267. Point Reyes National Seashore, Point Reyes Station, California
This vast national seashore north of San Francisco boasts the largest avian diversity of any national park.
Chuck Graham
258. Mt. Pinos, Los Padres National Forest, California
This mountain, straddling Ventura and Kern counties, is a great place to look for condors, Northern Goshawk, Golden Eagle, and several owl species.
248. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs, California
This vast park east of San Diego is home to about 300 bird species.
234. Mount Evans Scenic Byway, Idaho Springs, Colorado
Look for birds in conifer forests, tundra, high alpine lakes, and other habitats along the highest paved road in North America.
227. Ormond Beach and Wetlands, Oxnard, California
More than 200 species have been found on this beach and adjacent wetlands south of Oxnard.
203. Agua Fria National Monument, Black Canyon City, Arizona
A protected area north of Phoenix that is home to several species of conservation concern, including Western Yellow-billed Cuckoo.
200. Pinnacles National Park, Soledad, California
Our newest national park is where to look for Prairie Falcon and Golden Eagle, and it’s a release site for the spectacular and critically endangered California Condor.
185. Hearst San Simeon State Park, Cambria, California
Where to watch shorebirds, waterfowl, warblers, and other birds on California’s central coast.
167. Mendocino Headlands State Park, Mendocino, California
A state park on the Pacific Ocean where the scenery is as spectacular as the birds.
154. Elkhorn Slough, Moss Landing, California
A Globally Important Bird Area on the central California coast that attracts Long-billed Curlew, Whimbrel, godwits, and more than 300 other birds.
151. Cachuma Lake Recreation Area, Santa Barbara, California
A backcountry birding bonanza nestled in Los Padres National Forest, only 20 minutes from Santa Barbara.
138. Oso Flaco Lake Natural Area, Guadalupe, California
The most intact coastal dune ecosystem on the West Coast. It’s where to find Least Tern, Osprey, pelicans, and many more species.
123. Soda Lake, Bakersfield, California
This ephemeral alkali lake within Carrizo Plain National Monument is superb for Long-billed Curlew, American Avocet, and Loggerhead Shrike, and critical foraging habitat for California Condor.
116. Carpinteria Salt Marsh, Carpinteria, California
Shorebirds, raptors, ducks, Lesser Goldfinch, Barn Owl, and Anna’s Hummingbird are among the many great birds that rely on this coastal wetland east of Santa Barbara.