Interactive Trail Guide
While the listing of wildlife and birdwatching locations included in the interactive trail guide is extensive, it is not comprehensive of all locations where one could view birds. First, it focuses primarily on the Susquehanna Watershed, which encompasses approximately one-half Pennsylvania. Second,
the sites chosen offer safe, accessible viewing, provide parking, and are relatively easy to find using our birdwatching and wildlife trails map and the Pennsylvania Gazetteer. Third, to keep this a usable product, we chose a large cross-section of birding "hot spots."
The natural beauty of Pennsylvania surrounds us — in our varied landscapes and welcoming communities. Traveling by interstates you can easily miss areas of scenic beauty and rich natural diversity. To find these spots, leave the super-highways behind, and venture along Pennsylvania's smaller roads into villages and hamlets, through forest and farmland, and across miles of rivers and streams.
Pennsylvania's complex road system is simplistically represented in the accompanying maps. A good companion map is the Pennsylvania Atlas and Gazetteer by DeLorme. DeLorme page numbers are listed in the directions for each site. You can also find maps of state gamelands and state parks on their respective websites.
Be aware of and follow the rules that govern the land that you visit. During hunting season, wearing of 250 square inches of fluorescent orange on head and chest is required on state gamelands. When using a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission boat launch, proper registration is required for both powered and non-motorized crafts.
Most of the locations included in the guide are free to the public. Fee areas are indicated in the location descriptions. Contact information is provided for each site. Note that phone numbers are provided for information purposes only. Many of these sites are not staffed and cannot answer bird-related questions.
