Skagit Eagle Festival: The month-long celebration in January is held during eagle-watching season in nearby Skagit County. Events and activities take place in Concrete, Rockport and Marblemount each weekend in January. More at www.concrete-wa.com/skagit-eagle-festival.
Snowshoe treks: The U.S. Forest Service will lead interpretive snowshoe walks Fridays through Sundays through March 29 at Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie Pass and the Big Four Picnic Area near Granite Falls. The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Snowshoe Program is for all ages and experience levels. Snowshoes are provided. Call 425-783-6050. More at www.fs.usda.gov/mbs.
Snowshoe avalanche awareness: Learn basic skills to recognize avalanche danger while snowshoeing at 6 p.m. Jan. 9 at Alderwood REI, 3000 184th St. SW, Lynnwood. The free workshop will cover where and why avalanches occur and how to manage risk in the backcountry. Space is limited. Sign up at www.rei.com.
Green Everett: The next Green Everett Partnership work party is from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 11 at South Everett Forest Preserve, 1018 109th St. SE, Everett. Help improve Everett’s forested parks and natural areas by removing invasive species, planting trees and maintaining plants. The Green Everett Partnership is a collaboration between the city of Everett’s parks department and Forterra, formerly the Cascade Land Conservancy. Call 425-238-0065 or go to www.greeneverett.org.
Adventure Speaker Series: Tom “Nelly” Nelson will give a presentation from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 14, Marysville Opera House, 1225 Third St., Marysville. Nelson, an avid outdoorsman and fisherman, is co-host of the “The Outdoor Line” on KIRO 710 AM radio. Doors open at 6 p.m. Entry is $5 at the door. Call 360-363-8400 or go to www.marysvillewa.gov for more.
Get wild: The Camano Wildlife Habitat Project, sponsored by Friends of Camano Island Parks, hosts presentations the third Wednesday of the month. The next presentation, “Birds and Window Collisions,” is set for 7 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Island County Multi-Purpose Center, 141 NE Camano Drive, Camano Island. Kim Nelson of the Skagit Audubon Society will talk about window treatments used in collision prevention. Call 360-387-2236 or go to www.camanowildlifehabitat.org.
Snowshoeing basics: Get a rundown on snowshoeing at a free workshop at 6 p.m. Jan. 16 at Alderwood REI, 3000 184th St. SW, Suite 952, Lynnwood. REI staff will go over gear selection and where to go to get started. Space is limited. More at www.rei.com/events.
Free park-ing: The next day to visit Washington state parks in 2020 without an entrance fee is Jan. 20 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day). Other free dates are March 19 (State Park’s 107th birthday), April 11 (Spring Day), April 22 (Earth Day), June 6 (National Trails Day), June 7 (Fishing Day), June 13 (National Get Outdoors Day), Aug. 25 (National Park Service’s 104th birthday), Sept. 26 (National Public Lands Day), Nov. 11 (Veterans Day) and Nov. 27 (Autumn Day). More at www.discoverpass.wa.gov.
Arlington-Stillaguamish Eagle Festival: With winter comes the return of the eagle to the Stillaguamish River. The 13th annual festival, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, takes place along Olympic Avenue and includes animal talks, bird walks, river rafting, chainsaw carving, live music and an art show. More at www.arlingtonwa.gov/eaglefest.
The Port Susan Snow Goose & Birding Festival: This event, set for Feb. 22-23, focuses on migratory birds. See wintering trumpeter swans and snow geese in the Stanwood area, as well as on Fir Island near Conway. Sign up for birding classes, seminars and bus tours. More at www.snowgoosefest.org.
Wallace Falls State Park: Washington State Parks recently installed a parking lot camera at the popular state park near Gold Bar off U.S. 2. The parking lot often exceeds capacity during high volumes of traffic at certain times of the year. View the camera at www.parks.state.wa.us/289/Wallace-Falls.
Big Four Ice Caves Trail: The U.S. Forest Service has closed the popular 3.2-mile hiking trail for the season. Erosion damage to a footbridge crossing the South Fork Stillaguamish River led rangers to remove a section of the bridge on the trail. The Big Four Picnic Area and elevated boardwalks may still be used at this time, but the seasonal winter closure will close vehicle access to the trailhead in the near future. More at www.fs.usda.gov.
Find your favorite park: The Washington State Parks Foundation has launched a new website designed as a starting point for outdoor adventures. The website features an interactive map of Washington’s 124 state parks, along with virtual tours, park information and trip reports. Virtual tours provide a 360-degree view with navigational tools and a walk-through of state parks, trails, campgrounds, retreat centers, interpretive centers and vacation houses. More at www.waparks.org.
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