A getaway to see eagles, hike and eat great food in the Fraser River Valley

The Fraser River Valley region east of Vancouver, BC, is known for hosting one of the world’s largest gathering of wintering bald eagles. Thousands of eagles fly from Alaska and northern Canada to the wetlands in Harrison Mills, about 11 miles west of the famous Harrison Hot Springs. This is where the Fraser, Chehalis and Harrison rivers meet. The best time to view the eagles is from mid-October through January with the peak in November.

For hikers from Washington, the area offers a lovely chance getaway, with a chance to explore new trails while enjoying great food and relaxing places to stay. 

Winter is a great time to view eagles in the Fraser River Valley. Photo by Juan Aguilera.

Harrison Mills is the locale of the Sandpiper Resort, a lovely collection of cabins – some with soaker tubs — and an inn. The resort is known for its eagle trail, an easy 15-minute walk through old-growth rainforest. The trail comes with educations signs about salmon and local wildlife. On our visit, a tree canopy protected us from the rain as we walked to a pretty gazebo near the waterfront of the Harrison River to look for eagles feasting on salmon.

Then we headed to the Harrison Visitor Information Centre and Sasquatch Museum. I learned about the long history of sasquatch stories, beginning with Indigenous people, something I wasn’t familiar with. Kids will enjoy the short film there about the history of the sasquatch. The sasquatch is like a mascot for Harrison Hot Springs and symbols and paintings of it are all over town.

After sandwiches and soup at the Muddy Waters Café on the open area fronting Harrison Lake and a splurge at the wonderful Rocky Mountain Chocolate shop next door, we took off along the waterfront past the Hot Springs resort to the source of the springs by a glassed-in building. But a downpour was imminent, so we headed for our lodgings for the night.

This was the Lodge on Harrison Lake, an establishment perched on a cliff with its own dock, beach area, sauna and of course stellar views of the lake. We pried ourselves out of there for dinner in town at the Milos Greek Taverna, where my daughter and I enjoyed dolma and spanakopita, then back to the lodge for our waterfront views.

After breakfast at the Muddy Waters the next day, Harrison Eco Tours was offering a 90-minute bald eagle boat viewing tour, fortunately in a heated motorboat with lots of wool blankets. The ride, which took us across the lake, then down the Harrison River, past loads of fishmen. The riverbanks were glowing with fluorescent green moss and lots of salmon and eagles that appeared to be sated with so much food. The guide kept us busy learning about local history, botany and the migrating habits of eagles.

On our way out of town, we dropped by the Spirit Trail Loop to see the clay and wooden masks on the trees, all done by local artist Ernie Eaves. It was just the break we needed before the 4-hour drive back across the border and home. 

The beginning of the Sandy Cove Whippoorwill Point Trail. Photo by Julia Duin.

How to get there

For those coming from Western Washington, the quickest way is via the Sumas border crossing into Abbotsford. To enjoy a backway through agricultural lands, from Abbotsford, continue north on Sumas Way until the historic town of Mission. Then head east on Highway 7 or Lougheed Highway until Harrison Mills. You can also get there via Highway 1 — from the east or the west — and head toward Hope, exiting on the Bridal Falls exit.

Where to eat

In Harrison Mills, the glass-enclosed River’s Edge Clubhouse Restaurant at the Sandpiper Resort has great views of the resort golf course, mists rising off the river and the Cheam Mountains in the distance. I’ve never had a bad meal there.

In Harrison Hot Springs, the Milos Greek Taverna provided a wonderful repast, as did the Muddy Waters Café down the street. The latter seems to be quite the gathering place for the locals. And I wished I could have totally bought out the entire Rocky Mountain Chocolate shop. Not everything is open off-season in town, but those establishments are.

Where to stay

The Lodge on Harrison Lake: Located about a mile outside of Harrison Hot Springs, this luxe resort may be best known for its geodome. We stayed at the two-story Carriage House, which can sleep up to six and has balconies right over the water. The entire resort can accommodate up to 30 people.

The Sandpiper Resort in Harrison Mills never disappoints. We stayed in one of their luxury nature cabins with a large kitchen and living room area, gas-burning fireplace and front porch with mountain views. It’s the closest to actual eagle habitat and more of the wilderness hikes. There’s plenty of wildlife and waterfowl to gaze at, as this lodging is off the beaten path.

More hikes

The Spirit Trail has masks along the way. Photo by Julia Duin. 

A few miles up Morris Valley Road is the Sts’ailes Heritage Trail. It has recently been refurbished and now includes boardwalks, viewing platforms with nice river views, and interpretive signs with information about the history of Sts’ailes culture and their traditions. There is a $10 (Canadian) fee to access the trail, which included hiking through a campground at its start. We didn’t do this because of the drizzle, but it seemed perfect for families with kids.

Further along Morris Valley Road (about 7 miles) is the Weaver Creek Spawning Channel, a salmon spawning area. There, the road turns to gravel. The locals informed me that a few miles further on (about 10 miles north of the Sandpiper), one could reach Harrison Lake and drive along it for many miles. A four-wheel-drive in those parts wouldn’t hurt. And to the immediate west of the Sandpiper, there are more challenging trails: Mount Woodside and Pretty Peak if you want gorgeous views over the Fraser River Valley.

In Harrison Hot Springs, the closest hike was the Sandy Cove Whippoorwill Point trail, a moderate walk that eventually reaches a beach and some lovely lake views. The beginning, which is a steep climb up a wooded slope, is unmarked except by a blue trash can at the base and a tree with a blank white sign.

The Spirit Trail Loop just south of town was gentle, a tad muddy but peaceful. It will take you about 30 minutes in the rainforest-like surroundings under a tree canopy in case of rain. The faces posted on the trees are worth the stop. You can walk further along a greater network of trails in the East Sector (lower Bear Mountain). If you wish to access more difficult hikes with stunning views of the entire Fraser River Valley, drive south past Highway 1 toward the Cheam mountains for some options.