Traverse City has a picturesque landscape where different natural wonders like rolling hills, clear lakes, small water bodies, trees, birds, and wildlife come together and paint a scenic vista. It is undoubtedly one of the best cities for enjoying a family trip, as you’ll find plenty of indoor and outdoor things to do in Traverse City, Michigan. Located along the Grand Traverse Bay, the waterfront city has a long walkway along the lake where you can enjoy a relaxing stroll. You can also find many nature preserves and natural habitats to enjoy bird watching.
Traverse City Has Many Spots for Bird Watching
If you’d like to spend a relaxing time away from the hustle and bustle of the city, you can check out many nature-kissed spots for spending quiet moments in nature. There are several nature preserves for activities like hiking, biking, photography, and bird, and wildlife watching. Bird lovers can spot a variety of native and exotic bird species while capturing photographs in their natural habitat. You can also check out many bird-watching trails in and around the city. One of the popular trails is the Boardman Lake Loop Trail which runs along the Boardman Lake over a distance of 6.8 km loop. You would find many bird species along the route.
The Fern Lake Loop is another trail surrounding the huge Fern Lake and cuts through the woods. The area is perfect for bird and wildlife watching. After spending time at lakes, you can take your adventures to wooded areas such as the Pelizzari Natural Area Loop and the Miller Creek Nature Reserve Loop. For the longest bird-watching trail in the city, you can visit the Vasa25k loop that spans over a distance of 31.2 km. This trail also features the most elevation gain that turns into a scenic viewpoint for bird watching.
Some of the best bird-watching spots in and around the city include the Board Nature Center at the Grand Traverse Nature Reserve, Boardman Lake and River, and Grand Traverse Commons. You can spot a variety of waterfowl at Boardman Lake. Depending on the season, you may also find gulls and shorebirds at the lake. To the south of the city, you’ll find the popular Brown Bridge quiet area with many native birds, while to the north of the city, you can visit the Old Mission Point County Park. At the Old Mission Point County Park, you may find breeding warblers, pileated woodpeckers, black-throated green warblers, and many other species. If you’d like to take a short road trip, you can visit the popular Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where you may see the prairie warbler during the months of May and June. Some of the other birds spotted in mid-May include the Nashville warblers, American redstarts, black-throated blues, and a Blackburn warbler. You can take guided tours to see the Kirtland’s warblers with Grayling and Mio. Access to the birding territory is only through guided tours that last for a duration of up to 1 to 2 hours.
Plan Your Traverse City Journey Today
These are just a few of the spots for bird watching in Traverse City. You can explore many other destinations depending on the season. When you’re all set to plan your bird-watching adventure at Traverse City, you can look for the right accommodation choices and plan a detailed itinerary. We can offer fully furnished vacation rentals at the True North Property with a long list of amenities like internet access, an in-unit washer and dryer, a functional kitchen, an outdoor area, and comfortable bedrooms. Get in touch with our team and find the right style of rental close to plenty of things to do in Traverse City, Michigan!
