Best Grizzly Bear Watching on Vancouver Island: Why Campbell River and Telegraph Cove need to be on your list.
Published on: April 8, 2025 | Last Updated: April 8, 2025
Our first attempt at Grizzly Bear watching on Vancouver Island was way back in 2003 when we flew in from Campbell River to what was called Knight Inlet Lodge located on beautiful Minstrel Island. The name of this lodge was a sore point between the much larger and more corporate Knight Inlet Lodge located at Glendale Cove. Anyway, local politics is not our thing, so we just smiled and lapped up the amazing Grizzly Bear viewing at the Knight Inlet stands as well as enjoying some stunning Orca whale watching in Johnstone Strait.
Campbell River Bear tours: What you need to know before you book
Campbell River really is the gateway to ‘Grizzly Bear heaven’, and if you google Campbell River bear tours you will be amazed at the number of highly regarded small boat operators which depart from the marina at Campbell River before heading out on a beautiful 2 or 3 hour crossing to one of the many inlets which form part of the wildlife rich British Colombia west coast.
There are no Grizzly Bears on Vancouver Island and sadly if the off one occasionally makes it over to the mainland, or one of the islands close by they do not live long. So when you see all these Vancouver Island bear watching companies advertise their tours, they are all heading to the inlets off the coast of western BC for the chance to see Grizzly Bears, or as they are also referred to, coastal brown bears.
The Campbell River bear tours we book are always with companies with small numbers of passengers in their boats and this is normally a maximum of 12. This is very important as often there is only one guide/biologist on the boat and for a full day excursion there is a lot of interpretation and questions they will have to answer about the bears and other resident wildlife, so small numbers of people on the boat means you get more attention. It also means more space on the boat for you to stretch your legs and to be able to photograph the wildlife you come across during the crossing.
Knight Inlet Grizzly Bear viewing: Why is it so famous for watching Grizzly Bears?
So yet again Campbell River is where it’s all happening as the floatplane transfers to Knight Inlet lodge, or Grizzly Bear Lodge as our smaller ‘rival’ is now known, start and end in Campbell River. You cannot get any closer to that wilderness and pioneer Canadian spirit than by taking a low level floatplane ride over the strait of Georgia and towards the inlets of mainland BC. You will fly low enough to have the chance to see whales surfacing, as well as the stunning scenery, and finally the actual wilderness lodge where you will be staying for the next 4 nights – pure Canadian theatre and an amazing start to your Canada wildlife holiday.
When Knight Inlet grizzly bear viewing is at its best, and this depends on many environmental factors, it is stunning and without a doubt one of the best places to photograph bears in Canada. This is because the viewing area consists of a man-made raised platform ideally located to capture the main returning salmon run as they come in to spawn and where there are millions of kilo’s of fish you will find bears. In particular, the large male boars will choose the best areas to plunge into the water and ‘grab’ the best salmon, while the smaller bears have to stay further back and feed on what is left. During a good run there is plenty for all the bears and of course other scavengers like Bald Eagles and coastal rainforest wolves – although sightings of them are rare.
Because you are at the Knight Inlet viewing stands for several hours you can move around within the limits of the platform area and capture some truly stunning images of the bears catching the salmon. The journey across from your wilderness lodge is also spectacular and you may see marine wildlife such as Humpbacks, Orcas, Pacific-white sided dolphins and porpoises enroute.
Knight Inlet Lodge grizzly bear viewing, or multiple Campbell River bear tours?
The first important point to make is that you pay a heavy premium for a grizzly bear tour from Vancouver Island however you organise it. As a quick comparison a full day whale watching tour is about a third of the price of a full day grizzly bear tour from Campbell River. So, if you are on a budget we would recommend that you do at least one full day Campbell River bear tour and allow extra time in case of a cancellation which does happen with the changeable Pacific weather patterns. Then to this tour you can add a variety of other half-day wildlife and adventure activities, like Orca whale watching tours, snorkelling for salmon, or head inland with your car to try and spot Moose while trekking in the interior.
All fly-in bear viewing lodges whether in Alaska or Canada come with a high price tag and Grizzly Bear Lodge and Knight Inlet Lodge are no different. It is fair to say they have a bigger ‘wow factor’ when it comes to the overall experience and in the case of our chosen lodge, Grizzly Bear Lodge in Minstrel Island, they have only 6 cabins and multiple guides, so the guide/client ratio is very low and therefore your wildlife experience will be elevated. For sure if this is a trip of a lifetime and you have the budget then we can guarantee that you will never regret booking the Knight Inlet Lodge grizzly bear viewing with Grizzly Bear Lodge.
Telegraph Cove Grizzly bear tours: A rich wildlife history here, but don’t forget Port McNeil
We have already discussed the thrilling experience that is Knight Inlet grizzly bear viewing but a quick history less shows us 20 years ago there were three options for visiting the famous Knight Inlet viewing stands; Knight Inlet Lodge, Grizzly Bear Lodge (sometimes referred to as Sailcone Lodge) and a full day grizzly bear tour from Telegraph Cove with the famous Tide Rip tours owned and run at that time by Howard Pattison. We first met Howard way back in 2003 and he became a great friend of Wildlife Trails and our go to grizzly bear day tour in the northeast of the island.
Around 15 years back Howard sold his access right to the viewing stands to one of the lodges and focused instead on his Knight Inlet estuary bear viewing tours which proved to be not a bad idea, as weather patterns changes due to global warming and sometimes the bear viewing was better in the estuary than the stands themselves, Simply put, if there are not enough rains in the summer the salmon have to wait in the estuary as the rivers are too low for them to move up to their spawning grounds.
Grizzly bear tours from Telegraph Cove: Where to go and what to expect?
Sadly, there was a major fire at the famous Telegraph Cove marina and boardwalk on the 31st of December 2024 which destroyed many historic buildings including the pub, restaurant, whale museum and the offices of Tide Rip bear tours and Prince Whales whale watching company. However, work has begun on the rebuild using locally sourced timber and companies and they hope this historic North Island location will be fully operational by the end of May 2025.
With full day bear tours from Telegraph Cove, it is always important to ring them a day in advance of your trip to ensure it is still going ahead. If clients are happy to provide a contact mobile number, we will give that to the operator so they can contact you in good time if this happens. Even in the peak summer months weather systems can come in from the Pacific and cause poor weather and heavy swells for one or two days so please factor this into the planning of your Vancouver Island wildlife holiday and leave a day free as a safety net which can also be for exploring the local area.
For the full day tours drinks and snacks will be served onboard as well as a simple lunch. You will need to bring a wind/waterproof layer in case of rain and wind but you may also find yourselves enjoying the sunshine in lightweight trousers and tee shirts while bear viewing in Knight Inlet. For those of you prone to sea sickness the good news is that for the journey across to Knight Inlet your boat captain will mainly navigate the sheltered backwaters of the Broughton Archipelago which have less wind and therefore wave action.
It’s a long day out on the water and depending on wildlife encounters on the way back to Telegraph Cove you may be a little bit late back into the marina so don’t plan too much that evening, and instead enjoy a sunset walk around the historic Telegraph Cove boardwalk and maybe a meal at the local restaurant, before driving back to your accommodation.
Port McNeil wildlife tours: Two ‘hidden’ wildlife operator gems that deliver amazing experiences.
Port McNeil may not be as picturesque as Telegraph Cove, but it has some amazing wildlife operators who head to exactly the same locations as the Telegraph Cove bear and whale watching companies. You don’t have to stay in Port McNeil to experience these first-class companies, as it is only a 30 minute drive from Telegraph Cove and around 20 minutes from one of our favourite accommodation providers, Hidden Cove Lodge.
Working with local operators with an ethical approach to wildlife viewing is always at the heart of what we do here at Wildlife Trails and in that vein, we have no hesitation at all in recommending our Port McNeil bear tours company. As well as organising grizzly bear viewing in areas like Knight Inlet and Blackfish Sound, they also help restore wild salmon stocks which are vital to grizzlies, various marine life, and the Indigenous traditions which are thousands of years old. You can consider a trip with this company a combination of wildlife viewing and education about the rich history of the Kwakwaka‘wakw people, from their ancient traditions to what modern life in the Great Bear Rainforest is like for those with a special bond for both the land and the see.
Port McNeil whale watching. Why we recommend MacKay’s and Seasmoke
As a general rule of thumb, the larger the Vancouver Island whale watching company the poorer the service, especially when it comes to cancellations or moving you from a smaller boat to a larger one at the last minute. This is a particular bug bear of ours, as we always make it clear to our partners on Vancouver Island that both our clients and us prefer the more intimate whale watching experience that comes with taking to the coastal waters with limited passenger numbers.
We have found the best approach is to work with small family run whale watching outfits that only have the smaller boat options and by definition limit their group size. Having said that we still check what the minimum number of passengers is required for a particular departure to be guaranteed and book our clients according to those dates.
You just have to read the reviews of MacKay’s and Seasmoke (who operate just a little further south, out of Alert Bay or Alder Bay!) to see how special the experience is. Most of these tours last for between 3 to 4 hours and as well as transient Orcas you have a chance to see Humpback, Minke and Bigg’s (transient) killer whales. dolphins, porpoises, sea lions, seals, sea otters, bald eagles.
Grizzly Bear viewing and whale watching on Vancouver Island: Our recommended route and tour for wildlife magic!
If you are comfortable driving, then we would recommend taking the regular commuter ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo (roll on, roll off large ferry) and the scenic 19A drive to Campbell River with stops enroute. We would recommend a minimum of 3 nights here in a property with an Oceanview and take a minimum of one Campbell River bear tour and one whale watching trip with a free day to explore, which also served as a safety net in case of one of your wildlife tours being cancelled.
After Campbell River you continue north on highway 19 and take the turn off for Telegraph Cove, but instead of heading all the way to this famous small ocean community take a left to the more remote Hidden Cove resort and base yourselves there for 3 nights with a similar approach to your Telegraph Cove bear tours and whale watching as we recommended in Campbell River.
Allans Top Wildlife Travel Tip
Why not extend your Canada wildlife holiday by driving just 45 minutes north and taking the BC ferry from Port Hardy to the stunning coastal community of Bella Coola which is the gateway to the valley and then enjoy some amazing Bella Coola bear tours where you simply drift past grizzly bears catching salmon – MAGICAL
