The Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center, located at Howard Miller Steelhead Park in Rockport, WA, is open weekends through January with special programs, guided walks, and advice on where eagles are congregating.

The center is devoted to natural history and environmental education, telling the relationship among bald eagles, salmon, the river and the old-growth forest.

Nearby Rockport State Park provides companion programs.

We hope to see you at this year’s Skagit Eagle Festival!

Even though the bald eagle is a year-round resident of Northwest Washington, late fall and early winter offer prime viewing opportunities in eastern Skagit county as these iconic birds gather to feed on the carcasses of salmon that have died following their spawning runs.

In fact, the Skagit River Valley is known to host the largest concentration of bald eagles outside Alaska.

Veteran eagle watchers say the best time to watch is just before noon on a cloudy day. Eagles tend to feed about 11 a.m., so the birds will be most active then. Cloudy days find eagles perched in trees or flapping lazily only a few dozen feet in the air. On sunny days, they’re flying higher.

We can’t wait for the Skagit Eagle Festival to begin, either! And in fact, you don’t have to wait — there are activities going on right now! You can visit Rockport State Park, the US Forest Service Eagle Watcher Volunteers, and the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center during the month of December.

Rockport State Park’s Discovery Center, Fridays through Saturdays from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, offers free refreshments, interactive displays, nature videos, books and crafts. Children ages 5 and up can participate in the Junior Ranger program which consists of age-appropriate opportunities (an activity booklet and a guided hike) to learn, play and protect natural spaces.

Free, guided tours depart at 11:00 am, noon, 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm; Rockport State Park staff, volunteers and guest speakers will lead guests on a ½ mile, 45 minute educational walk under a dense canopy of maples and old-growth evergreens – including the 500 year old Grandmother Cedar. During the hike, the guides will discuss the ecosystems that keep forests healthy. A Discover Pass is required for entry to the park; program participation is free. parks.state.wa.us/574/Rockport

The US Forest Service Eagle Watcher Volunteers are available on weekends to assist the public’s viewing by providing tips and allowing use of their high quality spotting scopes and binoculars. The volunteers set up their outdoor base in the day use area of Howard Miller Steelhead Park. Additional sites are manned at the milepost 100 turnout and the Marblemount Fish Hatchery. The hatchery also offers self-guided tours with educational videos. Skagiteaglewatchers.wordpress.com

Howard Miller Steelhead Park also houses the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center, open from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm on weekends as well as weekdays for Dec 26-30. Each Saturday and Sunday, starting Dec 9, there are guided hikes along the Skagit River at 11:00 am. Guest speakers’ presentations are given on Saturdays at 1:00 pm.

Stay tuned for more Skagit Eagle Festival activity announcements!

The Skagit Eagle Festival is a month-long celebration during eagle-watching season in Skagit County. Activities take place in Concrete, Rockport and Marblemount every full weekend in January. During December and January Visit the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center at Howard Miller Steelhead Park (Saturdays and Sundays) or Rockport State Park (Fridays – Sundays) for a variety of free tours, walks, and educational programs where you’ll learn not only about these majestic birds, but also about a variety of wildlife and the beautiful areas along the Skagit River where they live or return each year.

Bald eagles, among the largest birds of prey, are opportunistic meat eaters often seen in local parks and greenbelts. Their winter migration to the North Cascades provides an opportunity to observe and photograph them in groups, feeding along riverbeds or roosting in trees in numbers that only occur from December to February when they come from as far away as Alaska to feast on carcasses of salmon that spawn, then die, along the upper Skagit River. Get up close and personal with a self-guided tour of the Marblemount Fish Hatchery, a visit with a Forest Service Eagle Watcher Volunteer (at Howard Miller Steelhead Park, Milepost 100, or the Marblemount Fish Hatchery) or a-3 hour heated drift boat tour with Skagit River Guide Service (1-888-6-SKAGIT)

Special presentations during the Skagit Eagle Festival will teach you about a year in the life of an eagle, how to photograph wildlife and scenery, and much more. Each full weekend in January offers a variety of events starting off with the 5K Salmon Run/Walk at Ovenell’s Hertiage Inn on January 6. Marblemount Community Hall offers a day (Jan 13) dedicated to Native American Heritage and the Concrete Theatre offers free photography workshops. Bring your camera, dress for unpredictable winter weather, and come join us for one of the most uplifting and entertaining events of the year!