Did You Know You Can See Eagles in Their Natural Home Right Here in Evansville?

I believe this is the best kept secret in Evansville. The Eagle Slough Natural Area. Ever heard of it? Ever been there? What the heck is a "slough" anyhow? I've been a radio announcer over 60 years and I honestly have never used the word. It's easy to say. Just start like you're going to say "slaw" but only say the "sl" part, then finish like you just got pinched and say "OW".

The last time I passed the Eagle Slough, I was turning into the back entrance of Ellis Park and drove right by it. It's pretty big--127 acres of Ohio River wetlands. It's filled with swamp, backwater, lakes, forest (including some of the northernmost Bald cypress found in the United ) , a well kept boardwalk, observation deck and many different species of birds including eagles. Take a look at some actual photos snapped in Evansville's Eagle Slough:

A visit to Eagle Slough Natural Area is easy because the walkway and hiking path is built on the raised berm of an old railroad, and there are great observation decks. The area is maintained by a volunteer group from the Sycamore Land Trust.

The easiest way to get there is to take Waterworks Road until you are right behind the Ellis Park thoroughbred race track. The entrance to Eagle Slough is across Waterworks Road from the back entrance to Ellis.

It's a great place to see a lot of native wildlife from the observation decks. You might want to bring a lunch like this guy: