Popular Birding Places
Rich County
  

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Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge (Idaho)

Directions:  Go east on 200 North from Main Street (US 89) in Paris, Idaho and go to the bridge that crosses the Bear Lake Outlet Canal.  Turn right immediately after the bridge and continue a few hundred yards to the refuge.

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Bear River Meadows (a.k.a. Randolph viewing area and Bear River Wetlands)

Directions:  From UT 16, 1.5 miles north of Randolph, take Crawford Mountain Road going east about three miles through fields and farmland to the area around the Bear River with its oxbows, shallow ponds and wet meadows.  (The road continues on into Wyoming and joins UT 30/WY 89).

Best Black Tern and Bittern areas:  (directions from Crawford Mountain Road as above) Before you come to the Bear River you will come to Weston Lane on the left. Follow Weston Lane down around the bend until you come to a No Trespassing sign on the side of the road (about a mile). Stop there, If you look to the North you will see an oxbow with short cattails (about 150 feet) you should see Black Terns setting up housekeeping. All that area along Weston Lane, back to Crawford Mt Road and east along Crawford to the base of the Crawford mountains is a great place to see bitterns and terns. Watch for more Black Terns, to the right, when you cross the Bear River. A great place to bird. By far, the best time of the day to see bitterns is morning (to about 10:00 a.m.).  ~ Paul Higgins

Specialty Birds: American Bittern, Sandhill Crane, Long-billed Curlew, Black Tern

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Big Creek

Directions:  From the intersection by the "Rock Store" in the  center of Laketown (just off UT 30, at the south end of Bear Lake)  go west about 3 miles to a "T" in the road. Turn right going toward Meadowville (left going toward Round Valley) and go about a 100 yards to where the road crosses Big Creek.

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Birch Creek Reservoirs  ~ submitted by  Kristin Purdy

Description: Birch Creek Reservoirs--an old one and a newer one--are surrounded by relatively steep and rocky canyon slopes. Only the tops of the slopes are wooded with small patches of aspen and fir; the remainder of the vegetation is sage and greasewood. Both the east and west ends of the old reservoir are choked with scrubby willow and hawthorne shrubs.

Directions: From Woodruff, proceed west 8-9 miles on UT 39. The unimproved road to Birch Creek Reservoir is a right (north) turn and located between mm 61 and 60. The road is marked by a low brown sign that indicates Public Camping, 1 mile. Drive the mile and park at the fenced area next to the old reservoir. The new reservoir is accessible by walking up the steep path on the left side of the dam.

Birds: Yellow Warbler, Violet-green Swallow, Golden Eagle, Yellow-breasted Chat, Fox Sparrow, Rock Wren, Green-tailed Towhee, Spotted Sandpiper.

Other: Scan the red rock and sage canyon slopes for Rock Wrens, Green-tailed Towhees, and Swallows. Investigate the inlet and outlet ends of the old reservoir for riparian-habitat birds that prefer thick scrub--Yellow Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chats, Fox Sparrows. Walk up the steep trail on the left side of the dam to reach the new reservoir. Walk along the south shoreline of the new reservoir and watch for Spotted Sandpipers along the shore, Double-crested Cormorants in the water, and Green-tailed Towhees on the slope above. The footing may be soft.

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Dairy Ridge and Eli Ridge Roads

Directions: Dairy Ridge and Eli Ridge Road are located on UT 39 between mile markers 45 and 46. To get there from I-15, exit the interstate at 347 and turn east on 12th Street, also named UT 39. Follow UT 39 through Ogden Canyon, along the south shore of Pineview Reservoir, and east of Huntsville. UT 39 proceeds due east of Huntsville and follows the South Fork of the Ogden River. Watch the mile markers count up. Dairy Ridge and Eli Ridge are served by the same sign and are just over the Cache Valley line. The road into the area may still be impassable due to snow late into spring. ~ Kris Purdy

Specialty Birds: (Summer only) Blue Grouse, Mountain Bluebird, White-crowned Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee

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Little Creek Reservoir

Directions:  The reservoir is located about 3 miles east of Randolph. The Old Canyon and New Canyon roads west of the reservoir can provide good birding.

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Monte Cristo Campground  ~ submitted by Kris Purdy

Description: Monte Cristo Campground is the only non-primitive camping area in the Monte Cristo Range. It's located at approximately 9,000 feet in elevation. The vegetation includes aspen stands, firs, limber pine, Engelmann Spruce and wildflower meadows.

Directions: Take SR-39 north and east from I-15 exit 344 in Ogden or pick it up at the intersection with SR-167 (end of Trapper's Loop) in Ogden Valley, Weber County. From Rich County, pick up SR-39 in Woodruff at the intersection with SR-16. Monte Cristo Campground is located on SR-39 at mile 47.7.

Birds: Three-toed Woodpecker, Williamson's Sapsucker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red Crossbill, Cassin's Finch, Purple Martin, Clark's Nutcracker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Mountain Bluebird

Other: Wander at will, listen and watch. The Three-toed Woodpeckers have been seen many years at the south end of the campground on the slope where the mature spruce is located; the birds flake the bark off the trunks in their pursuit of bark-dwelling larvae. Continue along SR-39 to mile 48.7 at the intersection with Curtis Creek Road. Watch and listen
for Purple Martins.

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Randolph Viewing Area

See Bear River Meadows

Six Mile Reservoir

Directions:  Go 6 miles north of Sage Creek Junction and turn left on Six Mile Road.  The reservoir is about a mile down the road.

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E-mail: records@utahbirds.org