Harrison Mills, BC — Monday, Nov. 10, 2025

Bottom Line:

Harrison Mills, ~45 minutes over the border from Sumas WA, is the eagle hotspot as advertised in the WTA magazine article linked below. What a fun two days of hiking along the trails and dikes around the Harrison River to view Eagles, Swans, Great Blue Heron, spawning salmon, seals and many different species of shore birds (often at the same time... apparently this is the rare season where they all get along, probably because of the abundance of food!) The wildlife moves from day to day, so we visited some areas multiple times, and at different times of day. Viewing is outstanding along wide, sandbar-dotted flood plains with "white heads" stacked into the horizon (see pics). The eagles were most active early and late each day. The trails are well-maintained and easy to find/follow. Well known spot and season but not crowded. Festival days each year but not during our visit.

Stats:

• Distance: ~8 miles 
• Duration: 2 days, overnight in Chilliwack (next time I would stay at the fantastic Sandpiper resort cabins or camp at the beautiful Sts'ailes campground right on the Chehalis river)
• Road/Parking: No wait at the Sumas, WA bordering crossing first thing in the morning. Free parking at the various trailheads. We started with an "Eco Tour" jet boat trip from Harrison Hot Springs down to Harrison Mills (and back) to get a lay of the land and then headed out hiking. Some of the hotspots right now: Kilby Park, Sandpiper Resort, Sts'ailes Heritage Trail and Eagle Point Community Park. Parking for the last two is mainly along the road. Toilets available, except at Eagle Point whose access is via a small cluster of beautiful homes (limited parking off the road by the mailboxes). Resort facilities at Sandpiper. The Sts'ailes Nation campground on the Chehalis River is beautiful and still open. NOTE: Interesting link below on the history of the Sts'ailes Nation and "Bigfoot".
• Weather: Mix of sun and cloud, 50-60Fs, quite warm in the sun, no wind
• Trail: The hiking is mainly along beaches, dikes and river trails. Mostly packed gravel trails (several accessible), except for the Heritage Trail which is a little rougher and longer. Some mud. Kilby Park - dikes and beach hiking; Sandpiper Resort - resort-like trails to several viewing platforms; Sts'ailes Heritage Trail - forest and beach hiking, lots of fishing areas; Eagle Point - short trail to the shoreline. Sandpiper is a golfing resort, so while lovely, you will not be alone on the trail and will need cross several greens. The shoreline is currently choked with spawning salmon and smelly dead carcasses. Visitors are asked to stay off the gravel near the beach to avoid disturbing the salmon eggs (water levels vary). Seasonal hiking/kayaking closure on "the flats" of the Harrison River for salmon spawning season. Plenty of other winter hiking trails near Harrison Lake and the hot springs, but we ran out of time. The view of a snowy Breakenridge Mountain at the end of Harrison Lake (and the east side of Garibaldi Park) was amazing, as were the (Canadian) North Cascade peaks south of Chilliwack! NOTE: The heavy rain over the last week has increased river levels and decreased the number of sandbars, which are congregating points for the eagles; probably worth paying attention to river levels.
• Birds: The best viewing was late afternoon at Eagle Point with hundreds of eagles mixed in with swans, blue herons and shore birds. The viewing areas can be set back some distance - a 400-600mm or greater lens is best for photography. You can get up and close on the Heritage Trail. Bring binoculars! The eagles were very active, vying for salmon, fighting over scraps on the beach and vocalizing. Along the Heritage Trail, eagles were perched next to the river waiting to try to steal salmon from fishermen. Look for birds in the sky - the best spots had a couple dozen eagles circling overhead. The swans seemed to be in their own world, but the eagles would periodically trigger giant clusters of shore birds to take flight. 
• Takeaway: The eagles have congregated for the salmon run up the Harrison River, which drains into the Fraser. The Harrison drainage comes from the glaciated peaks of Garibaldi Provincial Park, the Lillooet Range, etc. whose cold(er) waters might (?) account for the more robust salmon run (warming water in the Fraser River watershed of interior BC have definitely become a problem). The salmon species change as the season progresses, as does the density of the eagle population. The season runs from October through January. Loads of folks fishing the Chehalis and Harrison Rivers (had me wondering how the beat-up spawning fish would taste). Squamish, up the Sea-to-Sky highway, is another hotspot as we get into late December and January. Farmhouse Brewing in nearby Chilliwack is a great place for dinner after a long day outside!

Higher resolution pics are available on my Instagram - Instagram

More Information on this Trip Report

• https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220720-the-true-origin-of-sasquatch
• https://www.wta.org/news/magazine/northwest-weekends/a-getaway-to-see-eagles-hike-and-eat-great-food-in-the-fraser-river-valley