Haines Alaska is situated in Southeast Alaska and is one of the few vehicle accessible cities. With a population of 1,713, Haines is home to more bald eagles than people. As the Chilkat River fills with salmon thousands of competing eagles migrate into the area for the winter. Between October and February of each year, Haines has the largest concentration of bald eagles in the world.
Some friends recommended we take a detour off the Alaska highway and head down the 3 hour drive from Haines Junction into Haines. The Haines highway is long, windy, remote and beautiful. It begins in the Yukon Territory and as you head south, you cross into British Colombia and end in Alaska. The highway is lined with mountains, lakes and provisional parks that look great for camping and hiking. At the beginning of November, the roads were snowy and icy, but plows were running.
The US/Canada Border
Just 40 miles from Haines, we cross into Alaska. This is the smallest border crossing we've ever visited. There's no fancy equipment, cameras or scales, just two officers that collected our passports, ran our plates and asked us a few questions about where we're coming and where we're going. The obvious answer being Haines. It's only open from 7am - midnight and by the looks of it, the officers and their families reside just a few hundred feet from the checkpoint.
Bald Eagle Preserve
After crossing into Alaska, seeing eagles become plentiful. Driving along the Chilkat River, we start keeping a tally of each eagle we see. Some are across the river, peppered in the naked icy tree, and others are perched right over the road. We pull over to enjoy a quiet moment with an eagle sitting on a fallen tree just 20 feet from us. After about 15 minutes, he must have seen a fish and flew away. We continue driving and enter the Eagle Preserve, a state park and wildlife refuge.
We've been in a few preserves across the US, and have always been underwhelmed by wildlife. Maybe we come at the wrong time or season, but we rarely see animals in preserves. Luckily, this was not the case this time... Our tally was just reaching 50 when we saw hundreds of eagles lining the river, and peppering the trees. There were dozens flying around. We got out of the jeep to take it all in.
After taking some photos, we saw an eagle standing over a huge salmon, just 40 feet from us. It was pecking at its catch, keeping a watchful eye on any other approaching eagles. As another eagle swopped in to share the catch, the eagle swopped up and defended its kill. Bald eagles do not like sharing. The original eagle asserted its dominance as the other eagle retreated back to its tree. Many eagles tried to take over the kill, but the original eagle defended its prize until it voluntarily flew away. A single salmon is enough food for several eagles.
Haines
The town of Haines is pretty small, albeit one of the larger cities in the southeast region of Alaska. Since it's one of the only cities accessible by vehicle, its a popular place for ferries and travelers and it lies on the Alaska Marine Highway. There were only a few open restaurants at the beginning of November. Overland camping around the area was not difficult, thanks to several cutouts along the ferry road. Theres a port for fishing boats, and the ferry dock is able to accommodate cruise ships. It didn't feel like a tourist driven town and there were little services for travelers in November. The major attraction this time of year is the Haines Bald Eagle Festival hosted by the American Bald Eagle Foundation.
Should You Go?
Haines was well worth visiting and the Bald Eagle watching was a once in a life-time experience. If you're riding along the Alaska Highway, around the Yukon anytime in November to January, it's well worth the stop. The later winter snowy months can make the drive more difficult, so bring tire chains and be prepared. We spent a day and a half in the city, and felt content with everything we saw! If you want to spent a bit more time, checkout the ferry system, state parks, and wildlife viewing!
