North Dakota Travel Guide - 2026 Travel Guide
BIRDING
2026-01-26 12:58:42
A BIRDWATCHER'S PARADISE
OVER 370 BIRD SPECIES ONE MILLION ACRES OF NATIONAL GRASSLANDS 63 NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES
North Dakota is one of the nation’s best locations for birders. Our wetlands, grasslands, lakes, rivers and colorful Badlands offer incredible birding habitats. We have more than one million acres of U.S. Forest Service national grasslands and more national wildlife refuges than any other state. Our location in the Central Flyway puts us in the middle of millions of migrating birds, along with birds that stay year-round. More than 370 species can be found on the North Dakota Birder’s checklist.
WHERE TO LOOK
It’s simple and fun to find your favorite (and new) species of birds in North Dakota. Look for birding drives and trails, wildlife refuges and nature areas throughout the state. During spring migration, you could see up to 25 species of warblers just in the Turtle Mountains near Bottineau.
Steele Birding Drives take you through an area named one of the Top 10 Birding Hotspots in North America. Birding Drives Dakota showcases birding near Carrington and Jamestown, including Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge which features more than 16,000 acres of premier birding habitat.
Near Drake and Anamoose, along the Souris and Sheyenne rivers, find more than 300 species at birding sites like Lonetree Wildlife Management Area and Wintering River National Wildlife Refuge. Head east to the Devils Lake area to visit White Horse Hill National Game Preserve or Lake Alice National Wildlife Refuge — often called the everglades of the prairies.
63 NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES OFFER 290,000 ACRES
1 Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge
24 miles north of Jamestown
2 Audubon National Wildlife Refuge
2.5 miles north, 1 mile east of Coleharbor
3 Chase Lake National Wildlife Refuge
1.5 miles northwest of Medina
4 Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge
1 mile west of Kenmare
5 J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge
3 miles north of Upham
6 Lake Alice National Wildlife Refuge
18 miles northwest of Devils Lake
7 Lake ILO National Wildlife Refuge
5.5 miles east of Killdeer
8 Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge
4 miles southeast of Moffit
9 Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge
21 miles north of Stanley
10 Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge
5 miles out of Cayuga
11 Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge
25 miles northwest of Minot
12 White Horse Hill National Game Preserve
13 miles south of Devils Lake
MOST WILDLIFE REFUGES LISTED FEATURE A VISITOR CENTER.
Wide-open skies and tranquil landscapes are the perfect setting for birdwatching adventures.
Scan for more information
©Miles North Dakota. View All Articles.
BIRDING
https://digital.milespartnership.com/article/BIRDING/5101820/859990/article.html