Haines and the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve
Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve (State Of Alaska) · Haines, Alaska
A 48,000-acre state preserve along the Chilkat River a short drive north of the small town of Haines, created in June 1982 to protect the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world. From October to February, springs keep a stretch of the river ice-free and a late run of chum salmon draws more than 3,000 eagles to a few miles of river flats known as the Council Grounds, where they crowd cottonwoods along the Haines Highway. The Alaska Bald Eagle Festival, based at the American Bald Eagle Foundation in town, runs buses, workshops and raptor programmes; in 2026 it took place 6-8 November. Haines itself sits between mountains and Lynn Canal, with the historic Fort William H. Seward, a hammer museum and brown bears fishing at Chilkoot Lake in late summer. It is linked by road to the Yukon and by fast ferry to Skagway.
Haines Highway, Mile 19-21 (Council Grounds), Haines, Alaska, 99827, United States
The preserve is open year-round. Eagles gather mainly October to February. Alaska Bald Eagle Festival 6-8 November 2026 (check visithaines.com).
Haines and the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve on Spottos · Explore more places on Spottos