Wildlife Viewing & Birdwatching From pine warblers to wild ponies, Virginia is home to impressive wildlife. Grab your binoculars — these natural areas are some of the best places to watch the world unfold. Famous for its salt-sprayed wild ponies and windswept marshes, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is a birder’s paradise. In peak migration, snow geese gather in breathtaking numbers. Sandpipers and piping plovers dart along the shore. For prime views, head to Swan Cove Pool or Snow Goose Pool. A mix of mossy woods, cypress swamps, and still waterways, Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge teems with wildlife. It’s home to more than 200 bird species, including 35 types of migratory warblers. Visitors may spot river otters, white-tailed deer, and spotted turtles. In winter, Lake Drummond becomes a gathering place for tundra swans and snow geese. Home to the State Arboretum of Virginia, Blandy Experimental Farm is a haven for birdwatchers with its mix of meadows, woodlands, and wetlands. In summer, bluebirds and kestrels perch in the fields, while butterflies flutter through the air. Spring and fall bring warblers, while winter invites sparrows, shrikes, and owls to the landscape. A sanctuary for birders and wildlife enthusiasts, Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge Grayson Highlands State Park Blandy’s Ginkgo Grove shelters bald eagle nesting sites and draws migrating waterfowl, along with songbirds like indigo buntings and magnolia warblers. Observation platforms, nature trails, and a paddling route offer peaceful opportunities to spot deer, beavers, and spotted turtles. In the highlands of Southwest Virginia, Grayson Highlands State Park delivers first-class wildlife watching and birding. Summer brings scarlet tanagers, black-throated blue warblers, and rose-breasted grosbeaks to its high-elevation forests and open meadows. Hikers may catch glimpses of white-tailed deer, red foxes, and the park’s beloved wild ponies grazing atop grass balds. Virginia Travel Guide 37
Virginia Travel Guide Virginia Travel Guide 2026: Page 37
