Birding

Birding Trails

• Sunset Coast Birding Trail

  The Sunset Coast Birding Trail runs through Antrim, Charlevoix and Emmet counties, benefiting the local communities by promoting economic development and environmental stewardship. This trail hosts a wide variety of protected areas and habitats that attract a large number of Michigan’s 400-plus bird species.

• Thornapple Birding Trail

  With over 22,000 acres of state game area, many parks, and over 250 lakes, Barry County hosts a wide variety of bird-filled habitats. Stop by for the ducks and Common Loons, or search out the thirteen species of warblers that nest in Barry County.

• AuSable Birding Trail

  The AuSable Birding Trail highlights remarkable bird habitat throughout the Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake, St. Helen, Grayling and AuSable River area. The trail takes you through the woods and into the wetlands where you can spot birds such as Kirtland’s Warblers and Bald Eagles. 

• Sunrise Coast Birding Trail

  The Sunrise Coast Birding Trail incorporates 145 miles along U.S. 23. The trail takes flight at the mouth of the famed AuSable River in Oscoda and wings its way north all along the Lake Huron coast to Mackinaw City. Birders will delight in observing the  common, threatened , or endangered birds  of our coastal and inland locations.

• Superior Birding Trail

  World class birding in the wilds of Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula. Anchored by Whitefish Point in the north and the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the south, the 150- mile Superior Birding Trail guides visitors through the rugged and rare ecosystems of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

• Sleeping Bear Birding Trail

  The trail covers the entire 123 miles of M-22, running from Manistee on the southern end to Traverse City at the north. The trail is anchored by Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and is home to the Piping Plover, an endangered shorebird that needs vast stretches of undisturbed beach.

• North Huron Birding Trail

  The north shoreline of Lake Huron in the Upper Peninsula is known as one of the most beautiful and pristine areas of wilderness in all of the Midwest. This birding trail has five zones inlcuding St. Ignace, Les Cheneax area, DeTour, Drummond Island and Pickford Grasslands area.

• Saginaw Bay Birding Trail

  This trail covers 142 miles, running from Port Crescent State Park on the eastern end to Tawas Point State Park on the western end, and largely follows the shoreline of the entire Saginaw Bay. Diverse habitats, sprawling miles of shoreline, over 200 species of birds and extensive natural areas with public access make this trail a bider's paradise.

• Beaver Island Birding Trail

  As the largest island in Lake Michigan, Beaver Island is a critical stopover site for migratory birds flying up the lake on their way north to breeding grounds. Many stay to nest. This trail includes more than 12,000 acres of state and township lands and four Little Traverse Conservancy preserves.