Your road trip adventure along the Cascade Loop takes you through the scenic Skagit Valley. Visiting this region of the Loop during the winter and early spring means everything from walking on the beaches and by the rivers near Anacortes and Padilla Bay, hiking in the mountain foothills, including lowland portions of the 1200-mile Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail from Montana -- and even playing in the snow! A birders paradise, winter brings snow geese by the thousands, tundra and trumpeter swans, bald eagles, short-eared owls, peregrine falcons, and more.
Book a flight to Seattle-Tacoma International in Seattle, jump in your rental, and start making memories when you travel the Cascade Loop!
Skagit County is represented within two regions of the Cascade Loop, from the western edge, Fidalgo Island with it's maritime history and amazing community of Anacortes, and traveling to the east you can experience unique cities and towns with origin stories as varied as the people who live and work in them. Logging, fisheries, tribal connections and of course, the valley's rich heritage of tulips and other bulbs, and often overlooked fruit and vegetable fields. Your trip along the byway will take you past and through towns like La Conner, Burlington, Sedro-Woolley, Concrete, Rockport and ending in Marblemount during the winter months when North Cascades Pass portion of Highway 20 is closed. Welcome to the Cascade Crescent this time of year!
Bald Eagles migrate south from Alaska during the winter, and they can be found in large numbers along river valleys of the Cascade Loop in January and February. Look in the tree tops and along the river banks as you travel through the Skagit Valley.
Skagit Eagle Festival is a month-long celebration during the eagle-watching season in eastern Skagit County. Activities take place in Concrete, Rockport, and Marblemount in January.
Birders delight in the Skagit Valley during the winter. It is not unusual for the annual count of Snow Geese to be near 50,000 birds! They will gather in large flocks and their boisterous voices make for spectacular displays as they move from field to field looking for a meal.
Tundra and Trumpeter swans also gather here -- They can be difficult to tell apart, but if they are together in a field, the Trumpeters are larger, and the Tundra swans call is higher pitched. Learn more about where to find them, and how to tell them apart at birdsofwinter.org.
When the skies are clear, your views to the east will show Mt. Baker in all its snowy wonder. This 10781-foot volcano is the tallest peak in the North Cascades, and it is also the youngest. Oh, and it owns the record for the most snowfall -- 1140 inches of snow -- which it received over the winter of 1998/99. It was verified by NOAA as the World Record of snowfall during a single winter season. That means the snow was almost as deep as a 10 story building!
The Mount Baker ski area is just over a one hour drive from Sedro-Woolley, a perfect basecamp for a winter adventure in the Skagit Valley!
Another winter visitor to the Skagit Valley is the Short-eared owl. These graceful creatures can often be seen hunting during the morning or evening hours over the Skagit Flats and Samish Flats. All you have to do is park off the road (there are many roads in this region designed with wide shoulders for this purpose) and gaze over the grasslands for anything in flight. These areas are a great place to see many bird species including bald eagle, Northern harriers, and waterfowl such as Snow Geese, Tundra Swan, Trumpeter Swan, Northern Pintail, Dunlins, and Herons.
Washington Park near Anacortes, and Bowman Bay, both on Fidalgo Island, are great places for winter beachcombing. And keep your eyes out for more bald eagles here, and starting in February, whale watching tours leave regularly from Anacortes, to spot the migrating gray whales as well as resident orca pods.
Take a self-guided journey through local gardens, family-owned farms, markets, bakeries, eateries, artisanal producers, farm stays, and experiences of the magical Skagit River Valley & Salish Sea.
Skagit Valley is a Sight for all Seasons! The vistas of farm fields and Puget Sound waters are witness to thousands of waterfowl migration. Mild winters promote year-round production and some roadside farmstands offer winter vegetables, farmstead cheeses, and artisan foods. March brings acre upon acre of bright daffodil blossoms as a spring nod of more to come. Padilla Bay and Wylie Slough showcase prized trails along dikes of estuary landscapes and farmland.
Stop by the Skagit Co-op in Mount Vernon to create your charcuterie with cheese, meats, produce, and locally artisan breads from the valley. Another fun way to see the county is to participate in the Skagit Farm to Pint Passport! This adventure encourages our visitors to travel around the county collecting stamps at participating breweries. Once your passport is completed, stop by the Burlington Visitor Center for an exclusive prize!
Snow Geese in Skagit Valley, Andy Porter photo
Bald Eagles feasting on salmon, Pete Freund Photography
Fly into SeaTac in Seattle and let the fun begin!
Short-eared owl and Northern Harrier fighting over a meal
Cap Sante Marina trail
Washington Park, Fidalgo Island
Fireball at Ovenell's Heritage Inn
Blue Heron fishing in the Skagit River
Chuckanut Drive
Thanks to our partners for funding support: Port of Seattle/SeaTac International Airport and Skagit County Tourism
