Eagle Watching Adventures Await in Southwest Illinois

ALTON - It won’t be long before the iconic American Bald Eagles return to their winter homes in southwest Illinois so make plans now to take your winter eagle watching adventure to the next level with a guided eagle watching shuttle tour available in Alton starting Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026.

Every January, experts anticipate as many as 1,000 bald eagles will migrate to the area reclaiming their winter roosts along the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway just outside St. Louis in Illinois.

To celebrate the return of this majestic bird, the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau has planned six Saturdays of guided shuttle tours to help eagle watchers discover the best places to view the wintering birds.

Starting Saturday, Jan. 3, tours will be available starting and ending from the Alton Visitor Center, 200 Piasa St., Alton, and traveling to the best eagle watching points on the Great River Road. The tours start at 10 a.m. and will last two hours.

Tours will take place each Saturday through Feb. 14. Tickets are $22.50 per person and should be purchased in advance here: https://www.riversandroutes.com/things-to-do/buy-tickets/ or by visiting www.RiversandRoutes.com .

“Eagle watching guided tours are a great way to celebrate the winter tourism season,” Cory Jobe, President & CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau noted. “We want to encourage people to take an eagle watching road trip to visit the region and guided tours are a large part of that adventure. Seeing eagles in the wild is a one-of-a-kind experience that really seems to light up outdoor activities in southwest Illinois.”

For more information on other eagle watching activities in the Great Rivers & Routes region, visit: www.riversandroutes.com.

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