Eagle Viewing
Squamish is a bird enthusiast's paradise. Home to one of North America’s largest congregations of wintering bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), these amazing raptors can be easily viewed throughout the winter at several spots around town. Prime viewing usually happens at Eagle Run dike and viewing shelter opposite the BC Easter Seals camp on Government Road, directly across the Squamish River overlooking Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park. Here you’ll find an interpretive display of our eagles and the lifecycle of the chum salmon on which they feed.
The best time to see the eagles is in the morning, from October until early January and binoculars are always a great way to see the eagles even closer.
Squamish Eagle Watch volunteers will be conducting daily counts on the dike and will be posting these numbers on their website and Facebook page, so Eagle enthusiasts can check in to see how the eagles are doing.
Eagle Run dike is an accessible site: there is a ramp at the south end. In the winter months, snow on the ramp is cleared by volunteers when possible, but access to the site is more limited. The Eagle Run viewing shelter is open year-round and is designed to welcome visitors during the peak eagle-viewing period and features information from the EagleWatch Interpretive Program.
Did You Know?
Squamish held the world-record count of 3,769 eagles in 1994.
Since then the average number of recorded eagles in Squamish is approximately 1300 per year. The number of eagles returning to Squamish changes each year and is dependant on the annual salmon run and weather conditions.
Get A Closer Look:
There are plenty of eagle viewing tours available in Squamish including Eagles by Bike and Eagles by Foot. All eagle experiences are slow-paced and family-friendly. Eagle tours are a must for any nature photographer, birdwatcher or wildlife enthusiast.
**Eagles by Raft will not be running this year but will be back for Fall 2023.