Stop by a Minnesota state park for some great programs on winter birding and how to identify animal tracks in the snow. Check out the snow conditions before you go.
November/December - Visit the Weaver Bottoms along the Mississippi River and watch thousands of migrating tundra swans en route to North Carolina and Virginia. From there, head south to Whitewater State Park to check for wintering bald eagles.
January/February - Try reading mammal tracks in the snow. You might find tracks for white-tailed deer, red fox, or coyotes. Open water along rivers provides habitat for Canada geese, trumpeter swans, and bald eagles.
Helpful tips
- Bring binoculars
- Go out at dawn and dusk for the best viewing
- Be alert and move slowly and quietly
- Search for tracks in the mud or snow
- Look near the edges of forests and fields, pond margins and treetops
- Try these wildlife and nature viewing tips
Want some more tips? Check out our nature viewing guide.
Events Calendar
Scroll table right to see more »05/27/22 | Birding in the Big Woods | Nerstrand Big Woods State Park | |
05/28/22 | Archery in the Parks | Fort Ridgely State Park | |
05/28/22 | Junior Naturalists Solve a Bird Mystery | Interstate State Park | |
05/28/22 | Junior Naturalists: River Animals | Jay Cooke State Park | |
05/28/22 | Campfire Program: Black Bears of MN | Jay Cooke State Park | |
05/28/22 | Birding at Bear Head | Bear Head Lake State Park | |
05/28/22 | Let's Get Looney! Evening Talk | Itasca State Park | |
05/28/22 | Woodpecker Wonders | Nerstrand Big Woods State Park | |
05/28/22 | Kids' Activity: Wildlife BINGO | Mille Lacs Kathio State Park | |
05/28/22 | We've Been Trying to Reach You About Taking a Bird Walk | William O'Brien State Park | |
05/28/22 | Who's out in the Park Today? | William O'Brien State Park | |
05/28/22 | Camouflage Walk | Whitewater State Park - Visitor Center | |
05/29/22 | Jr. Naturalist: Animal Signs | Itasca State Park | |
05/29/22 | Science of Skulls | Nerstrand Big Woods State Park | |
05/29/22 | Falcons Live! | Frontenac State Park | |
05/29/22 | Kids' Program: Grossology | Mille Lacs Kathio State Park | |
05/29/22 | Kids' Activity: Wildlife BINGO | Father Hennepin State Park | |
05/29/22 | Who's out in the Park Today? | William O'Brien State Park | |
05/30/22 | American Bison Experience | Minneopa State Park | |
05/30/22 | Feathered Friends Scavenger Hunt | Interstate State Park | |
06/03/22 | Archery in the Parks | Fort Ridgely State Park | |
06/04/22 | Take Flight! Spotting Spring Birds | Itasca State Park | |
06/04/22 | Birding at Bear Head | Bear Head Lake State Park | |
06/04/22 | Secrets of Skulls Station | Interstate State Park | |
06/04/22 | Fossil Field Trip | Whitewater State Park | |
06/05/22 | Archery in the Parks | Minneopa State Park | |
06/05/22 | Geocaching 101 | Minneopa State Park | |
06/05/22 | Minneopa State Park Story | Minneopa State Park | |
06/05/22 | Kids' Activity: Wildlife BINGO | Mille Lacs Kathio State Park | |
06/05/22 | Birdsong Walk | Jay Cooke State Park | |
06/09/22 | "In Flight Meal" | Mille Lacs Kathio State Park | |
06/10/22 | Archery in the Parks | Minneopa State Park | |
06/10/22 | Owls of Minnesota | Minneopa State Park | |
06/10/22 | Campfire Program: Black Bears of MN | Jay Cooke State Park | |
06/11/22 | Archery in the Parks | Flandrau State Park | |
06/11/22 | Wild about Wildlife | Flandrau State Park | |
06/11/22 | Birding at Bear Head | Bear Head Lake State Park | |
06/12/22 | Birdsong Walk | Jay Cooke State Park | |
06/12/22 | Birding in the Big Woods | Nerstrand Big Woods State Park | |
06/12/22 | Ask a Naturalist-Geology of the Big Woods | Nerstrand Big Woods State Park | |
06/18/22 | Birding at Bear Head | Bear Head Lake State Park | |
06/25/22 | Birding at Bear Head | Bear Head Lake State Park | |
06/25/22 | Prairie Trail Birding Walk | Frontenac State Park | |
06/27/22 | Little Explorers: N is for Nature Tails | Interstate State Park | |
07/01/22 | Archery in the Parks | Fort Ridgely State Park | |
07/01/22 | Beaver Ecology | Fort Ridgely State Park | |
07/02/22 | Archery in the Parks | Minneopa State Park | |
07/02/22 | Wild about Wildlife | Minneopa State Park | |
07/02/22 | Birding at Bear Head | Bear Head Lake State Park | |
07/06/22 | Invasive Naturalist Tent | Fort Snelling State Park | |
07/08/22 | Archery in the Parks | Minneopa State Park | |
07/08/22 | Animal Tracks & Signs | Minneopa State Park | |
07/09/22 | Archery in the Parks | Flandrau State Park | |
07/09/22 | Geocaching 101 | Flandrau State Park | |
07/09/22 | Explore the Cottonwood River | Flandrau State Park | |
07/09/22 | Birding at Bear Head | Bear Head Lake State Park | |
07/16/22 | Birding at Bear Head | Bear Head Lake State Park | |
07/17/22 | Outdoor Kids- Animal Tracks | Itasca State Park | |
07/23/22 | Birding at Bear Head | Bear Head Lake State Park | |
07/24/22 | Snare and Trap | Fort Snelling State Park | |
07/29/22 | Archery in the Parks | Minneopa State Park | |
07/29/22 | American Bison | Minneopa State Park | |
07/30/22 | Archery in the Parks | Fort Ridgely State Park | |
07/30/22 | Birding at Bear Head | Bear Head Lake State Park | |
08/05/22 | Archery in the Parks | Fort Ridgely State Park | |
08/05/22 | Wild about Wildlife | Fort Ridgely State Park | |
08/06/22 | Archery in the Parks | Minneopa State Park | |
08/06/22 | Geocaching 101 | Minneopa State Park | |
08/07/22 | Down to the River | Fort Snelling State Park | |
08/07/22 | Skins and Skulls | Fort Snelling State Park | |
08/20/22 | 2nd Annual Dark Sky Festival | Forestville Mystery Cave State Park | |
08/20/22 | Ripe edibles | Fort Snelling State Park | |
08/20/22 | Animal tracks for kids | Fort Snelling State Park | |
08/26/22 | Archery in the Parks | Minneopa State Park | |
08/26/22 | Bird Ecology | Minneopa State Park | |
08/27/22 | Archery in the Parks | Flandrau State Park | |
08/27/22 | Pine Loop Birding Walk | Frontenac State Park | |
09/02/22 | Archery in the Parks | Flandrau State Park | |
09/03/22 | Archery in the Parks | Fort Ridgely State Park | |
09/03/22 | Geocaching 101 | Fort Ridgely State Park | |
09/03/22 | Birding for beginners | Fort Snelling State Park | |
09/03/22 | Floodplain! | Fort Snelling State Park | |
09/04/22 | Archery in the Parks | Minneopa State Park | |
09/04/22 | Wild about Wildlife | Minneopa State Park | |
09/10/22 | Geocaching 101 | Minneopa State Park | |
09/14/22 | The coming of autumn | Fort Snelling State Park | |
09/18/22 | Three Miles of Pike | Fort Snelling State Park |
Please note: Occasionally, due to extreme weather or poor snow conditions, an event may need to be canceled or changed. When in doubt, call the park.