Haines

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Set at the end of the Haines Highway and near the junction of the Chilkat and Chilkoot inlets, Haines is a beautiful coastal town with a rich history and millions of acres of surrounding wilderness. You can reach Haines by vehicle via the Alcan Highway south from Haines Junction, Yukon Territory, or take the Alaska Marine Highway ferry through the Inside Passage (from Skagway, Juneau, Bellingham, and other ports). Haines can also be reached by plane and cruise ship port.

The Haines area is well known to birders as having the largest concentrations of Bald Eagles in the world with several thousand eagles congregating along the Chilkat River in October and November for a late-season chum salmon run. The Chilkat Valley on Jilkáat Aani is known as the “Valley of Eagles” and the State of Alaska (with help from National Audubon Society) established the 49,000-acre Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve and Important Bird Area in 1982 to protect this important congregation area and valuable habitat. The community is also home to the Bald Eagle Foundation which works to promote Bald Eagle through education and hosts the annual Bald Eagle Festival each November. Haines visitors are also encouraged to visit the impressive Jilkaat Kwaan Cultural Heritage Center and Bald Eagle Preserve Observatory.

Other bird species in the Chilkat region include Surf Scoter, Glaucous-winged Gull, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Western Sandpiper, Bonaparte’s Gull, Trumpeter Swan, Rock Sandpiper, White-winged Scoter, Varied Thrush, American Pipit, and Sharp-shinned Hawk.

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