A Complete Guide to Alaska's Bald Eagle Festival in Haines

The Bald Eagle Festival in Haines is one of the most unique events in Alaska. As the rest of the state begins to freeze up, the river here has large sections that stay ice free, meaning salmon - and therefore meaning more eagles. It's estimated that 3,000 eagles make their way here during the event in November, making it an excellent spot to go eagle viewing to watch them in their natural habitats.

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Just in case, Safetywing is the insurance I always use for travel insurance.

Lastly, my Alaska packing list for your travels to the Last Frontier.

Getting to the Festival & Getting Around

Getting to the Bald Eagle Festival in Haines is pretty straightforward. There's only 3 ways to get to Haines, you can either drive from Anchorage (about 14 hours), take the ferry (about 5 hours from Juneau), or fly all the way there (the quickest but most expensive option).

Once you get to Haines, you'll need to decide if you want to rent a car or not. I'll be honest, renting a car would be my first option - however when my husband and I looked into it the rental prices were pretty spendy. I recommend renting a car only because this way you can spend as much time as you want at the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve to view the eagles.

Otherwise, the Haines Visitor Center offers shuttles to Festival Guests for $100 a person. The service includes door to door pickup, and honestly it worked great for us. There were two shuttles, and we simply had to text the drivers whenever we wanted to go somewhere. We did have to coordinate with all festival guests and there's no cell service outside of Haines (like when the shuttle is at the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve) which made it a little spotty, but otherwise it worked great.

My Favorite Haines Hotel!

My Favorite Tours Near Haines :
- Chilkoot Lake Kayaking
- Half Day Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Float

Bald Eagle Festival Complete Guide

Viewing the Bald Eagles
​Ideally, you'll be able to see the eagles all over town and the surrounding areas, however there's some areas that have typically been better than others. It's worth noting though, that with rising temperatures, there have been less eagles returning to the area simply because other areas in the state aren't as frozen over as they would typically be in previous years during November.

The best areas to see the large amounts of eagles are in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, where there are multiple pull outs where you can park and then get out to explore and enjoy the views. If you stop at the Council Grounds pull off, you can enjoy some informational signs and I highly encourage you to walk the 2ish mile boardwalk - just be careful as it can be a bit slippery. While we were enjoying watching the eagles, we even saw a brown bear - so if you head into the backcountry make sure to have some bear spray on you.

My Favorite Camera Gear for Wildlife

Bald Eagle Festival Events
​On the Haines Bald Eagle Festival website (and when you arrive at the Visitor Center) you'll be able to find the updated yearly schedule of events. I would make sure to look through the list and make note of any of the events you want to make sure you go to.

​If you're able to, I recommend stopping at the Opening Ceremony, watching the Chilkat Dancers, enjoying the Chilkat Center of the Arts for their bird themed storytellings, and visiting the Closing Ceremony. Through these events, you'll be able to learn more about the Eagles themselves, learn about the American Bald Eagle Foundation and what they're doing to preserve Bald Eagle habitats, and experience the local culture in Haines.

Other Things to Do
While you're visiting Haines for the Bald Eagle Festival, chances are you'll want to explore other local things to do in the area! There's plenty to do in Haines, and even though many local businesses are closed down from the summer season, there's still lots to do.

I highly encourage you to check out my full list of things to do in Haines, but my top recommendations are to visit the Hammer Museum (super unique), visit the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Area (incredible views), and explore downtown, including the amazing local places to eat. Most things to do in Haines are within walking distance of downtown, making them really easy to get to.

Watch the Bald Eagle Festival here!

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Other Alaska blog posts you might be interested in : 
-> Port Day in Juneau
-> Best Things to Do in Sitka
-> Best Things to Do in Ketchikan

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