This page is a work in progress. It is meant to provide guidance on where to go birding in and around Laramie. If you have suggestions, improvements, or photos, please post a comment.
If the map above is not working, you can also go directly to the Google map here.
List of Sites (click site name to jump to site description)
Chimney Park
Curt Gowdy State Park
Green Hill Cemetery
Happy Jack
Hutton Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Jelm Mountain
LaBonte Park
Lake Owen
Old Laramie River Road
Optimist Park and Laramie Greenbelt
Plains Lakes
Prairie East of Town (Pilot Hill and School Yard)
Sand Creek and Chimney Rock
Sheep Mountain
Snowy Range
Sybille Canyon
UW Campus
Vedauwoo Recreation Area
Site Descriptions (alphabetical)
Curt Gowdy State Park
This beautiful park is set in the Laramie Range just southeast of Laramie along Happy Jack Road. The park includes rocky outcrops, conifer forest, and three large reservoirs: Granite Springs, Crystal, and Upper North Crow. Typical forest birds include Steller's Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Mountain Chickadee. Large flocks of migrating Mountain Bluebirds can be found here in the spring. Reservoirs hold typical waterbirds, most abundant during spring migration. There is a resident daily use fee (per car) of $7, nonresident is $12. There are camping sites available during the summer, $18.30 for residents and $32.34 for nonresidents (this includes the daily use fee). There are also a number of other outdoor activities available, see the website at Curt Gowdy State Park.
Green Hill Cemetery
Established in 1881, this peaceful, park-like space consists of a mix of open grassy areas, hedgerows, and large, well-established coniferous and deciduous trees intersected by a network of gravel paths. The community gardens, located in the northeast portion of the cemetery, attract many species of sparrows and warblers during fall migration. Common species include mountain chickadee, pine siskin, house finch, dark-eyed junco, Townsend’s solitaire, and turkey vulture. Some recent local rarities here have included Cassin's Vireo, Lewis' Woodpecker, and Black-throated Blue Warbler. Thanks to the varied habitat, this is a nice location for spotting spring and fall migrant songbirds, with a list of at least 10 species of warbler having been recorded here. Green Hill Cemetery is immediately adjacent to the university and can be accessed by an entrance on 15th Street.
Happy Jack
The Happy Jack and Pole Mountain area of the Laramie Range is easily accessible from Laramie. The area consists of miles of hiking and mountain biking trails in the summer, and great opportunities for cross country skiing in the winter. About a 14 mile drive, Pole Mountain and Happy Jack are accessed by Happy Jack Road, exit 323 off of I-80. There are multiple trail-heads in the area, including Tie City, Happy Jack, and Pole Creek. For more information on specific trails, visit the Forest Service website here. The area boasts some fantastic mountain birding in the dense Lodgepole Forests, with scattered Quaking Aspen stands along streams and beaver ponds. In addition to typical montane species, including American Three-toed Woodpeckers, Red Crossbills, Lincoln’s Sparrows, Wilson’s Warblers, and Red-naped Sapsuckers, the Happy Jack area can be a good place to find less frequently encountered birds in Wyoming, including Northern Goshawks and Ovenbirds, which have a local breeding population along some trails. Ponderosa Pine stands also dot the landscape around Happy Jack and Pole Mountain, where you can find birds such as Pygmy Nuthatches and Northern Pygmy Owls. Certain parking areas charge a day-use fee ($5); annual passes ($30) are available at the USFS office in West Laramie and on-line at https://www.recreation.gov/sitepass/74376.
Hutton Lake NWR
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| American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) on Hoge Lake at Hutton Lake NWR |
The refuge consists of 1,408 acres of greasewood/grassland uplands and 560 acres of open water and marsh. There are five small lakes on the Refuge: Hutton, Creighton, George, Rush, and Hoge. A large variety of waterfowl can be seen on the Refuge during spring and fall migrations. Other waterbirds include Wilson 's Phalaropes, Willets, American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, Black-crowned Night-Herons, Eared Grebes, and Pied-billed Grebes. Swainson's Hawks, Northern Harriers, Golden Eagles, white-tailed prairie dogs, and pronghorn are also common on the Refuge. To get there from Laramie, head south on 287 to the cement plant, turn right on Howe Rd and then left in front of the cement plant to turn onto Sand Creek Rd, follow Sand Creek Rd about 7 miles (always staying left at the junctions) until you reach the sign for the refuge on the right. Please note that the refuge has been receiving a facelift with the maintenance of the roads and closure of some off-road tracks. You now need to walk from Hoge Lake to Hutton on a small path.
Jelm Mountain
The Jelm Mountain area is southwest of Laramie off of Highway 230 in the foothills of the Snowy Range. If you take 230 southwest from Laramie you will see a turnoff on the left for Woods Landing, this is the main access point for the area. The slopes of Jelm Mountain include sagebrush and sparse coniferous forest, some of which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The best birding in the area is along the Big Laramie River. After turning off 230, head south for just over 2 miles and you will see a sign for the Jelm Access Point on the right. Both Mountain and Black-capped chickadees can be found here, along with nesting American Dippers. Feeders at the houses nearby hold good numbers of winter finches. Typical summer residents include Red-naped Sapsuckers, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Black-billed Magpies, Yellow Warblers, and Song Sparrows.
LaBonte Park
Also known as Stink Lake to the locals, LaBonte Park has a small pond where waterfowl and gulls visit. Pelicans can also sometimes be viewed here during their migrations. Shorebirds occasionally frequent the edges of the pond and the reed bed in the southwest corner supports a variety of blackbirds. Swallows, warblers, and kingbirds can also be seen in the warm months. There is a paved path around the pond.
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| A male Chestnut-collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus) singing along Old Laramie River Road |
Old Laramie River Road
One area of prairie that is always worth checking during the spring and summer months is located along Old Laramie River Road (also called Howell Road on Google Maps, CR 51). To reach this stretch of prairie, drive north from Laramie along 287. You can either reach this road by turning left after driving north from Laramie for 7.5 miles, and heading north along the dirt road until reaching 287 once again just south of Bosler, or turning left onto Howell Road 19.3 miles north of Laramie, and following the road back south towards Laramie. This stretch of prairie along the Laramie River is wetter, and thus has taller grass than many other areas in the Laramie Basin. This taller grass attracts a set of birds that can be difficult to find in the area, including Lark Bunting and Chestnut-collared Longspur, both of which are locally quite abundant along this road. Other common shortgrass prairie birds can also be found here, including Ferruginous Hawks, Prairie Falcons, and McCown's Longspurs. For more information about this area, see details of the eBird hotspot here. For best results at this site, it is recommended to drive the entire length of the road from near Bosler to just north of Laramie.
Optimist Park and Laramie Greenbelt
Almost 6 miles in length, with much of it a paved recreation trail, this is a great place to meander along the Laramie River during migration seasons. The river and the willows along the banks create a great place for people to see shorebirds, warblers, kingfisher, sparrows, woodpeckers, and raptors. Terns and pelicans can be seen passing through in spring and fall, and a swallow colony resides under the I-80 underpass on the southern half of the greenbelt. White-tailed deer, mule deer, and red fox can also be seen here. Parking is located at Optimist Park.
Plains Lakes
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| Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) at Gelatt Lake, one of the Laramie Plains Lakes |
Prairie East of Town (Pilot Hill and School Yard)
The prairie has numerous trails through sagebrush that can be accessed from the east end of Willet, the intersection of 45th & Crow Streets, and the north end of Boulder Drive. Typical Laramie basin sagebrush birds frequent here in the summer months, as well as Steller's Jays and Mountain Bluebirds. Pronghorn are often seen in this area.
Sand Creek and Chimney Rock
The Sand Creek and Chimney Rock (also called Camel rock) area is located on County Road 34 south of Hutton Lake. Continue west and south at the T-intersection and you will soon cross Sand Creek and then traverse along the west side of the creek valley. The road passes high sandstone cliffs west of the road where a variety of raptors, including Peregrine Falcons and Golden Eagles, can be found. White-throated Swifts have also been viewed in this area. At the Wyoming-Colorado border is a rock formation called either Chimney or Camel rock depending on which side you view it from.
Sheep Mountain
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| Dusky Grouse (Dendrogapus obscurus) on Sheep Mountain |
This large, flat-topped mountain in front of the Snowy Range is a great place for hiking, horseback riding, and birding. The mountain has several public access points on the southern end off Fox Creek Rd (look for the dirt pull-offs in the first mile off 230). There is a gradual 2 mile ascent to the ridge and then 8 miles of relatively flat terrain specked with wetlands. The lower trailheads begin in aspen and willow, quickly change to conifer-dominated forest, then open sage areas, with conifer and wetlands along the ridge. This is a great place to see Dusky Grouse, sage and grassland birds (sparrows, buntings, towhees), as well as chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers and the like. The bird life is relatively understudied as it does require effort to get there. There was a large fire on the southern half of the mountain in 2012 and much of the forest was destroyed. It will be interesting to watch the vegetation and bird community develop in the coming years. Mountain lion, deer, and pronghorn are also abundant on the mountain.
Snowy Range
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| View of Medicine Bow Peak in the Snowy Range |
Sybille Canyon
Sybille Canyon is located in the Laramie Mountains approximately 45 minutes to the northeast of Laramie. The habitat within the canyon ranges from riparian corridors with cottonwood galleries and willow stands to foothill shrub to sparse juniper/coniferous forest and steep canyon walls. Summer species you may see include Yellow Warbler, Spotted Towhee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Poorwill, Black-billed Magpie, Eastern Screech Owl, Prairie Falcon, and Golden Eagle, just to name a few. American Kestrels, Northern Flickers, and European Starlings nest in cavities of dead cottonwoods along the stream bottoms. Rock Wrens bob amongst the rock outcroppings. In winter, Gray-crowned Rosy-finches have been spotted here. Greater Sage-grouse are present in the sagebrush habitat on the western border of the canyon.
Sybille Canyon can be accessed through the Thorne/Williams
Wildlife Habitat Management Area, located midway between Bosler and Wheatland
along WY Hwy 34. To access the Thorne/Williams WHMA drive north from
Laramie on US Hwy 287 for ~ 18 miles. At the junction of US Hwy 287 &
WY Hwy 34, head east toward Wheatland. Go ~ 24.6 miles. Turn left (north) onto
the first gravel road past the Wildlife Research Center into the
Thorne/Williams WHMA. Park in any of the turnouts, along the ~ 4 miles of gravel
road. This area is only lightly visited, with most of the use occurring
during the hunting season. We recommend a high-clearance vehicle, and note that the road may be impassable if spring rains are heavy.
There are also pullouts along the WY Hwy 34 which are great
for viewing the captive herds of elk and bison that make their home at the
Wildlife Research Center. Visitors are welcome to view animals from the road,
but the center is currently closed to the public.
UWYO Campus
The University of Wyoming campus attracts many birds with its large green areas. Turkey vultures often roost near Old Main, and Great Horned Owl have nested outside of Aven Nelson in the past. During irruption years, Red Crossbills can be commonly found in the pines and spruces across campus, while Pine Siskins and Townsend's Solitaires can often be found in the fall and winter months. During spring and fall migration, many species of warblers and sparrows can be found across campus, as well as various species of thrush, flycatcher, and vireo.
Vedauwoo Recreation Area
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| Wetlands at Vedauwoo Recreation Area |
