Get Lost Magazine article "Swans in the Skagit"

Read further Swan watching guidelines

Johnson / DeBay Swan Reserve

The Skagit Valley of Washington state is one of the best wintering habitats to see Trumpeter swans and Tundra swans. They arrive from their summer breeding grounds in Alaska about October, and are gone by March.

The map below shows some of the best areas for looking for swans in the area. Early in your outing, pay a visit to the Padilla Bay Interpretive Center in Bayview, which has wonderful exhibits and great programs. The best habitat for finding swans is:

• Fir Island, Northwest of Conway, where you may also see Snow Geese and more Tundras than Trumpeters,
• an area bound by Bayview, Edison and I-5, North of Highway 20,
• on Beaver Marsh and McLean Roads, West of Mt. Vernon.