10 places to see animals on the go
2 Comments
New England's Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge is home to hundreds of species such as moose. / David Govtaski / Gannett
Deer are plentiful at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. / Gannett file
College students aren't the only ones on the move for spring break. Animals are migrating now too, making it a perfect time to see them in parks and refuges. "They're becoming more and more active. It's a good time to go," said Mark Wexler, editor of National Wildlife, the magazine of the National Wildlife Federation, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. While there's always an element of chance involved, you're almost guaranteed an animal sighting at some locations.
Platte River, Nebraska: Visitors to the Upper Plains can expect to see more than just a few birds. "It's one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the whole world," Wexler said. "Starting in early spring, you can get as many as 10 million ducks and geese." And the biggest draw may be the half-million sandhill cranes: "There are just throngs and throngs of them." 402-471-0641; outdoornebraska.ne.gov/wildlife/guides
Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, Montana: Large mammals such as elk and bighorn sheep roam this huge reserve, but Wexler also recommends seeking out the prairie dog towns. The highly social critters are a keystone species, providing food and habitat for many other animals. "Some animals you only see at dawn and dusk, but prairie dogs are active all the time," Wexler said. 406-538-8706; fws.gov/cmr
Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi: This Delta reserve has trails and observation platforms that make it easy to spot colorful wood ducks and even alligators in the wetlands. The 13,000-acre refuge includes about 260 animal species, including the threatened Louisiana black bear. 662-839-2638; fws.gov/yazoo
Puget Sound, Washington: Pods of killer whales are the big attraction here, and they can be easily viewed on whale-watching cruises from the San Juan Islands. "To see these guys in their natural habitat is pretty spectacular," Wexler said. "The other place you can see them is Sea World, and it's not the same experience." 888-468-3701; visitsanjuans.com
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and Montana: The world's first national park has the highest concentration of wild mammals in the Lower 48, including grizzlies, wolverines and elk, Wexler said. But one of the stars, ranking up there with Old Faithful, is the wild wolf. "You don't have to go out with an outfitter," he said. 307-344-7381; nps.gov/yell
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, New England: Spanning four states (Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut), this refuge protects the Connecticut River watershed and gives visitors a chance to see migrating tropical songbirds. Mammals are plentiful, too. "There are deer and moose, but also coyotes and porcupines, bears and bobcats," Wexler said. 413-548-8002; fws.gov/r5soc
Sleeping Bear Dunes, National Lakeshore, Michigan: Visitors find miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, with towering dunes reminiscent of the seashore. Though birds are the standout - including herons, bald eagles, and hawks - that's not all, Wexler said. "You can rent canoes and you might see some critters like beavers or mink." 231-326-5134; nps.gov/slbe
Everglades National Park, Florida: The best time to visit the sea of grass is fall through spring, Wexler says. Heron and egrets are commonplace, and so is the American alligator. "You don't need a guide or anything," he said. "You can step right out on the boardwalk and see alligators, which is pretty thrilling." 305-242-7700; nps.gov/ever/
Valle Vidal Unit of Carson National Forest, New Mexico: In Spanish, this reserve's name means "Valley of Life," and it certainly lives up to its name with the largest herd of elk in the state. "It's a pretty wild place," Wexler said, and is home to bears and mountain lions. "Some people call it New Mexico's Yellowstone because of the wildlife." The area's also convenient to Santa Fe and Taos. 575-586-0520;www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/recreation/trails/trail-descriptions/trail_valle_vidal.shtml
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas: The rare whooping crane winters in this refuge along the Gulf Coast. The birds migrate 2,500 miles from Wood Buffalo National Park in Alberta, Canada, stand 5 feet tall and have a 7-foot wingspan. "If you want to see one of the world's most endangered birds, it's the place to go," Wexler said. 361-286-3559; fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/aransas.
==============================================
No comments:
Post a Comment