Page 298 - Vacation Country Travel Guide

for travelers who are interested in natural history and
Haines served as an important supply base for the
Porcupine mining district as well as the beginning of
the Dalton Trail to the gold fields. In 1903 an Army
fort was constructed. Fully garrisoned by 1905, its
purpose was to keep peace and maintain law and order
in this remote part of the new territory of Alaska in
the wake of the gold rush. Haines was incorporated fishing and bear viewing. With four salmon runs
as a city in 1910. from mid-June to mid-October, the area is considered
Outdoor recreation of all kinds is enjoyed year- something of a “bear highway.” Mother and cub brown
round. Fishing for king, chum, pink and sockeye bears start showing up in July, and can often be seen
salmon as well as halibut is excellent in Lynn Canal.
Shellfish such as crab and shrimp are also caught; fishermen, buses and bears converging along the
however, catches are regulated by the State of Alaska. mile-long Chilkoot River, which connects the lake
Wildlife includes black and brown bear, moose, and
mountain goats. The region around Haines is the only
296
bird watching. A local tour boat operator offers trips
on Chilkoot Lake, and three air services are available
for flightseeing trips to Glacier Bay, which is only a
short distance by air from Haines.
The Native people of the Haines area are impressive
artisans and craftsmen whose artwork often takes the
form of wood and totem pole carving, metalwork, and
their famous Chilkat blanket weaving. The Alaska
Indian Arts Center features native arts and crafts.
Several notable totem poles are displayed in Haines:
Friendship Pole in front of the Elementary School;
Thunderbird Pole at Chilkat Center for the Arts; Twin
Headed Poles at Waterfront Park on Beach Road;
Welcome Totems at the town’s entrance on Haines
Highway and in Totem Village.
Located in the center of downtown just off Main
Street, the Haines Sheldon Museum has attractive
displays of Native artifacts and early memorabilia of
Haines’ past. Additional attractions of special interest
in Haines include Fort William H. Seward, Chilkat
State Park and Klukwan Native Village.
Located about 15 miles northeast of Haines, the
Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is the site of the
largest gathering of bald eagles in the world, with as
many as 3,500 gathering along a four-mile stretch
of the Chilkat River for a late salmon run. Warm
Haines, Alaska water upwellings in the river keep this stretch ice-
photo by: free, providing access to fish when food supplies are
VC Travel Guide
exhausted elsewhere. Eagles flock from as far away
as Washington State for the abundant feast. Starting
place in Southeastern Alaska that supports mountain in late October, eagles by the hundreds can be seen
goats and moose, and it is thought that these two along the sand bars and in cottonwood trees on the
species migrated into the area following the opening 49,000-acre Preserve. which was created in 1982 to
of the Haines Highway. protect critical habitat.
Located a 15 minute drive from Haines, Chilkoot One of the best ways to experience the Bald Eagle
Lake State Recreation Site is very popular for salmon Preserve is to explore by jet boat or float through it on
a raft trip, departing daily from Haines. The Chilkat
River is an unusual system, whose slow moving
muddy brown water gets its color from silt caused by
melting glaciers. These glaciers slowly move over the
right on the road. The area can get a little cozy with landscape and gather rock from surrounding terrain,
which is ground into fine “rock flour.” The silt creates
sandbars, making the Chilkat the shallowest navigable
with saltwater fjords. river in Alaska. Jet boats are designed specifically to
Sight-seeing tour companies offer a variety of tours maneuver easily among the narrow channels, taking
visitors deep into the heart of the Preserve that is
otherwise inaccessible.
Bald Eagle nests are plentiful along the river and
usually have nesting pairs in them. Trumpeter swans
are abundant from mid-May until mid-June and again
from late July to mid-September. Visitors may also
encounter moose with their young alongside the river’s
edge or even catch them swimming the river channels
as they cross over to other feeding grounds.
Located just two blocks from the center of town,
the American Bald Eagle Foundation is a natural
history museum and live raptor center, which conducts
fascinating and educational live bird presentations,
aviary and natural history tours. Their unique wildlife
diorama features over 200 specimens illustrating the
delicate balance of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
Visitors may have the opportunity to sponsor one of
their dozen resident raptors, including eagles, owls,
hawks and falcons, or adopt and sponsor an eagle’s
nest. The carved bald eagle sign at the front of the
building was fashioned by local artist Tresham Gregg,
as was the impressive main ‘Welcome to Haines’ sign.
The Alaska Bald Eagle Festival is held in mid-
November and has a schedule of events catering to
birdwatchers, photographers and nature lovers. Event
highlights include photo workshops, guided eagle
viewing, release of wild rehabilitated bald eagles,
special speakers and presentations, banquet and
auction. Contact the American Bald Eagle Foundation