The free Cedar River Salmon Journey program will be celebrating and highlighting the largest return of sockeye salmon in five years this month.

“This is the best sockeye run on the Cedar in five years. If you haven’t had a chance to see these beautiful fish in the past couple of years, now is the prime time to visit,” said Charlotte Spang, the salmon journey coordinator for the Friends of the Cedar River Watershed.

Volunteers will be stationed along the Cedar River during the last three weekends of October to answer questions from visitors coming to view the spawning.

Naturalists also will lead tours of restoration projects at Cavanaugh Pond.

With 50,000 visitors served, this Cedar River Salmon Journey is one of the county’s longest-running naturalist programs dedicated to salmon.

Naturalists are be available from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 16-17, 23-24 and 30-31.

Salmon viewing sites include the Renton Library, Cedar River Park, Riverview Park, Cavanaugh Pond and Landsburg Dam. A map and directions to each site can be found at www.cedarriver.org/programs.