Join the Seattle Aquarium this summer to learn more about salmon! Trained naturalists will be on-site to help you spot spawning salmon and learn about the things we can all do to help them. Free and family friendly.
FOLLOW THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME
Each year, thousands of Pacific salmon return to our local watersheds to produce the next generation of fish. Salmon play a key role in our economy and are the cornerstone of our local ecosystem, which supports us all. These amazing creatures are also critical to the health and well-being of Coast Salish peoples, who stewarded these lands and waters for generations and continue to do so today.
Here in Seattle, we’re fortunate to host one of the few wildlife migrations that runs through the heart of an urban watershed. The Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed supports a threatened run of Chinook—as well as sockeye and coho—salmon. From May to September, adult salmon pass through the Ballard Locks on the final leg of their epic journey from the rivers and streams in which they were born, out to the ocean and back to these same rivers and streams. There, during fall and into winter, these salmon will spawn and die, and the Pacific salmon life cycle will begin again.
Questions? Please email us at salmonjourney@seattleaquarium.org.
Thank you for joining us on the river!
The 2024 Cedar River Salmon Journey season has ended. Check back later for updates on the 2025 season.
Miss us already? Join us for our evening low tide beach exploration on Friday, November 15 at Charles Richey Sr. Viewpoint!
Ballard Locks
Seattle Aquarium naturalists will be stationed at the Ballard Locks on select Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30am to 3:30pm. See below for exact dates.
Please note: Schedule subject to change.
July
- Saturday, July 6
- Saturday, July 13
- Saturday, July 27
- Sunday, July 28
August
- Saturday, August 3
- Sunday, August 4
- Saturday, August 10
- Sunday, August 11
- Saturday, August 17
- Sunday, August 18
- Saturday, August 24
- Sunday, August 25
- Saturday, August 31
September
- Sunday, September 1
- Saturday, September 7
- Sunday, September 8
- Saturday, September 14
- Sunday, September 15
Cedar River
Seattle Aquarium naturalists will be stationed at five locations along the Cedar River in Renton and Maple Valley every weekend in October from 11am to 4pm.
Dates:
- Saturday, October 5
- Sunday, October 6
- Saturday, October 12
- Sunday, October 13
- Saturday, October 19
- Sunday, October 20
- Saturday, October 26
- Sunday, October 27
Please note: Schedule subject to change. Please call (206) 693-6281 if you have questions about recommended locations or possible changes/cancelations.
Locations:
Become a naturalist
Interested in becoming a Cedar River Salmon Journey volunteer? Fill out the form below.
Share your feedback
Did you join us on the Cedar River this season? Let us know what you think by taking our survey below.
Take action on behalf of salmon!
Start by checking out the Aquarium’s Act for the Ocean webpage, review salmon actions below or sign up for the Aquarium’s policy action alerts. Everything you do to help salmon also helps our southern resident orcas—and is good for people too!
Get involved
Volunteer, vote and share your knowledge with others
Conserve water
Sweep driveways, take shorter showers and use drought-tolerant plants in your yard
With your car
Take your car to a commercial car wash and have oil leaks fixed
In your yard
Use fertilizers and pesticides sparingly, or just use compost
Around your dog
Pick up dog waste, bag it and place it in the trash (not in the yard waste bin)
At home
Properly use, store and dispose of hazardous household materials
RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES
Informational flyers
Salmon field journals
Salmon bingo game
Salmon life cycle
Salmon activities for kids
Learn more about salmon and recovery efforts from Cedar River Salmon Journey partners
Salmon Conservation and Restoration: We Work to Save Salmon in Your Watershed (King County)
Living with Salmon in King County (a guide to salmon in King County)
Habitat Conservation Plan for the Cedar River Watershed and Fish (Seattle Public Utilities)
Salmon Conservation (WA Department of Fish and Wildlife)
Salmon Identification: Ocean Phase vs Spawning Phase (WA Department of Fish and Wildlife)
Protecting Surface Water in Renton (the City of Renton)
Washington State’s biennial report on salmon, their habitat and recovery efforts (Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)
Webinar series on salmon of the Cedar River
Watch our webinar series and hear from an education specialist, a fisheries biologist and a salmon recovery manager about the challenges salmon face, their population trends and local restoration efforts in the Cedar River.
Part 1: The Cedar River, a lifeline for people and salmon (an introduction to the Cedar River watershed)
Part 2: Salmon and the Cedar River (an overview of Cedar River salmon and their population trends)
Part 3: Salmon Recovery in the Cedar River: Restoring a place where salmon and people can live together (salmon recovery actions in the Cedar River watershed)
Thank you to our sponsors
King County Flood Control District
MMS Giving Foundation
Seattle Public Utilities
The WRIA8 Salmon Recovery Council
The City of Renton
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Seattle District
