Fly Like an Eagle to a Festival
Aside from spotting eagles, these festivals offer other activities, and no two festivals are exactly alike.
Eagles have made an amazing comeback from near-extinction in the 1960s when fewer than 450 nesting pairs existed in the lower 48 states to more than 300,000 individuals today. Today, we celebrate their return with winter eagle festivals.
These all-day celebrations often include spotting scopes manned by expert birders who help attendees zero in on eagles and other raptors, including falcons, harriers, hawks, and owls. They may also include live bird shows spotlight birds of prey, heated tents or buildings filled with educational displays and exhibits, a speakers program, and crafts and games for the kiddos.
By virtue of the fact that these events are often held in green and blue spaces you might otherwise never visit, they’re worth attending even if you don’t spot an eagle (which has happened to me). Beyond being in perhaps new-to-you landscapes, eagle festivals are good at immersing you in them because they often offer expert-led guided walks that allow you to just be in your surroundings.
To give you an idea of just how different eagle festivals can be, I’ve chosen four near me. One was held in January, and the other three are upcoming. Two are on Feb. 7, which has me anxious because I can’t attend both.
No 2 Eagle Festivals Are Exactly Alike. Here are 4.
1. New Jersey Meadowlands Eagle Festival. Jan. 11, 2026, at the Meadowlands Environment Center, Lyndhurst, N.J.
This event run by Bergen County Audubon Society is geared toward families with young kids. But the walks will have even adults looking around with wonder as they traverse elevated boardwalks through the marsh with views of the New York City skyline. It’s even more fantastic considering the area once had active landfills (since remediated), and before that pig farms and, according to lore, mobster burials. Happy birding!
Cost: Free
2. 22nd Annual Teatown Hudson River EagleFest. Sat., Feb. 7, 2026, at Croton Point Park
Croton Point Park is a 508-acre park located on a scenic peninsula with an extensive shoreline along the Hudson River in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. Guided walks aren’t offered although there are two loop trails, one 3 miles, and other 2 miles, that go around the peninsula. The organizers have, however, created a map that locates some 18 spotting sites along the Hudson River that allow attendees to do a self-guided driving tour. Five of the sites feature a warming tent or indoor access and an educator with a scope.
This year two different “Eagle Trains” depart in the morning from NYC’s Grand Central Terminal (south of the festival) and from Poughkeepsie (north of the festival). A dedicated car with a guest naturalist on board each train offers passengers expert birding insights before arriving at the festival.
Cost: $40 for adults the day of.
3. 2026 Cumberland County (N.J.) Winter Eagle Festival. Sat., Feb. 7 at Glades Wildlife Refuge
Cumberland County has the largest number of nesting bald eagles in New Jersey. This festival offers five staffed viewing sites along the Delaware River, and stands out for its speaker lineup. Topics include 50 Years of the Cape May (N.J.) Hawkwatch; Salt Marsh Restoration Efforts on the Delaware Bay; Osprey Management and Status; Mud Matters: Marshes for Birds; and Findings from the Wild Bird Research Group.
But the guided walks! Six of them from a sunrise walk to an owl prowl:
7am sunrise walk on Turkey Point Road with a rep from the CU Maurice River, the area’s watershed group
9am Eagle Trail walk with a naturalist
11am Bayshore Center Wetlands walk
1pm Maple Ave. walk with a Cape May Bird Observatory rep
3pm Bayshore Restoration at Berrytown Road walk with the American Littoral Society
5pm Owl Watch at Turkey Point Road with two naturalists
Cost: $10 for adults
4. 11th Annual Eagle Viewing at Boscobel House and Gardens. Sun., Feb. 22, Garrison, N.Y.
Spotting scopes manned by birders are set on the scenic cliffs of Boscobel, a historic house museum with views of the Hudson River. Originally the home of wealthy Loyalists, today it’s a museum with 68 acres of grounds that overlook Constitution Marsh, a 270-acre tidal wetland and Audubon sanctuary, toward the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
There aren’t scheduled walks, but the grounds have a 1-mile woodland trail running through meadows, woodlands, and roaring brooks overlooking the Hudson River. By going off that trail and onto another, you can hike down to the Audubon marsh.
Cost: $14 for adults
On a completely different topic: Did you know wealthy Victorians in Northern Ireland paid plant collectors to travel the world in search of unusual plant and tree species? I didn’t either until I visited several gardens there. I wrote about it for The Historical Traveler based on a press trip I took with the tourism board of Ireland. Here’s the link: Northern Ireland: The Glorious Gardens of Victorian Plant Collectors. After reading it, you’ll never look at your houseplants the same.
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