Traveling to Haines, Alska is quite an adventure. Commercial flights in Juneau, and then the boat ferry to Haines takes all day. I used a travel agent from Haines since they knew the ins and outs. Turned out a smart choice. I spent the week in the Summer Inn Bed&Breakfast. Rented vehicles from the Captain's Choice motel across the street. Simple traveling around Haines even if you don't know your way around town. You cannot get lost.

Eagles congregate along the Chilkat River, and they seem to know exactly where the eagle preserve borders are located. Once inside the preserve, eagles filled the river basin and trees. Parking on the highway is prohibited, except in pullover spots. The parking is adequate for the numbers, and the places to pull over are mostly where you what to go to see and photograph the eagles. Some parked and hiked along the paths for specific shots, but I never found the need/desire to hike more than a 1/2 mile. The best views were close at hand.

The Chilkat River basin is where you will find the hundreds of eagles from any given look-out point; however, the Chilkoot River/Lake Recreation Area is a beautiful background for the few eagles that stayed on that side of the mountain. The images with eagles in evergreens or sitting on rocks with the stream are from the Chilkoot Recreation Area. The harbor seal played just outside of the Chilkoot - an area referred to as Lutak. The recreaton area is known for brown bears coming down to the stream to fish. Although I never spotted a bear, I did see one's massive bear print in the muddy slopes.

At the time of year I visited, Chilkat State Park was mostly closed off. The road ended, and foot traffic was the only means to go further. That is where I happened upon the cow moose.

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