Birdwatching or birding is a multigenerational activity that can be done by anyone, regardless of age, ability or background, anywhere in New York. Enjoy new outdoor recreation opportunities by checking out a great birding location near you.
The New York State Birding Trail is not a physical trail, but "connects" all of the best birding locations in regions across the state.
DEC is committed to providing an ever-increasing range of accessible outdoor recreation opportunities and welcomes all visitors to experience the NYS Birding Trail. When evaluating publicly or privately owned locations for inclusion on the Birding Trail, the site’s accessibility is considered. Sites with accessibility are preferred, however not all sites on the Trail are accessible or may have only parts that are accessible. Some sites may be accessible in warm weather but not when there is snow or ice on the ground. Conditions at sites may change without notice. When planning a trip to a Birding Trail location, visitors are strongly encouraged to visit the location’s main web page for more complete and up-to-date information, including available information on accessibility at the site, and to contact management at the site as needed.
Check out the Birding Trail map, other birding resources and more.
Long Island
Nassau
- Hempstead Lake State Park
- Jones Beach State Park
- Lido Beach Nature Area - Town of Hempstead
- Sagamore Hill National Historic Site - National Park Service
- Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center
Suffolk
- Caleb Smith State Park Preserve
- Caumsett State Historic Park Preserve
- Connetquot River State Park Preserve
- Edgewood Oak Brush Plains State Forest
- Elizabeth A. Morton National Wildlife Refuge - USFWS
- Fire Island Lighthouse Tract - National Park Service
- Fire Island Wilderness Area - National Park Service
- Montauk Point State Park
- Napeague Bird Conservation Area - Hither Hill State Park
- Nissequogue River State Park
- Ridge Conservation Area
- Rocky Point Pine Barrens State Forest
- Robert Moses State Park
- Smithtown Historical Society - Smithtown Historical Society
- Sunken Meadow State Park
- Target Rock National Wildlife Refuge - USFWS
- Trail View State Park
- Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge - USFWS
New York City
For more resources related to birding in New York City, check out NYC Audubon's website.
Bronx County
Kings County (Brooklyn)
- Calvert Vaux Park
- Floyd Bennett Field
- Fort Greene Park
- Marine Park Salt Marsh
- Marsha P. Johnson State Park
- McGolrick Park
- Plumb Beach
- Prospect Park
- Shirley Chisholm State Park
New York County (Manhattan)
- Battery Park City - Battery Park City Authority
- Central Park Ramble
- Governors Island
- Fort Tryon Park
- Inwood Hill Park
- Madison Square Park
Queens County
- Bayswater Point State Park
- Forest Park
- Fort Tilden
- Gantry Plaza State Park
- Highland Park Ridgewood Reservoir
- Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
- Kissena Park
- Norton Basin Natural Resource Area
Richmond County (Staten Island)
- Brookfield Park
- Clay Pit Ponds State Park Preserve
- Clove Lakes Park
- Crooke's Point (at Great Kills)
- Fort Wadsworth
- Goethals Pond Complex
- High Rock
- Mount Loretto Unique Area
- Old Place Creek
- Saint Francis Woodlands
Hudson Valley
Columbia
- Olana State Historic Site
- Clermont State Historic Site
- Lake Taghkanic State Park
- Stockport Wildlife Management Area
- Taconic State Park: Harlem Valley Rail Trail
Dutchess
- Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area
- Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center
- Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve
- Dennings' Point
- Little Stony Point
- Washburn Trail
- James Baird State Park
- Mills Norrie State Park
- Norrie Point Environmental Center
- Hopeland Area
- Peach Hill Park
- Taconic State Park: Rudd Pond
- The Preserve at Vassar - Vassar College
Putnam
- Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park
- Hubbard Lodge
- Big Woods Parking Area
- Pelton Pond
- Martin (Marty) Hugh McGuire Hemlock-Northern Hardwood Area
- Sunken Mine Road (Seasonal Access - walk in during winter)
- Constitution Marsh Audubon Center and Sanctuary
Rockland
- Bear Mountain State Park
- Doodletown
- Iona Island Marsh
- Bear Mountain Hawk Watch
- Harriman State Park
- Elk Pen to Island Pond
- Silver Mine
- Lily Pond
- West Appalachian Trail at Merritt Bank
- Hook Mountain State Park: Hook Mountain Hawk Watch
- Goosepond Mountain State Park: Goosepond Mountain Boardwalk
- Piermont Marsh
- Rockland Lake State Park
- Rockland Lake Nature Center Boardwalk
- Rockland Lake
Orange
- 6 1/2 Station Sanctuary - Orange County Audubon Society
- Hudson Highlands Nature Museum - Hudson Highlands Nature Museum
- Mount Peter Hawk Watch Trailway
- Sterling Forest State Park
- Indian Hill
- Ironwood Drive
- Stewart State Forest
Westchester
- Greenburgh Nature Center - Greenburgh Nature Center
- Rockefeller State Park Preserve
- John Jay Homestead State Historic Site
- Marshlands Conservancy
- Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park
Catskills
Delaware
Greene
- Devasego Park Day-Use Area - NYCDEP
- Mountain Top Arboretum
- North-South Lake Campground & Day Use Area
- Vinegar Hill Wildlife Management Area
- Vosburgh Swamp Wildlife Management Area
Schoharie
Sullivan
- Bashakill Wildlife Management Area
- Mongaup Pond Campground & Day Use Area
- Mongaup Valley Wildlife Management Area
Ulster
- Ashokan Promenade - NYCDEP
- Ashokan Rail Trail - Ulster County
- Bluestone Wild Forest: Onteora Lake
- Catskills Visitor Center - Catskill Center
- Great Vly Wildlife Management Area
- Kenneth L. Wilson Campground & Day Use Area
- Minnewaska State Park Preserve (Carriage Roads: Lake Minnewaska, Hamilton Point, Upper
Awosting, Millbrook Mountain)
(Sam's Point Area) - Mohonk Preserve - Mohonk Preserve
- Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge - USFWS
Capital Region
Albany
- Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail - Albany County
- Albany Pine Bush Preserve - Albany Pine Bush Commission
- Discovery Center, Great Dune, Rapp Barrens & Six Mile Waterworks
- Ann Lee Pond Nature & Historic Preserve - Albany County
- Corning Preserve - City of Albany
- Emma Treadwell Thacher Nature Center
- Five Rivers Environmental Education Center
- John Boyd Thacher State Park
- Knox Wetland
- Lawson Lake County Park - Albany County
- Margaret Burke Wildlife Management Area
- Noonan Preserve - Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
- Normans Kill Preserve East - Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
- Normans Kill Preserve West - Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
- Partridge Run Wildlife Management Area
- Tivoli Lake Preserve - City of Albany
- Washington Park - City of Albany
Rensselaer
- Capital District Wildlife Management Area
- Frear Park - City of Troy
- Grafton Lakes State Park
- Schodack Island State Park
Saratoga
- Hudson Crossing Park - Hudson Crossing Park
- Moreau Lake State Park
- Peebles Island State Park
- Saratoga National Historic Park (Saratoga Battlefield) - National Park Service
- Saratoga Spa State Park
- Creekside Classroom
- The Burt Trail at Gray's Crossing
Schenectady
- Great Flats Nature Trail - Town of Rotterdam
- Lions Park - Town of Niskayuna
- Collins Park & Lake - Village of Scotia
Washington
- Alfred Z. Solomon Grassland Viewing Area and Bird Trail
- Carters Pond Wildlife Management Area
- Washington County Grasslands Wildlife Management Area
Adirondacks-North Country
Clinton
- Ausable Marsh Wildlife Management Area
- Ausable Point Campground & Day Use Area
- Kings Bay Wildlife Management Area
- Lake Alice Wildlife Management Area
- Point Au Roche State Park
Essex
- Adirondack Interpretive Center - SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
- Boquet River Nature Preserve - The Nature Conservancy
- Camp Santanoni Historic Area
- Crown Point State Historic Site
- Saranac Lakes Wild Forest: Brewster Peninsula Trails
Franklin
- Saranac Lakes Wild Forest: Bloomingdale Bog Trail
- Paul Smith's College Visitor Interpretive Center - Paul Smith's College
Fulton
Hamilton
- Great Camp Sagamore
- Moose River Plains Complex: Sucker Brook Bay Trail
- Pigeon Lake Wilderness: Ferd's Bog
Herkimer
Jefferson
- Ashland Flats Wildlife Management Area
- Downybrook Nature Reserve - OBI Land Trust
- Foster-Blake Woods Preserve - Thousand Islands Land Trust
- Lakeview Wildlife Management Area
- Otter Creek Preserve - Thousand Islands Land Trust
- Perch River Wildlife Management Area
- Point Peninsula Wildlife Management Area
- S. Gerald Ingerson Preserve - Thousand Islands Land Trust
- Sackets Harbor Battlefield State Historic Site
- Southwick Beach State Park
- Wellesley Island State Park
- Zenda Farms Preserve - Thousand Islands Land Trust
Lewis
Montgomery
St. Lawrence
- Chippewa Bay Preserve - Thousand Islands Land Trust
- Cranberry Lake Campground & Day Use Area
- Crooked Creek Preserve - Thousand Islands Land Trust
- Hart's Falls Preserve - St. Lawrence Land Trust
- Higley Flow State Park
- Leonard Pond Trail
- Robert Moses State Park
- Upper and Lower Lakes Wildlife Management Area: Indian Creek Nature Center
- Wilson Hill Wildlife Management Area
Warren
Central - Finger Lakes
Cayuga
- Long Point State Park: Pheasant Run Trail
- Montezuma Heritage Park - Town of Montezuma
- Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area
- Sterling Nature Center - Cayuga County Parks & Trails
Chenango
Livingston
- Conesus Inlet Wildlife Management Area
- Hemlock-Canadice State Forest
- Twin Cedars Environmental Area
- Letchworth State Park
- Big Bend Trail (Trail #10)
- Birch Trail (Trail #4)
- Genesee Valley Greenway (Trail #7)
- Gibsonville Trail (Trail #19)
- Highbanks Trail (Trail #20)
- Mary Jemison Trail (Trail #2)
Madison
- Great Swamp Conservancy, Inc.
- Nelson Swamp Unique Area
- Nichols Pond County Park
- Oxbow Falls County Park
Monroe
- Braddock Bay Bird Observatory - Genesee Land Trust
- Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area
- Hamlin Beach State Park: Yanty Marsh Trail
- High Acres Nature Area
- Salmon Creek Nature Preserve
- Tinker Nature Park
Oneida
Onondaga
- Baltimore Woods Nature Center
- Beaver Lake Nature Center - Onondaga County Parks
- Camillus Forest Unique Area
- Clark Reservation State Park
- Green Lakes State Park
- Hamlin Marsh Wildlife Management Area
- Old Erie Canal State Historic Park
- Chittenango to Canastota section
- DeWitt to Fayetteville section
- Green Lakes section
- Oneida section
- Rome section
- Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area
Ontario
Oswego
- Deer Creek Marsh Wildlife Management Area
- Derby Hill Bird Observatory - Onondaga Audubon
- Rice Creek Field Station - SUNY Oswego
- Sandy Island Beach State Park
- Selkirk Shores State Park
- Three Mile Bay Wildlife Management Area
Otsego
Schuyler
Seneca
- Cayuga Lake State Park
- Deans Cove Boat Launch
- Finger Lakes National Forest
- Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge - USFWS
- Seneca Meadows Wetlands Preserve - Seneca Meadows Wetlands Preserve
Tompkins
- Allan H. Treman State Marine Park
- Black Diamond Trail
- Buttermilk Falls State Park
- Robert H. Treman State Park
- Sapsucker Woods - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Taughannock Falls State Park
Wayne
- Chimney Bluffs State Park
- Cornwall Preserve
- Macyville Woods Nature Preserve
- Montezuma Audubon Center - National Audubon Society
- Lake Shore Marshes Wildlife Management Area
Yates
Greater Niagara
Erie
- Amherst State Park (Glen Park) - Town of Amherst
- Amherst Veterans Canal Park
- Anna Mae Bacon Bird Sanctuary
- Beaver Island State Park
- Billy Wilson Park (Margaret Louise Park) - Town of Amherst
- Bird Island Pier
- Birdsong Park - Town of Orchard Park
- Broderick Park
- Buckhorn Island State Park
- Buffalo Harbor State Park
- Cazenovia Park
- Clear Lake Wildlife Management Area
- Delaware Park
- Evangola State Park
- Great Baehre Swamp Wildlife Management Area
- Hunters Creek Park - Erie County Parks Department
- Kenneglenn Scenic and Nature Preserve
- Knox Farm State Park
- Margery Gallogly Nature Sanctuary - The Western New York Land Conservancy
- Mossy Point - The Western New York Land Conservancy
- Nature View Park
- Onondaga Escarpment Unique Area
- Owens Falls Sanctuary - The Western New York Land Conservancy
- Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park
- Red Jacket Riverfront Natural Habitat Park
- Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve and Environmental Education Center
- Seneca Bluffs Natural Habitat Park
- Ship Canal Commons/Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park
- South Park (Buffalo Botanical Gardens)
- Spicer Creek Wildlife Management Area
- Stiglmeier Park - Town of Cheektowaga
- Tifft Nature Preserve - Buffalo Museum of Science
- Tillman Road Wildlife Management Area
- Unity Island
- Walton Woods Park - Town of Amherst
- Woodlawn Beach State Park
Genesee and Orleans
- Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
- John White Wildlife Management Area
- Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area
- Tonawanda Wildlife Management Area (Genesee/Orleans/Niagara/Erie)
Niagara
- Earl W. Brydges Artpark State Park
- Fort Niagara State Park
- Golden Hill State Park
- John Austin Nature Trail - Town of Lockport
- Joseph Davis State Park
- Lake Erie Seaway Trail Center
- Lytle Nature Preserve - Town of Lockport
- Niagara Falls State Park
- Niagara Gorge
- Stella Niagara Preserve - The Western New York Land Conservancy
- Wilson Tuscarora State Park
Wyoming
- Beaver Meadow Nature Center - Buffalo Audubon Society
- Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area
Southern Tier
Allegany
Broome
Cattaraugus
- Allegany State Park (Quaker Area & Red House Area)
- Birch Run Ponds Fish and Wildlife Management Area
- Conewango Swamp Wildlife Management Area
- Farmersville State Forest
- Genesee Valley Greenway State Park
- Golden Hill State Forest
- Rock City & McCarty Hill State Forests
- Pat McGee Trail
Chautauqua
- Audubon Community Nature Preserve
- Barcelona Lighthouse
- Boutwell Hill State Forest
- Brokenstraw State Forest
- Canadaway Creek Wildlife Management Area
- Cassadaga Lakes Nature Preserve
- Chautauqua Gorge State Forest
- College Lodge Forest - The Western New York Land Conservancy
- Dunkirk Harbor - City of Dunkirk
- Harris Hill State Forest
- Lake Erie State Park
- Long Point State Park
- Midway State Park
- North Harmony State Forest
- Point Gratiot Park - City of Dunkirk
- Roger Tory Peterson Institute
- Sunset Bay State Marine Park
- Watts Flats Wildlife Management Area
- Whalen Memorial State Forest
Chemung
Schuyler
Steuben
- Birdseye Hollow State Forest
- Erwin Wildlife Management Area
- Gleason Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary
- Northrup Hill Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary
- Stony Brook State Park
- Urbana State Forest