Birding Trail Lookup

The 3M Wetlands was a massive collaboration between many conservation organizations with the intent to create an urban wildlife area but transforming a former waste-water treatment facility to a functional wetland. Wetland plants immediately began to colonize the area following the restoration

Alley Spring is the seventh-largest spring in Missouri, in terms of discharge volume. The spring conduit extends 3000 feet underground and reaches 155 feet below the surface. The cool waters of the spring branch leading to the Jack’s Fork River are home to a great diversity of Ozark fishes

Atlanta Conservation Area is a mosaic of gently rolling oak-hickory forest, woodland edge, and grassland. The area also contains three ephemeral marshes, several natural oxbow lakes, and a few dozen small ponds. The East Fork of the Little Chariton River runs through the northwest portion of the

The Audubon Center at Riverlands is located in the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, a 3,700-acre refuge of floodplain habitat on the Mississippi River just 4.2 miles north of its confluence with the Missouri River. The sanctuary is designated as an “Important Bird Area” and recognized as a top

This 70-acre sanctuary is nestled in a habitat-rich valley within the city limits of Rolla. The property was purchased in 2001, and within its boundary you will find a remnant prairie with Indian grass that grows over seven feet high. There is also a small dolomite glade, a savanna, five acres of

There are few places on the St. Louis Birding Trail that offer the habitat diversity of the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area. The area is nearly 7,000 acres and has over 30 lakes of varying sizes that attract all species of waterfowl, wading birds, rails, bittern, terns, and shorebirds

The various trailheads offer different birding opportunities, so be sure to try them all. The Cosmo Park trail section is a graveled trail that runs for 1.5 miles through the woodlands in the north section of Como Park until it reaches the N Creasy Spring Rd trailhead. Just before the trail enters

Bee Hollow is a small 271-acre area of wooded hillside, wetland, and old field. The wooded hillsides are actually spoil ridges left behind by past coal mining. Look for a whole host of woodpeckers, including Red-headed, Pileated, and Hairy. Also keep an eye out for vireos in the woodlands and their

Bennett Springs is a beautiful area with many activities and habitats to explore. The Nature Center offers a variety of nature programs and features exhibits exploring Missouri’s Springs and the surrounding habitats at Bennett. Bennett Spring feeds into the Niangua River, which flows through the

Next door to Thousand Hills State Park, Big Creek Conservation Area is a beautiful area of forest and woodland interspersed with savanna openings. Management practices, including cropping, timber management, and prescribed burning are used to improve wildlife habitat – and it shows. Two long trails

Big Oak Tree State Park offers a glimpse of what southeast Missouri would have looked like to the first explorers. You will notice first that the canopy above your head is much higher than what you’re used to seeing. The oak and hickory trees form a canopy that averages more than 120 feet in height

Big Sugar Creek State Park offers a glimpse into the natural landscape of southwest Missouri that early settlers would have encountered. Between forested ridges and hills are oak-savanna habitats, and the Big Sugar Creek runs along the southern portion of the park. The ruins of a single-room school

Blind Pony Lake Conservation Area is a 2200-acre expanse of prairie and forest in Saline County. There are no designated trails on the property, but visitors can walk along the firebreaks separating the fields and forests. Blind Pony Lake can be viewed from a gravel road that leads to the boat ramp

Bluffwoods Conservation Area is located just nine miles south of St. Joseph in the Missouri River loess hills in southwestern Buchanan County. Bluffwoods was acquired in the mid-1970s for the purpose of providing a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities and to maintain a portion of the

The Burr Oak Woods Nature Center offers hands-on displays and exhibits of the forest and aquatic habitats found at the conservation area, including a 3000 gallon aquarium filled with native fish species. Visitors can participate in interpretive and environmental education programs led by the center

The 28-acre Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary (CANS) is owned and operated by Columbia Audubon Society. It seamlessly borders the 92-acre Bonnie View Nature Sanctuary, which is city owned and operated. The convenient location of this 130-acre property is a nice perk. It is only 5-10 minutes from

Lying along the North Fabius River, Deer Ridge is primarily forest and woodland interspersed with savanna, grassland, old field, cropland, wetland, and some ponds. This wide-diversity of habitats can be explored via the multi-use trails that wind through the area. Not every parking lot has access

Dunn Ranch is a 3,200-acre prairie, some of which is remnant native prairie. There are many places to drive and park. Make sure to stop in at the headquarters first for both a map and current information on where the bison herd is located. The area has two 1,000-acre bison grazing units. If a unit

Finger Lakes State Park is the result of an effort to restore a former coal mine to a natural area. Many lakes are scattered throughout the area, providing residents of central Missouri with great fishing and boating opportunities. A good diversity of waterfowl frequents the area during migration

The Forum Nature Area is one of the many birding hotspots along the MKT Nature and Fitness Trail. If you like birding by bike, or are interested in trying it out, this hotspot provides excellent birding opportunities within Columbia’s city limits. The area has native prairie, wetlands, and riparian

Ha Ha Tonka is one of the best places in Missouri to explore karst geology and high-quality native ecosystems that have been managed with regularly occurring prescribed fire for more than 30 years. Several remarkable geologic formations are scattered throughout the park, including a natural rock

Henry Sever Lake is surrounded by woodland, grassland, old fields, and cropland. The grassland areas have been planted with native grasses. There is a multi-use trail that meanders around the lake, through the woodland and grassland. Check the map and decide upon a particular section of the trail

Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area consists of 1,905 total acres, including a 228-acre lake and a fish hatchery. The land that is now Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area was originally a tallgrass prairie and, while some remnant stands of native grasses remain on the area, there is no remnant prairie

Lake of the Ozarks State Park offers many fun activities for just about anyone. Boating, canoeing, mountain biking, hiking, and camping are just some of the activities to pursue other than bird watching. This park is the largest in the largest State Park in the entire park system, and you would

Long Branch is popular with local birders, and for good reason. With over 200 species observed at the park, it’s no wonder it’s visited so often. Birders don’t have all the fun, as the park also offers camping, hiking, fishing, boating, and swimming. Long Branch is a mosaic of forest, woodland