Join Backcountry Journeys for an extraordinary five-day photography adventure into the heart of Alaska’s Chilkat River Valley—an unspoiled wilderness where jagged peaks rise above glacial rivers, ancient spruce forests cloak the valley floor, and the sky fills with the cries of the largest congregation of Bald Eagles on the planet. Each November, this remote corridor near the tiny town of Haines becomes the stage for one of the most astonishing natural spectacles in North America. Over 3,000 eagles converge here, drawn by a rare, late-season salmon run that persists long after other rivers have frozen over. The result? A raptor feeding frenzy unrivaled anywhere else on Earth—and a photographer’s dream.

The phenomenon occurs within the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, a 48,000-acre protected area established specifically to safeguard this globally significant congregation. Thanks to the presence of underground springs that keep portions of the river ice-free, salmon are still accessible here when other food sources vanish. This unique ecological quirk creates the perfect storm: fish in abundance, freezing temperatures, and thousands of hungry eagles in close proximity. The action is non-stop—eagles divebombing, locking talons in aerial battles, stealing fish mid-air, and jostling for prime feeding territory on gravel bars and frozen logs.

Throughout the workshop, you’ll be photographing from vantage points along the Chilkat River. These are prime front-row seats to the action—often just yards from the birds. With our expert photo guides, you’ll dial in your settings, anticipate behavior, and capture everything from tight portraits in perfect light to chaotic mid-air interactions that unfold in split seconds.

But the Chilkat experience is about more than just the eagles. This region is one of the last truly wild corners of Southeast Alaska. Grizzly bears, moose, river otters, and even wolves roam the valley, and the backdrop itself is jaw-dropping: snow-covered peaks of the Coast Mountains, golden cottonwoods glowing in low-angle light, and the glassy reflections of braided river channels. The visual opportunities extend well beyond the birds—you’ll find atmospheric landscapes, moody weather, and a serenity that only this far-flung frontier can offer.

Photographers often describe this trip as transformational. There’s something primal about standing in the cold air as hundreds of eagles call overhead, their silhouettes framed against misty pines and distant mountains. Every image tells a story of survival, of instinct, of the wildness that still exists here. And with so few places left on Earth that remain this untouched—and so few days each year when the eagle activity peaks—this is not just another photography tour. It’s a rare, immersive window into a fleeting moment of nature at its most dramatic.

Want to extend the adventure? Pair this journey with our Ultimate Northern Lights trip for a true Alaskan double feature—combine golden-hour eagle action with long, starlit nights and the otherworldly glow of the aurora borealis!