. They’ll instruct you to take the blue line city bus ($5/adults) to Fortress of the Bear. GO HERE FIRST. It takes 40 minutes to visit, 60 minutes round trip travel. From there, walk to the ($15-20) Raptor Sanctuary (Ask about clever Onyx!), and Totem Park along the waterfront. Even if it’s raining, it’s not mudddy. There are tons of historic places on the way. We paid hundreds for other excursions, but this was the best part of our trip. 🛳️
A Google User
A great place to check out! The bears are adorable and very entertaining. We were able to get tickets and bus from the bus depot to this place last minute. My only irk with doing this (and this doesn't have any negative towards the fortress it's a great place) is that your time is pretty limited. Might be enough for some but you're in and out quickly. Lots of merch and nice bathrooms!
A Google User
This was a cool experience! Love to see that the bears are able to be taken care of instead of euthanized. Their habitat was clean and well taken care of! Nice to listen and learn about the bears they have.
A Google User
There were bears that had been abandoned as cubs and raised here to have fruitful lives. They were very active. We enjoyed it very much! They accommodated my husband's scooter for transportation and at the facility.
A Google User
Fortress of the Bear is so cool!! We visited as one of our excursions on a Royal Caribbean cruise and our family had such a great time. You can tell they treat these bears incredibly and the staff is very kind and knowledgeable! Highly recommend if you’re visiting Sitka!!
A Google User
Wonderful place. They take in bear cubs that have been orphaned as a result of Mama Bear's interaction with humans. We came via the local transit system "Blue Line". It stops a short walk from the Fortress. You can get fairly close up views of the bears. They feed the bears various times throughout the day and the local Bald Eagles try to get some of the food.
Business Hours
Monday:09:00AM - 17:00PMTuesday:09:00AM - 17:00PMWednesday:09:00AM - 17:00PMThursday:09:00AM - 17:00PMFriday:09:00AM - 17:00PMSaturday:09:00AM - 17:00PMSunday:09:00AM - 17:00PM
Popular Times
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible entrance
- Wheelchair accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
Amenities
- Gender-neutral restroom
Crowd
- LGBTQ+ friendly
- Transgender safespace
Categories
