10 Adventure-packed Birding Destinations

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

There are more than 300 miles of hiking trails in the park, where you could catch glimpses of moose, elk, and blankets of wildflowers. You can choose to camp in the area, or stay at the Stanley Hotel (known for its role as the setting for The Shining). 

The Birding: Many nesting birds of the mountain west, like white-tailed ptarmigans and red crossbills, make their homes in these altitudes. Designated as a globally important bird area, birding is decent all year here, but summer is the best time to go.

Central Park, New York City

If you find yourself craving some nature in New York City, head to Central Park and look up. The Big Apple may not be what you think of when imagining a birding hot spot, but this is a migratory destination known by birders in and out of the city. Spring and fall are the best times to see a wide variety of species like American woodcocks and fox sparrows.

Atascosa Highlands, Arizona

South of Tucson, the Coronado National Forest hosts spectacular hiking in the sky islands and Atascosa highlands. Be wary of rattlesnakes and the potential for flash floods.

The Birding: This is the place for rare border birds like the Mexican spotted owl and five-striped sparrow. Birding is best in the spring and summer.

San Juan Islands, Washington

The San Juan islands are one of the best sea kayaking destinations in the world, and you can fish, hike, bike from any of the 400 islands. 

The Birding: Rhinocerous auklets, tufted puffins, and maybe even a fork-tailed storm petrel are just some of the birds you might see if you visit this northern Puget Sound location. The Strait of Juan de Fuca delineates the border between Canada and the U.S. and provides great habitat for these species in any season.

Monterey, California

Monterey is a destination worth visiting for Fisherman’s Wharf, Cannery Row, the Monterey Aquarium, and nearby Pebble Beach. But Monterey County has more than two million acres and hosts a wide variety of birdlife, including the Laysan albatross, which travels from the Hawaiian Islands to the California coast, and snowy plover, which breeds there. Peak birding is the fall.

South Padre Island, Texas

Less than a mile from the Mexico border, South Padre Island is a windsurfing, kiteboarding, and dolphin watching destination with white beaches and, a few weeks each year, plenty of spring breakers. 

The Birding: Fall and spring are the best times to see birds here, like hooded warblers and white-eyed vireos, as they migrate from their southern wintering grounds to their northern nesting areas. Occasionally there are “fallouts” when huge numbers of songbirds land and look for shelter because strong storms forced them to use up their energy reserves.

Glacier Bay, Alaska

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is a bucket list destination for its stunning glaciers, hikes, whaling, and birding. 

The Birding: Bald Eagles are like pigeons in this region, and the park and preserve hosts roughly 240 bird species, including puffins and phalaropes, thanks to the favorable conditions, lots of food, and few predators.

Outer Banks, North Carolina

The Outer Banks is a known surfing, swimming, fishing, beach destination. It’s also a spectacular place to go birding. 

The Birding: These shores attract more than 400 bird species, like red-throated loons and American oystercatchers. Late fall, winter, and early spring, when tourists are rare, are the most desirable times to go as a birder.

Niagara Falls

This tourist destination is worth a visit with wineries, festivals all year, and surprisingly great food. Most people visit these enormous waterfalls in warm weather, but birders come in the late fall, winter, and early spring to see large concentrations of gulls, waterfowl, and other birds that can be seen along the river and below the falls.

Florida Keys

There’s so much to do in the Florida Keys – kayaking, sailing, barhopping, snorkeling, fishing – that it a tough sell to anyone but the most hardcore birder to take a day with the binoculars. But it’s worth it. The Keys have Antillean nighthawks, bananaquit, and  even American flamingos coming in from Caribbean shores. The best birding is also in the off-season (if there is one here), fall through spring.