Birding trails are one of the newest and fastest-growing recreation and tourism promotions being developed across America. Each year, new birding trails are being planned, while more and more birders and other people interested in enjoying wildlife and nature experiences are utilizing these driving tours.

Birding trails provide information about where anyone can go to find birds, usually amid beautiful natural settings. Birding trails provide a wealth of information about birds, birding sites, and exciting destinations across the United States. Most birding trails have associated web sites, and some have a toll-free telephone number. Almost all birding trails offer a map or a series of maps, a booklet or a book with expanded information (some maps and publications are provided free of charge, some cost a small fee).

Birding trails utilize a series of existing roads that connect prime birding locations with public access, making “birding drive” a more accurate name for these birding-based tourism and conservation projects. The roadways are usually selected for their “birdiness,” and they literally connect local communities with the wildlife resources in the area. In this way, birding trails help to promote birding-related tourism and boost local economies when birders patronize motels, restaurants, campgrounds, gas stations, convenience stores, sporting goods stores, and other businesses.

Birding trails also emphasize the importance of natural areas for birds and other wildlife to residents of local communities and area politicians. These natural areas attract birders, who can make large economic impacts to area businesses. Hence, businesses and politicians appreciate the importance of protecting green spaces as important elements of the local economy, while providing essential wildlife habitat.

Today, birding trails can be found from Washington to Arizona to Florida and Vermont. Each year, new birding trails are being developed, another indication that birding is still a growth industry across the United States. A comprehensive list of active and planned birding trails is provided below in alphabetical order of the state they are found. Now, hit the trail!

ALABAMA - Alabama Coastal Birding Trail

ARIZONA - Southeastern Arizona Birding Trail

CALIFORNIA - Central Coast Birding Trail

CALIFORNIA - Eastern Sierra Birding Trail

COLORADO - Great Pikes Peak Birding Trail

FLORIDA - Great Florida Birding Trail

GEORGIA - Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding Trail

KENTUCKY - John James Audubon Birding Trail

MINNESOTA, IOWA, and WISCONSIN to LOUISIANA - Great River Birding Trail

MINNESOTA - Pine to Prairie Birding Trail

MINNESOTA - Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail

NEW HAMPSHIRE and VERMONT - Connecticut River Birding Trail

NEW JERSEY - New Jersey Birding & Wildlife Trails

New Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS) is the author of the New Jersey Birding and Wildlife Trails (BWT) guides. Ultimately all of New Jersey will be represented in this series of regional publications. Each guide features a collection of local driving routes that connect sites where people can go to view the area's wildlife and enjoy some time outdoors. The purpose of these guides is to encourage ecotourism and economic development throughout their respective regions. At this time, the first two guides, the Delaware Bayshore and the Meadowlands and More guides, have been published and are presented in their entirety on our website. The third in the series, the Skylands guide, will be published on the web in June 2008. Each guide will be added to the website as it is developed.

New Jersey Audubon Society
600 Rt. 47 North, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
Phone: 609-861-0700 ext. 27
Web Site: http://www.njwildlifetrails.org/
E-Mail: jeannine.parvin@njaudubon.org

NEW MEXICO - Southwest New Mexico Birding Trail

NEW YORK - Audubon Niagara Birding Trails

NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina Birding Trail
To conserve and enhance North Carolina's bird habitat by promoting sustainable bird watching activities, economic opportunities and conservation education.

Visit the website for information about the NC Birding Trail Guide, promotional brochure, and birder calling cards.

NC Wildlife Resources Commission, 1722 Mail Service Ctr., Raleigh, NC 27699-1722
Phone: (919) 604-5183
Web Site: www.ncbirdingtrail.org
E-Mail: info@ncbirdingtrail.org

NORTH DAKOTA - Steele Birding Drive

NORTH DAKOTA - Bismarck-Mandan Birding Drive

NORTH DAKOTA - Central Dakota Birding Drive

OHIO - Southern Ohio Birding and Heritage Trail

TEXAS - The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail

UTAH - Great Salt Lake Birding Trails

VERMONT - Lake Champlain Birding Trail

VIRGINIA - Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail

WASHINGTON - Great Washington Birding Trail

In Preparation
With birding trails among the hottest wildlife-based projects being developed across the nation, the following new birding trails are in various stages of being planned, developed, or finalized and may not yet have a map or guide produced for reference. Nonetheless, we want to support the efforts of the people and agencies involved in these projects by providing some introductory information and contact info. We will be making frequent updates to these birding trail descriptions to make sure we offer the most up to date information as these birding trails are produced and new materials become available, so keep checking in for new development in the birding trails world.

CONNECTICUT - Connecticut Coastal Birding Trail
www.ctbirdingtrails.org
Four coastal loops are planned, for which you may nominate sites for the Connecticut Coastal Birding Trail by filling out a nomination form, provided on the web site. A list of sites already nominated is also provided.
Map: Not yet available.

KANSAS - Kansas Birding and Prairie Flora Trails
P.O. Box 156, Manhattan, KS 66505
(785) 537-4385
www.kansasaudubon.org/birdtrails.html
Four trails running north and south across the state are still in the planning stages, but will ultimately include such exciting sites as the Flint Hills, Cheyenne Bottoms wetland complex, and Kirwin National Wildlife Refuge. Birders may be disappointed to find the addition of prairie passage sites and wildflower locations that dilute the quality of sites specific to quality birding.
Map: Not yet available.

LOUISIANA - Grand Isle Birding Trail
http://www.birdlouisiana.com/birdtrail/trailpage.html (still under construction)
Louisiana has initiated planning for a coastal birding trail, which will include the Grand Isle Bird Trail, a small suburban birding trail is already developed on a barrier island, which is featured at http://grandisle.btnep.org
Map: Not yet available.

MONTANA - Great Montana Birding and Wildlife Trail
(406) 444-3248
www.fermatainc.com/montana/index.html
It is so early in the planning stage of this birding trail that the minutes of the initial meetings to coordinate it are posted on the web site listed above.
Map: Not yet available.

NORTH DAKOTA - North Dakota Birding Trail
(701) 328-6300
One of the most rewarding Great Plains birding destinations, North Dakota is also one of the most overlooked states. The North Dakota Birding Trail will help to alert birders to the exciting locations and great wildlife experiences that await them year-round, from the Pembina Hills to the Missouri River and the famed Badlands.
Map: Not yet available.

OHIO - Southern Ohio Birding and Heritage Trail
(937) 549-8384
No web site.
Starting in Cincinnati at Meledahl Dam, this birding trail will wind through 4 counties in southwest Ohio before looping across the Ohio River to nearby Augusta, Kentucky.
Map: Not yet available.

OREGON - Oregon Cascade Birding Trail
(541) 408-1753 or (541) 745-5339
www.oregonbirdingtrails.org
The Oregon Cascades Birding Trail will be the first of up to 8 different birding trails that will eventually lead birders around the state, featuring the best in Oregon's avian diversity and spectacular scenery, including dense forests, alpine meadows, snow-capped mountains, Crater Lake, and the Columbia River Gorge. The OCBT will feature 2 north-south routes along the western and eastern Cascade Mountain Ranges.
Map: Not yet available, but a draft map can be seen at http://www.oregonbirdingtrails.org/trailmap.htm

PENNSYLVANIA - Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, PA 17110
(717) 213-6880
http://pa.audubon.org/frontrev1.html
The first segment of the Pennsylvania Birding and Wildlife Trails, the Susquehanna River Birding Trail will include sites in 27 counties in eastern Pennsylvania, leading from the to the border of Maryland in advance of entering Chesapeake Bay. You can participate by submitting an on-line nomination form at http://pa.audubon.org/The_Susquehanna_Birding_and_Wildlife_Trail.htm
Map: Not yet available.

The Great Washington State Birding Trail
Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway
This birding route was initiated by Central Basin Audubon for the Coulee Corridor Scenic Byway. The route features more than half of Washington's 365 bird species. Thousands of Sandhill Cranes come through on the Pacific Flyway in spring and fall, while Black-crowned Night-Herons and Great Egrets stay to nest in summer. The area's large populations of Bald Eagles and waterfowl offer great winter birding. A full-color map is available from Audubon Washington, PO Box 462, Olympia, WA 98507.

The Great Washington State Birding Trail
Cascade Loop
This loop takes you along the inland coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean, where tides and currents sculpt dramatic shorelines in a temperate climate. The Trail winds through dark, stately conifer forests before rising over the high open passes of the snow-capped Cascade Range, sprinkled with clear lakes and fast-flowing streams. A full-color map is available from Audubon Washington, PO Box 462, Olympia, WA 98507.

WISCONSIN - The Great Wisconsin Birding Trail
(608) 266-0545
www.fermatainc.com/wisc/index.html
Although still in the early planning stages, there are 4 loops proposed in the state, including the Great River Birding Trail (see the above description under Minnesota); the Horicon Marsh Parkway Auto Tour Route, which includes hiking trails, a floating boardwalk, and canoe trails; Milwaukee’s Oak Leaf Birding Trail (see www.countyparks.com/animals/birding.html), and the Ozaukee County Interurban Trail.
Map: Only Milwaukee’s suburban Oak Leaf Birding Trail map is available by calling (414) 257-6100 or e-mailing info@countyparks.com

SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA - Saskatchewan Bird Trail
2022 Cornwall Street, Suite 101, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada S4P 2K5
(306) 787-0726
Still in the early planning stages, the steering committee has proposed 4 loops for this birding trail to link key biotic sites with such species as American White Pelicans, Piping Plovers, and Burrowing Owls to local communities.
Map: Not yet available.