AllTrails · eBird · Seasonal Tips

All Trail Guides

Every guide pairs AllTrails data with eBird species lists — so you know where to walk, when to go, and what birds you'll find.

Sandhill Cranes flying low over the Platte River at sunset, dark silhouettes with long necks and legs against an orange skyCentral Platte River Valley, Nebraska

October 22, 2026 · 13 min read

Platte River Birding: Sandhill Crane Migration in Central Nebraska

A trip-planning guide to the Sandhill Crane migration on Nebraska's Platte River. Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary (249 species), the Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center (219 species), and the free Fort Kearny Hike-Bike Trail bridge (232 species), with eBird hotspot data, AllTrails reviews, 2027 blind tour prices, and when the cranes peak.

Guided walk to the river blinds, Audubon's Rowe SanctuaryCrane Trust Nature and Visitor Center trails and footbridgesFort Kearny Hike-Bike Trail and Platte River bridge
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Two adult Whooping Cranes standing in green grass and yellow wildflowers at Aransas National Wildlife RefugeCoastal Bend, Texas Gulf Coast

October 8, 2026 · 12 min read

Texas Gulf Coast Birding: Whooping Cranes, Spoonbills, and Hawks on the Coastal Bend

A trip-planning guide to birding the Texas Coastal Bend. Aransas National Wildlife Refuge for wintering Whooping Cranes (298 species at Heron Flats), the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center boardwalk in Port Aransas (351 species), and the Hazel Bazemore hawk watch (354 species), with eBird hotspot data, AllTrails mileage, fees, and when to go.

Rail Trail and Heron Flats Trail, Aransas National Wildlife RefugeLeonabelle Turnbull Birding Center boardwalk, Port AransasHazel Bazemore Park Loop and hawk watch, Corpus Christi
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Adult Bald Eagle in flight against a clear blue sky, wings fully spread, showing its white head and tail and dark brown bodyKittatinny Ridge, Pennsylvania

September 18, 2026 · 12 min read

Hawk Mountain Birding: Fall Hawk Migration on Pennsylvania's Kittatinny Ridge

A trip-planning guide to fall hawk migration on Pennsylvania's Kittatinny Ridge. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary's North Lookout (216 species), Bake Oven Knob (178 species), and the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, with eBird hotspot data, AllTrails mileage, count history, and the weather that makes a big flight.

Lookout Trail to North Lookout, Hawk Mountain SanctuaryBake Oven Knob via the Appalachian TrailPrairie Warbler, Appalachian, and Charcoal Trail loop, Lehigh Gap Nature Center
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Greater Roadrunner standing in short grass, showing its long streaked body, shaggy crest, and long white-tipped tailTable Rock Lake, Missouri

September 9, 2026 · 12 min read

Missouri Ozarks Birding: Table Rock Lake, the Branson Glades, and Busiek State Forest

A trip-planning guide to birding the Missouri Ozarks in late September. Table Rock Lake and State Park (218 species), Busiek State Forest (174 species), and the Henning glades above Branson (151 species), with eBird hotspot data, AllTrails mileage, and a three-day plan built around fall migration.

Table Rock Lakeshore Trail, Table Rock State ParkHomesteaders Trail and Glade Trail, Ruth and Paul Henning Conservation AreaBusiek State Forest and Wildlife Area
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Male American Kestrel perched on a wooden post, showing rust-colored back, blue-gray wings, and the black facial stripes of North America's smallest falconCape May, New Jersey

September 4, 2026 · 11 min read

Cape May Birding: Hawkwatch Platform, Higbee Beach, and the South Cape May Meadows

Trail guide to Cape May, New Jersey, the raptor capital of North America. Cape May Point State Park (376 species), Higbee Beach WMA (339 species), and the South Cape May Meadows (355 species). Hawkwatch season runs September 1 to November 30.

Red, Yellow, and Blue Trails, Cape May Point State ParkHigbee Beach Wildlife Management AreaSouth Cape May Meadows Preserve
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Male Black-throated Blue Warbler perched on a branch, showing deep blue upperparts and white underparts with a black face and throatGreat Smoky Mountains, Tennessee/North Carolina

August 27, 2026 · 10 min read

Great Smoky Mountains Birding: Alum Cave, Andrews Bald, and Cades Cove

Birding the Great Smoky Mountains: warbler-filled Alum Cave Bluffs, boreal Andrews Bald, and wildlife-rich Cades Cove. 240+ species, three elevation zones.

Alum Cave Bluffs Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National ParkAndrews Bald via Forney Ridge Trail, Great Smoky Mountains National ParkCades Cove Loop Road, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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A male Golden-cheeked Warbler singing from an Ashe juniper branch at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, the only bird species on Earth with a breeding range entirely within a single US stateTexas Hill Country, Central Texas

July 29, 2026 · 10 min read

Texas Hill Country Birding: Golden-cheeked Warblers at Balcones, Lost Maples & Pedernales Falls

The 3 best birding trails in Texas Hill Country: Balcones Canyonlands NWR (245+ species, the only Golden-cheeked Warbler breeding refuge), Lost Maples State Natural Area (200+ species), and Pedernales Falls State Park. AllTrails ratings, eBird hotspots, and month-by-month timing for the only bird that breeds exclusively in Texas.

Indiangrass, Rimrock, and Creek Loop, Balcones Canyonlands NWREast Trail Loop, Lost Maples State Natural AreaPedernales Loop via Trammel Crossing, Pedernales Falls State Park
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A male Yellow-headed Blackbird calling from a cattail reed, the striking signature bird of Montlake Fill and one of Seattle's most sought-after urban birding sightingsSeattle & Puget Sound, Washington

July 22, 2026 · 9 min read

Seattle Area Birding: Montlake Fill, Nisqually NWR & the Skagit Valley

The top 3 birding trails in the Seattle region: Montlake Fill (200+ species on a former landfill), Nisqually NWR boardwalk (278 species, 4.7 stars), and the Padilla Bay Shore Trail in the Skagit Valley where 50,000 Snow Geese winter alongside thousands of swans and Bald Eagles. AllTrails data + month-by-month tips.

Union Bay Natural Area Loop (Montlake Fill), SeattleNisqually Estuary Boardwalk & Twin Barns Trail, Nisqually NWRPadilla Bay Shore Trail, Skagit Valley
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A male Anna's Hummingbird hovering in brilliant iridescent magenta and green plumage, the year-round icon of San Francisco Bay Area birdingSan Francisco Bay Area, California

July 14, 2026 · 9 min read

San Francisco Bay Area Birding: Golden Gate Park, Point Reyes & Don Edwards Refuge

The top 3 birding trails in the SF Bay Area ranked by eBird species count: Blue Heron Lake in Golden Gate Park, Bear Valley Trail at Point Reyes, and the Newark Slough at Don Edwards NWR. Point Reyes holds 490 species and has been named the #1 birding destination in the US by Audubon. Here's how to bird all three in a weekend.

Blue Heron Lake & Strawberry Hill Loop, Golden Gate ParkBear Valley Trail to Arch Rock, Point Reyes National SeashoreNewark Slough Trail, Don Edwards SF Bay National Wildlife Refuge
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A brilliant male Baltimore Oriole perched in a leafy tree, the unmistakable orange-and-black icon of Chicago's spring migration seasonChicago & North Shore, Illinois

July 6, 2026 · 9 min read

Chicago & North Shore Birding: AllTrails · eBird · Seasonal Tips

The top 3 birding trails in the Chicago region ranked by eBird species count, with AllTrails distances, difficulty ratings, and month-by-month migration tips. Montrose Point ranks #1 in all of Illinois on eBird with 349 species: the Magic Hedge is the reason why.

Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary TrailSkokie Lagoons Inner TrailDead River & Dunes Loop, Illinois Beach SP
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A male Kirtland's Warbler perched in a young jack pine in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, the only place on Earth where this endangered species nestsMichigan Lower Peninsula

July 2, 2026 · 9 min read

Michigan Lower Peninsula Birding: AllTrails · eBird · Seasonal Tips

The top 3 birding trails in Michigan's Lower Peninsula ranked by eBird species count, with AllTrails distances, difficulty ratings, and month-by-month Great Lakes seasonal tips. Tawas Point logs 298 species, and Kirtland's Warbler nests nowhere else on Earth.

Tawas Point Sandy Hook Nature TrailEmpire Bluff Trail, Sleeping Bear DunesKirtland's Warbler Jack Pine Tour
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