The Chilkat River is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 and southeastern Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

 that flows southward from the Coast Range

Coast Mountains

The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...

 to the Chilkat Inlet

Chilkat Inlet

Chilkat Inlet is an inlet in Lynn Canal in the Southeast region of the U.S. state of Alaska that includes the delta for the Chilkat River and borders Haines and the Chilkat Peninsula....

 and ultimately Lynn Canal

Lynn Canal

Lynn Canal is an inlet into the mainland of southeast Alaska.Lynn Canal runs about from the inlets of the Chilkat River south to Chatham Strait and Stephens Passage...

. It is about 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) long. It begins at Chilkat Glacier, in Alaska, flows west and south in British Columbia for 27 kilometres (16.8 mi), enters Alaska and continues southwest for another 60 kilometres (37.3 mi). It reaches the ocean at the abandoned area of Wells, Alaska and deposits into a long delta area.

The river was named by the Russians for the Chilkat group of Tlingit, called /Ǯiɬqut/ in their own language, who lived in the region. The name means "salmon storehouse".

Near the Chilkat River is the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve

Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve

The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is a state park and wildlife refuge in the U.S. state of Alaska near Haines. Established in 1982, the park covers 49,320 acres , mainly along the Chilkat River, with sections along the Klehini and Tsirku rivers.The preserve is home to the world's largest...

, where thousands of bald eagle

Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...

s appear between October and February, to take advantage of late salmon runs. Nearby Haines

Haines, Alaska

Haines is a census-designated place in Haines Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the area was 1,811. Haines was formerly a city but no longer has a municipal government...

, the nearest town, is the most common organization spot for birdwatchers.