DETAILS OF THIS EVENT
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If you thought that bald eagles don’t go south of the St. Louis/Alton area during the winter you would be wrong. A good spot to see bald eagles is the Kaskaskia River Recreation Area near Modoc in Randolph County, Illinois which is about 60 miles south of St. Louis. Eagles are attracted to the area because of the lock and dam that is located at the confluence of the Kaskaskia and Mississippi Rivers. The location has become the site of an annual Eagle Trek event that is primarily sponsored by the HeartLands Conservancy and hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Activities at the event are highlighted by programs by the World Bird Sanctuary. These informative presentations feature a rehabilitated live bald eagle allowing attendees the chance to get up close and personal with America’s national symbol.
Other activities include a tent where kids can make eagle crafts and go home with an eagle souvenir, short interpreted walks both upstream and downstream from the dam, and eagle-watching with spotting scopes. Experts will be on hand to tell you about the eagle-nesting sites located nearby. A warming tent features hot sandwiches and warm beverages, too! A suggested donation of $5/person is asked to cover lunch expenses. Leash-trained dogs are welcome for at the event.
This event is made possible thanks to our partners: Lower Kaskaskia Stakeholders, Inc, U.S. Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, HeartLands Conservancy, Southwestern Illinois College, Kaskaskia Regional Port District, Chester Tourism Committee, and CLIFFTOP.
Times: 9 am - 3 pm
Free
For information call 618-284-7160
Directions: Kaskaskia River Recreation Area is located in rural Randolph County on Lock and Dam Road. From Modoc: Lock and Dam Road is approximately 4 miles south on County Road 7. From Ellis Grove take Roots Road of IL-3 (the Great River Road) approximately 3 miles to Lock and Dam Road. From either direction take Lock and Dam Road 2.4 miles to the entrance to Kaskaskia River Recreation Area.
There are approximately 2,000 eagles that migrate to the Middle Mississippi River Valley, making the region's overwintering population the second largest in the continental United States behind the Klamath Basin area of southern Oregon and northern California. Learn more about the Bald Eagles in the Middle Mississippi River Valley.
