The Most Spectacular Bird-Watching Spots in Every State

Whether you’re an avid birdwatcher or hoping to get involved in this calm and quiet activity that can help you spend less on travel , there’s a prime spot for birdwatching in every U.S. state.

Read on for our list of the best birdwatching locales in each state, from sea to shining sea — any one of them could easily become your new favorite.

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1. Alabama: Lakepoint State Park (Eufaula)

Lakepoint State Park, which surrounds Lake Eufaula, is a hotspot for bass anglers.

The lake and its fish are also a draw for shorebirds, waterfowl, and waders (not to mention the occasional American alligator).

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2. Alaska: Kenai Fjords National Park (Seward)

Kenai Fjords is a top destination for whale watching, but birds also pass through the massive park on the Kenai Peninsula each year.

Arctic terns, boreal chickadees, red-tailed hawks, and multiple types of ptarmigans have been seen in the park.

3. Arizona: Huachuca Mountains (Coronado National Forest)

The Huachuca mountain range in southeastern Arizona doesn’t host many bird species between October and April.

But from May to September, the mountains — especially their canyons — come alive with Eared Quetzal, Aztec thrush, and Montezuma quail.

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4. Arkansas: Petit Jean State Park (Morrilton)

The state’s first state park is located at the top of a low mountain with beautiful gorge views. Spring is the prime season to see songbirds migrate in large numbers through the area.

5. California: Point Reyes National Seashore (Marin County)

This 70,000-acre protected area is home to almost 500 bird species, from waterfowl to songbirds.

See great-horned and long-eared owls on the Estero Trail or visit the lighthouse region for pelicans and (occasionally) tufted puffins.

6. Colorado: Barr Lake State Park (Brighton)

Barr Lake is just 20 miles outside of Denver. More than 350 species of birds call the state park home.

Of all the bald eagles that winter in the park, one pair stays through spring year after year to raise their young.

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7. Connecticut: East Rock Park (New Haven)

This city park is an Audubon Society-designated Important Bird Area (IBA).

Upwards of 200 species of migratory songbirds rest here during the year, and 20 different types of warblers have been noted in the area in the spring.

8. Delaware: Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge (Smyrna)

The tidal salt marshes at Bombay Hook are a haven for waders and shorebirds.

Dozens of species nest here, including bald eagles, which build nests in January, lay eggs in February, and encourage eaglets out of the nest in June.

9. Florida: Everglades National Park (Homestead)

This World Heritage Site is the biggest subtropical forest in the US.

The park’s website helpfully lists which birds you’re likeliest to see on each trail. For instance, the Anhinga Trail is ideal for seeing cormorants, wading birds, and Anhingas.

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10. Georgia: Tybee Island North Beach (Tybee Island)

Tybee Island is a popular beach vacation spot, but humans aren’t the only ones who enjoy its unique coastal environment.

Tybee is also the best place in the state to see purple sandpipers, northern gannets, and piping plovers.

11. Hawaii, Kōkeʻe State Park (Kauai)

Hawaii’s beautiful volcanic mountains are home to unique bird species.

Drive up the jaw-dropping Waimea Canyon for sweeping island views and glimpses of native birds like the Hawaiian goose, akekee, Kauai Elepaio, and Hawaiian duck.

12. Idaho: City of Rocks National Reserve (Almo)

City of Rocks is a granite formation rising out of sagebrush plains and pinyon-juniper woodlands.

It’s home to the state bird, the mountain bluebird, and native species like the juniper titmouse, pinyon jay, and greater sage grouse.

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13. Illinois: Illinois Beach State Park (Zion)

Located along Lake Michigan, Illinois Beach State Park shelters 40 endangered local species.

Each winter, stroll down to the North Point Marina to take part in Gull Fest, where you’ll see multiple rare species of gull.

14. Indiana: Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge (Seymour)

These wetlands shelter some of Indiana’s rarest native species, including four-toed salamanders and Kirtland’s snake.

In the winter, the site transforms into a haven for tens of thousands of sandhill cranes.

15. Iowa: Waubonsie State Park (Hamburg)

This unique state park has eight miles’ worth of hiking trails, a seven-acre lake for boating and fishing, and opportunities to spot 135 bird species.

As you hike through the hardwood forest, look out for wild turkeys, barred owls, and a few varieties of tanagers.

16. Kansas: Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area (Great Bend)

The Cheyenne Bottoms are ideal for glimpsing migrating shorebirds moving south in the fall and north in the spring.

Sandhill cranes, herons, and egrets reach the area in April and May while whooping cranes visit around November.

17. Kentucky: Berea College Forest (Berea)

Berea College manages all 9,000 acres of this Appalachian forest.

Depending on the time of year, you’ll see nesting birds as big as wild turkey and as small as the yellow-green Kentucky warbler.

18. Louisiana: Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge (Jonesville)

As a lowland area with a frequently flooded forest, the Catahoula Refuge is a prime place to see waterfowl and woodland species like woodpeckers and flycatchers.

In the wintertime, you could see up to 75,000 birds at a time on and around Catahoula Lake itself.

19. Maine: Monhegan Island

If you sail 11 miles off the coast of Maine, you’ll end up on this 1.5-mile-long island and stopover point for migratory birds.

Per the Audubon Society, nearly every species of migrating bird in the eastern US stops at the island at some point in their journey.

20. Maryland: Assateague Island National Seashore (Assateague Island)

This Atlantic island off the coast of Maryland is home to herds of wild horses, but it’s also a bird-stopping point on the Atlantic flyway.

Threatened birds like plovers flock to the island in the spring, while wading birds like great blue herons stalk through the marshes in the summer.

21. Massachusetts: Fort Hill (Cape Cod)

There are plenty of birdwatching sites along the 40-mile Cape Cod National Seashore, but the one-mile Fort Hill trail is particularly good.

The trail overlooks Nauset Marsh, and opportunities to view bobwhites, night herons, egrets, and warblers abound.

22. Michigan: Pointe Mouillee State Game Area (Rockwood)

Pointe Mouillee’s 4,000-acre preserve draws hunters and birders alike thanks to its diverse and plentiful waterfowl.

Swing by the visitor’s center in September to enjoy the yearly waterfowl festival and look out for year-long residents like bald eagles and glossy ibises.

23. Minnesota: Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory (Duluth)

Duluth’s Hawk Ridge hosts an observatory that becomes a raptor-counting hotspot in the fall. In mid-September, viewers have seen thousands of broad-winged hawks per day.

24. Mississippi: Ansley Preserve (Ansley)

The Ansley Preserve is just one small section of the larger Hancock County Marsh Coastal Preserve.

The Ansley Trail takes you through marshes, forests, and ponds, and the diverse ecosystem supports more than 230 bird species.

25. Missouri: Roaring River State Park (Cassville)

Roaring River is nestled in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. It’s easily one of the state’s most popular parks, but birders willing to brave the crowds can find species from bald eagles to gray catbirds.

26. Montana: Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Medicine Lake)

Less than 50 miles from the Canadian border, the Medicine Lake refuge is a crucial stopover spot for birds and other wildlife.

The lake’s pelican population is one of the biggest in the US, with between 3,000 and 5,000 nesting pelicans each year.

27. Nebraska: Indian Cave State Park (Shubert)

Between Indian Cave’s river and the surrounding hardwood forest, visitors will be treated to woodpeckers, scarlet tanagers, warblers, and other migratory songbirds.

The park’s boat ramp gives boaters a unique, water-based way to see the region’s waterfowl.

28. Nevada: Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge (Fallon)

The Stillwater Refuge is just one section of the wider Lahontan Valley Wetlands, a region that can host as many as 250,000 birds.

White pelicans and white-faced ibis (plus 200 other bird species) enjoy this oasis amid the surrounding high desert.

29. New Hampshire: Odiorne Point State Park (Rye)

As the biggest stretch of undeveloped land on New Hampshire’s Atlantic Coast, Odiorne Point State Park is the ideal place to enjoy a quieter coastline and hundreds of bird species.

The park spans seven ecosystems and is home to shorebirds and migratory raptors.

30. New Jersey: Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (Harding Township)

Interested in urban birding? The Great Swamp Refuge is only 25 miles away from Manhattan. Look forward to multiple types of orioles and warblers, flycatchers, wrens, and barred owls.

31. New Mexico: Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (San Antonio)

Since 1939, the Bosque del Apache refuge has been a haven for cranes — so much so that the refuge has hosted an annual Festival of the Cranes for 35 years.

The refuge sees shorebirds in the spring, hummingbirds in the summer, and blackbirds and ducks in the fall.

32. New York: Jones Beach State Park (Wantagh, Long Island)

Jones Beach might be best known for its summer swimming, but it becomes an excellent birding location between fall and spring.

Keep an eye out for plovers, gulls, oystercatchers, terns, and other sea birds. In the winter, you could see snowy and short-eared owls too.

33. North Carolina: Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge (Manteo)

The Alligator River Refuge was created in the 80s to preserve the region’s threatened wetlands, essential habitats for black bears, alligators, endangered red wolves, and birds.

Along with waterfowl, you might spot prairie warblers, common yellowthroats, and eastern screech owls.

34. North Dakota: Sheyenne National Grassland (Lisbon)

North Dakota’s tallgrass prairie is a crucial habitat for greater prairie chickens, a type of grouse.

The males’ bright-orange air sacs, which expand with a loud booming sound during mating season, earned this threatened bird the nickname “boomers.”

35. Ohio: Howard Marsh (Curtice)

This 1,000-acre park is a fairly recent creation that required intensive restoration of Lake Erie’s coastal wetlands.

Over 230 species of birds rely on the marshland for refuge during periods of migration.

36. Oklahoma: Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge (Jet)

The Salt Plains refuge is named for the unique salt flats near the shallow lake that supports thousands of birds at a time.

Endangered whooping cranes are a special draw for bird enthusiasts, though ducks, sandhill cranes, and snowy plovers also make frequent appearances.

37. Oregon: Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (Princeton)

Eastern Oregon’s high desert habitat is a far cry from the Pacific beaches on its west side, but the refuge’s lake and wetlands are important stopping points for migrating birds on their way to the coast.

Ibis, stilts, geese, golden eagles, and tanagers are among the migratory visitors.

38. Pennsylvania: Bald Eagle State Park (Howard)

While bald eagles are year-round residents at Bald Eagle State Park, they’re far from the only bird species you’ll spot here.

Volunteers have worked to make the park a safe nesting spot for bluebirds, and you’ll also see cormorants in the fall and swallows in the spring.

39. Rhode Island: Ninigret National Wildlife Refuge (Charlestown)

Ninigret is located at the former site of the Charlestown Naval Auxiliary Landing Field.

Where you might have spotted airplane hangers in the 1940s, you can now see red-winged hawks, plovers, wood ducks, and 250 other bird species.

40. South Carolina: Audubon Beidler Forest (Harleyville)

The Audubon Center in South Carolina’s Beidler Forest helps protect one of the state’s remaining untouched forests.

A raised boardwalk winds through ancient trees that harbor barred owls, colorful painted bunting, and the melodic Swainson’s warbler.

41. South Dakota: Lacreek National Wildlife Refuge (Martin)

The Lacreek Refuge is part of the Nebraska Sandhills, a region of grasslands and marshes that provide shelter for trumpeter swans, pelicans, night herons, grebe, and other water-loving birds.

42. Tennessee: Cove Lake State Park (Caryville)

As a site of both wetlands and woodlands, Cove Lake State Park is the perfect place to see dozens of species.

The park is home to marsh-loving waterfowl and waterbirds as well as warblers, which nest in the park’s mature hardwood forest.

43. Texas: Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary (High Island)

You can visit Smith Oaks for $10 per person, but $30 will give you access to the four sanctuaries in the small city of High Island.

Smith Oaks is home to a rookery that sits in the middle of a pond and hosts egrets, herons, spoonbills, and other waterbirds.

44. Utah: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge (Brigham City)

This bird refuge in Northern Utah is a spectacular spot to see birds of all shapes and sizes, including majestic trumpeter swans in the winter and baby ducks, grebes, and goslings in the summer.

If you prefer to rest your legs, you can skip the 1.5 miles of walkable trails in favor of the leisurely 12-mile drive through the refuge.

45. Vermont: Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge (Swanton)

Since 1943, the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge has served as a resting place for Vermont’s migratory birds.

You can watch birds by boat or on one of the refuge’s walking trails. Keep an eye out for the endangered black terns that flock from across the state to nest in the wetlands.

46. Virginia: Kiptopeke State Park (Cape Charles)

Virginia’s gateway to the Chesapeake Bay is the ideal spot to fish, swim, and watch for the flocks of migratory birds (and butterflies) that pass through the region in the spring and fall.

Swing by the park’s Hawkwatch Platform to look for and learn about the 14 hawk species in the area.

47. Washington: Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge (Olympia)

Located just a few miles outside of the state’s capital city, the Nisqually Refuge is a diverse ecosystem and beloved local habitat for birds.

Easy-access boardwalks make for a pleasant stroll over the marsh. In the spring and fall, you’ll see migrating shorebirds, while winter brings loud choirs of geese to the park.

48. West Virginia: Smoke Hole Canyon (Petersburg)

Smoke Hole Canyon is part of the wider Monongahela National Forest area. The misty gorge can only be reached via remote roads, which makes it a relatively secluded spot.

Lucky observers will spot birds of prey circling overhead, including bald eagles and osprey (also known as sea hawks).

49. Wisconsin: Horicon Marsh Wildlife Area (Horicon)

Horicon Marsh’s 33,000-acre wetlands are a crucial habitat for dozens of varieties of waterbirds. In spring and fall, hundreds of thousands of migrating cranes, ducks, and geese flock to the area.

The marsh is also an incredible wildlife recovery story: After being dammed and largely destroyed, the habitat was restored by the 1990s.

50. Wyoming: Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge (Green River)

Wyoming’s Green River brings a beautiful splash of green to this otherwise dry area. 300 species use the river as a crucial source of food, water, and safety.

Depending on the time of the year, you might see trumpeter swans, bitterns, warblers, and more.

Bottom line

When you grab your favorite travel credit card to plan your next birdwatching trip, consider factors like the time of year.

Some of these spots truly shine in the winter, while others are at their glorious best in the spring and fall.

And don’t forget your trusty bird identification guide and binoculars, essential to enjoying the country's best birdwatching.

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