World-class Birding

in the Boone Area

Enthusiastic birders flock to the Boone Area to add to their life lists. The spectacular escarpment of the Blue Ridge is a globally significant flyway, and the Blue Ridge Parkway is your balcony seat on world-class avian migrations.

The Boone Area is home to a variety of endangered birds such as the peregrine falcon and the saw-whet owl. Whether you are an experienced birder or a novice, the Grandfather Mountain and Beech Mountain areas offer optimal conditions for bird watching.

The Boone Area has easy to reach birding sites. Try these—

The Boone Greenway is a premier place for birding. Don't miss this diverse trail system that welcomes hikers and bikers. The Greenway is a backcountry setting right in town where gravel and natural suface trails complement a wonderful assortment of paved riverside walks and rides. There are interpretive signs at the Clawson Burnley Park trailhead where the river and wetlands make for great birding and nature study. There are also plentiful picnic spots and a rustic, historic ruin of the area's first hydroelectric generating station.

Valle Crucis Park is also a rich riverside wetland that features a handicapped-accessible trail and Wednesday morning bird walks.