Home Page
Nature Tours
Guided and Custom Hikes
Excursions for Cruise Ship Passengers
Our fall/winter offerings
Employment Opportunities
Photo and Video Highlights from our tours and hikes
About our company
Reservation and contact information

Our fall/winter trips focus on the spectacular gathering of the eagles in the Chilkat Valley. Ideal for photographers and all nature lovers who wish to witness one of the world's most awesome wildlife spectacles.

Note: Additional 5.5% sales tax is collected on all tours.

multitude of eaglesChilkat Bald Eagle
Preserve Tour

To witness this gathering is an experience of a lifetime!

As many as 3,500 of these magnificent raptors return each fall to feed on a unique late run of spawning salmon in the Chilkat River. Alaska Nature Tours provides guided natural history and photography tours to the "eagle council grounds". Our expedition bus serves as a warming hut, diner, and bird blind enabling you eye-to-eye views of the nation's symbol. Moose, mountain goats and a variety of birds share this winter habitat as well. The history of the preserve, wildlife behavior, special adaptations, and ecology are our specialty.

To enhance your wintertime trip, visits to the Sheldon Museum, Alaska Indian Arts, and the Bald Eagle Foundation Natural History Museum can be arranged.

Time
Cost
Half Day
 $110.00/Day; $60.00/Person for 2 or more.
Full Day
 $220.00/Day; $115.00/Person for 2 or more.

Group rates and hot catered lunches are available.

About the Preserve

The Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve was created by the State of Alaska in June 1982. The Preserve was established to protect and perpetuate the world's largest concentration of Bald Eagles and their critical habitat. It also sustains and protects the natural salmon runs. The Preserve consists of 48,000 acres of river bottom land of the Chilkat, Kleheni, and Tsirku Rivers. The boundaries were designated to include only areas important to eagle habitation. Virtually every portion of the preserve is used by eagles at some time during the year.

More information on the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve can be found at the American Bald Eagle Foundation website at http://www.baldeagles.org.
 

winter viewingComplete Chilkat Bald
Eagle Preserve Packages

For the serious photographer, we recommend staying at least 5 days to cover the full range of photo opportunities in the preserve. Our packages include a full-day guided tour, all meals and lodging. Be prepared for a full spectrum of light and weather from 10 degrees and clear, to 40 degrees and rain, to 30 degrees with 3 feet of snow. Leave the arrangements and driving to us.

Bring warm, layered clothing with a waterproof shell, extra film and batteries.

Single Occupancy Double Occupancy # Clients
$330.00/day n/a 1
$210.00/person/day $180.00/person/day 2 to 5
$200.00/person/day $160.00/person/day 6 to 9
$190.00/person/day $140.00/person/day 10 or more

Alaska Backcountry Outfitters

Alaska Backcountry Outfitter provides quality adventure gear for all seasons. We have: hiking, camping, and climbing gear, paddle supplies, skis and snowboards, clothing, boots, books, and gifts.

  • Sales
  • Service
  • Rentals
  • Tours

We are located at 210 Main Street, downtown Haines.

Click a picture for a close-up of the shop.

Quality gear for all seasons
Shop manager Denny
Stop by sometime!

ski our trailsCross Country Skiing

With an average winter snowfall of six to eight feet, Haines is the gateway to the best natural back country ski conditions in Southeast Alaska.  A multitude of terrain at various elevations and vistas are accessible right from the highway.  Ski touring ranges from flat tracking along an assortment of rivers with names that speak from Tlingit antiquity, such as the Takin, Tsirku, Klehini, Kelsall, Chilkoot and mighty Chilkat River. Ski tracks in these valleys are second to those of the moose, coyote, wolf, wolverine, lynx and eagles.

Within the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve ski touring from November through January avails ample observation and photos of the thousands of bald eagles lined up along the unique ice free portions of the river.  Each year they dine on the late Coho and Chum salmon runs. Set tracks of five to ten mile loops are usually completed by the end of November.

  • Dates: December through March

  • Restrictions Min. 2

  • Duration: 5 hours

  • Provided: Ski boots, poles, gaiters, guide and transportation

  • Bring: Warm layered clothing with waterproof shell, gloves, hat, camera, pack

  • Price: $120.00 / day

  • Picnic Lunch: $10.00

  • Group rates available

©2001 Alaska Nature Tours, all rights reserved
PO Box 491, Haines, AK 99827 (907)766-2876, fax (907)766-2844, aknature@alaskanaturetours.net
 [Home] [Nature Tours] [Hikes] [Fall/Winter] [Cruise Ship] [Employment]
[About Us] [Album] [Contact]