We are still looking for Outings Leaders. If you are interested in being an Outings Leader for our Spring Meeting please email Paul Laurent

Field Trip Schedule and Descriptions

Field Trip Descriptions

Half-day trips

Trip 1, 9, 21, 29—Valle Crucis Community Park

Valle Crucis Park is one of the top birding spots in the High Country, with over 180 species documented in a relatively small area. The Park is very flat and has a paved walkway as well as an unpaved path through a wildflower meadow. The combination of rivers, wetlands, forests and meadows make Valle Crucis a great spot to find a wide variety of birds from all of these habitats.

eBird hotspot: Valle Crucis Community Park

Approximate Travel Time: 20 minutes (9 miles)
Conditions: Very easy—Flat walking paths. Much of the path is paved with an additional loop that is grassy.

Trip 2, 10, 22, 30—Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation

Grandfather Mountain is the best birding spot in the High Country with over 200 species recorded on the mountain and over 100 species that breed on its slopes. This outing begins at the main gate and slowly climbs to the Swinging Bridge, stopping at Half-moon Overlook, Woods Walk, the Nature Museum, and Black Rock Trail along the way. Look for warblers, thrushes, and highland specialties like Common Raven, Winter Wren, Brown Creeper, Pine Siskin, & Red-breasted Nuthatch as well as migrating hawks and the resident Peregrine Falcons.

eBird hotspot: Grandfather Mountain--Swinging Bridge

Approximate Travel Time: 15 minutes (9 miles)
Conditions: Easy—Moderate—The trails we will be on are reasonably flat and well maintained, but Linville Peak and the Black Rock Trail are uneven and rocky. Bathrooms are present at the Museum and at the Bridge. There is a restaurant at the Museum.

Trip 3, 11, 23, 31—Brookshire Park

Brookshire Park runs along the banks of the New River, with created wetlands on the other side of the raised bank. The path turns to gravel as it climbs a small hill into secondary forest habitat and then another meadow at the top. The wetlands are excellent habitat for a variety of sparrows and the woods are home to a variety of thrushes, warblers, and a resident Eastern Screech Owl.

eBird hotspot: Brookshire Park--Loop and Greenway

Approximate Travel Time: 30 minutes (19 miles)
Conditions: Easy to Moderate—The first section of the greenway is flat and paved. The path up the hill is gravel and moderately steep

Trip 4—Boone Greenway & Created Wetlands

The Boone Greenway runs along the New River with woods, fields and wetlands along the trail. The created wetlands are a great place to look for migrating rails as well as warblers and sparrows! The wide variety of habitats in a relatively small area can produce a wide variety of birds.

eBird hotspot: Boone Greenway--Created Wetland

Approximate Travel Time: 30 minutes (17 miles)
Conditions: Very Easy—Greenway is flat and paved. There is a flat, gravel path around the created wetlands

Trip 5, 13, 25, 33—Elk Valley Preserve & Banner Elk Mill Pond

Elk Valley Preserve belongs to Lees-McRae College and is a little-known birding hot spot sits along the Elk River and has a remarkable mix of meadows, wetlands, creeks, rivers, and forests. The variety of habitat makes it a great place to look for sparrows, warblers, woodpeckers, migrating waterfowl and more. This area is not heavily birded, so you never know what you might find! After exploring the Preserve we will stop by the Banner Elk Mill Pond to look for migrating waterfowl as well as rails and sparrows in the tall grass and wetlands

eBird hotspot: Elk Valley Preserve

Approximate Travel Time: 10 minutes (4.5 miles)
Conditions: Easy (but sometimes muddy and overgrown) -The trails are all flat, but unpaved and some are narrow. If there has been recent rain the area can get VERY muddy. The tall grasses and briers in the meadows can encroach on some of the paths. Hiking boots and long pants are recommended.

Trip 6, 14, 26, 34—Trout Lake & Bass Lake

Trout and Bass Lakes are both amazing warbler hotspots. Trout Lake has breeding Black-throated Blue Warblers, Black-throated Green Warblers, Canada Warblers, Chestnut-sided Warblers, Hooded Warblers, Northern Parulas, Louisiana Waterthrush, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers & more! Bass Lake is known for attracting migrating ducks as well as a wide range of warblers, woodpeckers and other forest songbirds.

eBird hotspot: Moses H. Cone Memorial Park--Trout Lake
eBird hotspot: Moses H. Cone Memorial Park--Bass Lake

Approximate Travel Time: 25 minutes (14 miles)
Conditions: Easy—Trout Lake has a flat, gravel path around it. Bass Lake has a flat path around the lake, and then a steeper path up the hill.

Trip 7, 16, 27, 36—Julian Price Lake & Campground

Julian Price Lake is a fantastic birding spot. The 2 ½ mile trail around the lake provides a mix of habitats that often attracts migrating waterfowl, thrushes, warblers, flycatchers, woodpeckers and more. The campground does not open to campers until mid-May, so this mix of fields and forests should only be full of birds, not campers! The campground has had breeding Blackburnian Warblers the last two years as well as Swainson's Warblers and many other songbirds.

eBird hotspot: Julian Price Memorial Park--Price Lake

Approximate Travel Time: 30 minutes (19 miles)
Conditions: Easy—There is a flat trail around the Lake, and a paved road through the campground. There are bathroom facilities in the campground, but there is a good chance they will be locked. There are bathrooms at the picnic area a few minutes up the road.

Trip 8, 28—Rich Mountain Game Lands & Elk Knob State Park

This outing begins on the road up to Rich Mountain, an area known for Golden-winged Warblers as well as a good variety of sparrows and other grassland birds. From there we will bird up to Elk Knob State Park looking for Winter Wrens and other highland specialties. This outing will involve a lot of road side birding because some areas are open to hunting.

eBird hotspot: Elk Knob SP

Approximate Travel Time: 45 minutes (27 miles)
Conditions: Easy—Moderate—There will be a lot of roadside birding as well as some short hikes with uneven terrain.

Trip 12, 32—Lewis Fork Overlook & Jeffress Park

Lewis Fork is a great place to find breeding warblers, and is one of the best spots around to find Cerulean Warblers. We will take our time birding along the Parkway at Lewis Fork before heading south to Jeffress Park, which has a 1 mile trail to a waterfall that is known for a variety of warblers, thrushes & more.

eBird hotspot: Blue Ridge Pkwy--Lewis Fork Overlook
eBird hotspot: E. B. Jeffress Park

Approximate Travel Time: 50 minutes (33 miles)
Conditions: Easy—Moderate—Lewis Fork is roadside birding, so expect mostly flat terrain and short grass walking (watch for cars though). The trail to the waterfall is moderately steep and has some uneven footing. Bathrooms available at Jeffress Park.

Trip 15, 23, 35—Green Knob Trail

This fantastic 2.3 mile trail begins at Sim's Pond and follows a small creek through the woods before climbing to an open pasture. The woods are home to a variety of warblers as well as Brown Creepers and Winter Wrens. A pair of Ravens have nested under the bridge for the last few years. The top of the hill offers great views and a chance for soaring raptors. The hike down goes through mixed forests that are home to a breeding population of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers. The trail ends in a wildflower meadow with a view of Grandfather Mountain and the chance for Buntings, Sparrows and Warblers.

eBird hotspot: Green Knob/Sims Creek Trail

Approximate Travel Time: 30 minutes (16 miles)
Conditions: Moderate—This 2.3 mile trail has several steep sections as well as creek crossings, uneven surfaces, and a couple logs to climb over.

Trip 24—Blue Ridge Conservation Campus

The BRC has a beautiful tract of land that begins in a wildflower meadow along Aho Branch and then extends up a wooded hillside. The recently completed two-miles trail winds through the forest and gives great chances to see a wide range of migratory songbirds. Since this is a relatively new property it has not been extensively birded, so you never know what might show up!

eBird hotspot: Blue Ridge Conservation Campus

Approximate Travel Time: 30 minutes (21 miles)
Conditions: Moderate—The meadow is flat with a short, grassy path. The trail up the hill is well graded and not too steep. Bathrooms are available at the BRC office.

Trip 45, 46—Shawnee Rd above Beech Mtn Bog

Shawnee Rd runs along the ridgeline above Beech Mountain Bog. There is a great mix of woods and meadow habitat along the road, and the bog draws in a wider variety of birds than you would expect for such a habitat. This is a great spot for warblers and sparrows, as well as a decent chance for Black-billed Cuckoo (heard more often than seen). There are a few small ponds that draw in migrating waterfowl as well as flycatchers. The road leading up has a good spot for breeding Bobolinks.

If there is time, the outing will conclude at Valle Crucis Park or the Banner Elk Mill Pond.

Approximate Travel Time: 15 minutes (5 miles)
Conditions: Easy—There is parking along the road, and the road itself is relatively flat and paved with a grassy shoulder.

Full Day Trips

Trip 17, 37—Grandfather Mountain

Grandfather Mountain is one of the best birding spots in the Carolinas, with over 200 species recorded and over 100 documented breeding species on its slopes. This all-day exploration of Grandfather Mountain begins with the first section of the Profile Trail, which has an incredible variety of breeding warblers, thrushes, vireos and more. We stop before the trail gets too steep and head south to the Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, where we begin at the main gate and slowly climb to the Swinging Bridge, stopping at Half-moon Overlook, Woods Walk, the Nature Museum, and Black Rock Trail along the way. Look for warblers, thrushes, and highland specialties like Common Raven, Winter Wren, Brown Creeper, Pine Siskin, & Red-breasted Nuthatch as well as migrating hawks and the resident Peregrine Falcons. The trip concludes at the Boone Fork Overlook where we will hike along the Tanawha & Nuwati Trails on the mountains eastern slope.

eBird hotspot: Grandfather Mountain SP--Profile Trail
eBird hotspot: Grandfather Mountain--Swinging Bridge

Approximate Travel Time: 6 minutes (3 miles)
Conditions: Moderate—There will be extended walking on uneven trails with some steep sections. Bathrooms are available at the Profile Trailhead as well as at the Museum and Bridge at Grandfather Mountain. There is a restaurant at the Museum.

Trip 42, 43—Boone Fork Loop Trail & Surrounding Area

The Boone Fork Loop is a beautiful 5-mile trail that passes through a wildflower meadow, runs along a creek, then cuts deeper into the woods with a mix of rhododendron and mixed hardwood habitats.

There is a spur trail down to Hebron Falls, which is a stunning set of cascading waterfalls. This gives a wide variety of habitats that are great for migrating warblers as well as sparrows and other songbirds. Afterwards there will be options to check Price Lake and the Price Lake Campground, Trout Lake, or the overlooks along Grandfather Mountain depending on what birds have been reported!

eBird hotspot: Julian Price Memorial Park

Approximate Travel Time: 30 minutes (19 miles)
Conditions: Moderate—This 5-mile trail is steep in some places and there are several stream crossings. The spur to Hebron Falls is very steep. There is a bathroom in the parking area.

Trip 19, 39, 48—Blue Ridge Parkway South (Linn Cove Viaduct to Chestoa View)

This outing begins at the Linn Cove Viaduct, which is a great spot to find migrating warblers as well as hawks and ravens over Grandfather Mountain. From here you will follow the Blue Ridge Parkway south, stopping to hike up to Beacon Heights, and then checking the next several overlooks for mixed flocks of birds on the way to Linville Gorge. After exploring the gorge, the outing ends at Chestoa View, which has a stunning view and a short trail that will hopefully be full of migrating warblers!

Approximate Travel Time: 19 minutes (11 miles)
Conditions: Moderate—Short hikes at Beacon Heights & Linville Gorge are somewhat steep and rocky in a few places, the rest of the trip will be pretty flat and easy walking at various overlooks.

Trip 18, 38—Blue Ridge Parkway North (Lewis Fork Overlook to Linn Cove Viaduct)

This outing begins at Lewis Fork Overlook, where we hope to find Cerulean Warblers as well as a variety of other breeding and migrant songbirds. Next we travel south to Jeffress Park for a 1 mile hike to the Cascades Waterfall on a trail that is known for warblers, thrushes and more. We will spend the rest of the day making our way down the Blue Ridge Parkway stopping at overlooks looking for mixed flocks passing through. There will be a short detour to check the Mount Vernon Baptist Church Cemetery for Bobolinks. There will be stops at Julian Price Lake to look for waterfowl and to check the campground for Blackburnian Warblers as well as at the Boone Fork Overlook for a brief hike if time allows. The trip will end at the Linn Cove Viaduct, which is known for great warblers as well as hawks and ravens flying over Grandfather Mountain.

Approximate Travel Time: 50 minutes (33 miles)
Conditions: Easy—Moderate—There will be several short hikes that will have steep sections and rocky, uneven terrain. Much of the outing will be flat and easy walking at various overlooks. There are bathroom facilities at Jeffress Park, Moses Cone Manor, & the Price Lake Picnic Area.

Trip 20, 40—Price Lake & Green Knob Trail

This outing begins at the Price Lake Picnic Area to look for Indigo Buntings and other meadow species along the first part of the Boone Fork Loop Trail. It will continue to the Price Lake Campground and the trail around the Lake in search of breeding Blackburnian Warblers and a wide variety of other warblers, thrushes and flycatchers that can be found around Price Lake. After lunch we will hike the Green Knob Trail, which is about two hours of moderate to strenuous hiking through a fantastic variety of habitats with chances for a range of breeding warblers including Black-throated Blue and Green Warblers, Ovenbirds, and Canada Warblers as well as Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Brown Creepers, Common Ravens and more. The trail ends with a stunning view of Grandfather Mountain and a beautiful meadow that often produces Common Yellowthroats, Chestnut-sided Warblers, a range of sparrows and many other species.

eBird hotspot: Julian Price Memorial Park
eBird hotspot: Julian Price Memorial Park--Price Lake
eBird hotspot: Green Knob/Sims Creek Trail

Approximate Travel Time: 31 minutes (20 miles)
Conditions: Moderate—Strenuous—The Price Lake Picnic Area and the trail around Price Lake are very flat and easy, though there are uneven surfaces. The Green Knob Trail is steep in some places and requires several shallow stream crossings (waterproof hiking boots are recommended). There are also a few spots along the trail where you will have to cross fallen trees. There are bathroom facilities at the Price Lake Picnic Area.