72 Microseasons of the Pacific Northwest

The Upper Skagit River corridor between Marblemount, Rockport, and Concrete hosts one of the largest concentrations of wintering bald eagles in the contiguous United States. From early January through late February, hundreds of birds gather along a roughly twenty-mile stretch of river to feed on the final chum salmon runs. Counts frequently exceed 200 eagles on a single day, and in peak years, observers have tallied more than 400 birds along this stretch — an astonishing density of the continent's largest raptor. Eagles perch in the bare cottonwoods and big-leaf maples lining the river, dropping to sandbars and gravel bars to feed on salmon carcasses. Both adults — with their distinctive white heads and tails — and immature birds in blotchy brown-and-white plumage fill the trees. Howard Miller Steelhead County Park in Rockport serves as the hub of the Skagit Eagle Festival, with an interpretive center open on weekends offering guided hikes and expert naturalist talks. The pullout at Bald Eagle Natural Area near mile marker 100 on SR-20 is a reliable viewing point requiring no hiking. Beyond the Skagit, wintering eagles are also visible along the Sauk River, the Stillaguamish near Arlington, and the Nooksack River near Deming. East of the Cascades, the Columbia River around Wenatchee and Chelan also hosts smaller congregations. The combination of fish availability, cold clear water, and old-growth cottonwood gallery forest along these river systems makes the Skagit Valley the anchor of the entire wintering eagle network in western Washington.