We must be crazy for even suggesting there are “best” parks for wildlife watching. The truth is that every national park unit (and that includes historic sites, battlefields, memorials, lakeshore, seashores, etc.) has great wildlife watching opportunities. And if you are only after particular species, say the banana slug, well then there’s only a handful of parks that will meet your need.
But we’ve been around long enough to know that there are certain species, in certain parks, and available at certain times of the year, that are of the greatest interest to the wildlife watcher. Of course that sometimes also means there may be crowds at those parks viewing those species, and that’s not always a good thing. So with that in mind we’re going to give a list of great wildlife watching parks and opportunities, including some that might be off the beaten track. And then to make the list more manageable, and fair, we picked only one unit from each state (western states do tend to have more parks and more large “charismatic” wildlife). Hopefully you can find a site near you.
| Park | Focal Species | Tips |
| Alaska Katmai NP |
Brown Bear | Book your reservation well in advance. Best viewing in Jul.-Aug. Costly. |
| Arizona Grand Canyon NP |
California Condor | Still an endangered species. A majestic soaring bird. |
| Arkansas Buffalo NR |
Elk | Reintroduced to the region. View during the fall rut. |
| California Point Reyes NS |
Gray Whale | Great spot to view migrating whales from shore in winter months. |
| Colorado Rocky Mountain NP |
Bighorn Sheep | Can be best viewed in the fall mating season and in winter. |
| Florida Everglades NP |
Alligator | Best viewed in the winter when water is less abundant. |
| Georgia Chattahoochee NRA |
Canada Goose | Common species any time of the year. |
| Idaho Craters of the Moon NM |
Short-horned Lizard | Most active in summer. |
| Indiana Indiana Dunes NL |
Sandhill Crane | Now breed in the region. Skittish so view from a distance. |
| Iowa Effigy Mounds NP |
Raptor Migration | Eagles, hawks, and vultures in the fall and winter along the Mississippi. |
| Kansas Tallgrass Prairie NPres. |
Prairie Chicken | View the spring breeding dancing on the lek (i.e., dancing grounds). |
| Maine Acadia NP |
Harbor Seal | Common. |
| Maryland Assateague Island NS |
Horseshoe Crab | Most viewable during the breeding season as they come to shallows. |
| Massachusetts Cape Code NS |
Humpback Whale | A recovering species. |
| Michigan Sleeping Bear Dunes NL |
Trumpeter Swan | Now breed in the park. Keep your distance, especially during nesting. |
| Minnesota Mississippi NRA |
Bald Eagle | Very common and active around open water in the winter months. |
| Mississippi Gulf Island NS |
Brown Pelican | A recovering species, watch their dives into the water in search of fish. |
| Missouri Ozarks NSR |
Wild Turkey | Go in spring when the gobbling fills the air. |
| Montana Glacier NP |
Mountain Goat | The park road will take you within reach of this alpine animal. |
| Nebraska Niobrara NSR |
Soft-shelled Turtle | Common along the scenic river. Best viewed by canoe. |
| Nevada Great Basin NP |
Coyote | Common, but please don’t feed them. |
| New Mexico Carlsbad Caverns NP |
Brazilian Free-tailed Bat | The bat exodus every evening is famous and amazing. |
| New York Fire Island NS |
Laughing Gull | Birding for millions of people. |
| North Carolina Cape Hatteras NS |
Black Skimmer | A marine bird. |
| North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt NP |
Bison | View the calves in spring and rutting in the summer, but be careful. |
| Ohio Cuyahoga Valley NP |
Beaver | They’ve recolonized Ohio. Most active in the evening. |
| Oregon Crater Lake NP |
Clark’s Nutcracker | A striking bird, but don’t feed. |
| Pennsylvania Delaware Water Gap NRA |
Great Blue Heron | Patiently watch as they strike for fish, frogs, and other food. |
| South Carolina Congaree NP |
Pileated Woodpecker | Our largest woodpecker now that the ivory-billed is extinct. |
| South Dakota Badlands NP |
Black-tailed Prairie Dog | A charming critter, especially in early summer when the young come up. |
| Tennessee Great Smoky Mountains NP |
Black Bear | May be the best place on earth to see them. |
| Texas Big Bend NP |
Roadrunner | A striking bird, if you see one. |
| Utah Zion NP |
Ringtail | Like most desert wildlife, mostly nocturnal. |
| Virginia Shenandoah NP |
White-tailed Deer | Common everywhere. |
| Washington Olympic NP |
Pacific Salmon | Various runs from spring-fall so check with park staff. |
| West Virginia New River Gorge NSR |
Peregrine Falcon | The world’s fastest bird nests on cliffs. |
| Wisconsin St Croix NSR |
River Otter | A canoe trip is the best way to find them. |
| Wyoming Yellowstone, NP |
Gray Wolf | Best place in the world to see them. Go in winter to avoid crowds. |
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