Get Outside: Eagle Float In Brackendale

Bundle up, and hop aboard Squamish’s coolest eco-tour. Just don’t fall in.

Sure, your nose gets a little cold as you float gently down the icy  blue Cheakamus River on a January morning, but it’s a small price to pay for a front-row seat to the majesty of nature: you’re about to spot 60 eagles in the next hour, some perched in the trees, some swooping through the sky, all looking way bigger than you imagined they’d be. Plus, there’s hot chocolate aboard your raft—what more could you ask for?Sunwolf Lodge offers more extreme activities—rafting of the whitewater variety, specifically—but the mellow eagle float tours that run during the winter months are spectacular in their own way, too. The Brackendale area (located just outside of Squamish) is home to a world record number of bald eagles, who return here each winter to gobble up the spawning chum salmon, so in turn, nature lovers flock here too, to catch an up-close look at the iconic birds of prey (though even without any eagle sightings, the views of the Tantaslus Mountain Range in the background are fairly awe-inspiring.)After the lazy ride, warm up by the cozy wood stove in Sunwolf Lodge, or bring your bathing suit and hop in the hot tub for a soak while you soak in more of the view. Can’t bear to head back to the city? Stay the night in one of Sunwolf’s cozy renovated cabins and grab a giant breakfast (crafted from locally sourced ingredients by former Araxi chef Tom Giblin) at the beloved Fergie’s Cafe in the morning.More info on Sunwolf’s Eagle Float Tours at sunwolf.net