Wildlife Watching in the United States

America’s premier wildlife destination, where wolves, grizzlies, and many thousands of bison roam the intact northern-range valleys. The famed Lamar Valley draws dedicated watchers with spotting scopes at dawn to witness predators and prey interacting in one of the last fully wild temperate ecosystems on Earth.

Six million acres of pristine Alaskan wilderness home to grizzlies, wolves, moose, caribou, and nimble Dall sheep. A single winding road penetrating deep into the park offers exceptional chances to spot the celebrated Big Five, all set against a sweeping backdrop of golden tundra and towering, snow-capped peaks.

World-famous for the brown bears that gather in numbers at thundering waterfalls to catch leaping salmon each summer. This gloriously remote Alaskan wilderness offers utterly unrivaled bear viewing, along with steaming volcanic landscapes and a rugged, wildlife-rich coast teeming with marine life.

A vast subtropical wetland absolutely teeming with alligators, wading birds, gentle manatees, and elusive Florida panthers. Raised boardwalks and quiet paddling trails bring patient visitors remarkably close to one of the most biodiverse and wildlife-rich landscapes found anywhere in all of North America.

A wild and windswept California peninsula where tule elk roam the grassy headlands and gray whales pass close offshore on their long migration. Massive elephant seal colonies, dramatic seabird cliffs, and abundant coastal wildlife together make it a superb and accessible spot for watching by both land and sea.

The sagebrush flats and cottonwood riverbanks beneath the jagged Tetons shelter moose, elk, bison, pronghorn, and black bears. Early misty mornings along the winding valley floor offer some of the most reliable, scenic, and rewarding wildlife viewing found anywhere in the entire Rocky Mountain region.

A remote and rugged island chain off the Southern California coast, often affectionately called the Galapagos of North America. Endemic island foxes, vast noisy seabird colonies, barking sea lions, and passing gray whales all thrive within its nutrient-rich waters and remarkably undisturbed island habitats.

A stunning Colorado high country where bull elk bugle through golden autumn meadows and bighorn sheep nimbly scale the rocky slopes. Lumbering moose, whistling marmots, and soaring raptors all add to the rich wildlife spectacle unfolding across tundra and forest beneath the towering, snow-capped peaks.

The volcanic heart of a vast Alaskan wilderness renowned worldwide for its abundant brown bears and enormous seasonal salmon runs. Its dramatic caldera crowns a raw landscape where wildlife thrives amid rushing rivers, open tundra, and a rugged, remote, and largely untouched coastline teeming with life.

A wonderfully diverse Washington wilderness where Roosevelt elk graze the misty rainforest valleys and rich marine life crowds the rocky tide pools. Its remarkable span from glaciated peaks down to wild coast supports an extraordinary range of wildlife across several distinct and thriving ecosystems.

A rugged and remote Montana wilderness that shelters grizzly bears, sure-footed mountain goats, bighorn sheep, and elusive wolverines. High alpine meadows and vast backcountry along the Continental Divide together offer some of the finest and most reliable habitat for iconic mountain wildlife in the country.

Beyond its record-breaking towering trees, this foggy northern coastal park harbors roaming herds of majestic Roosevelt elk and abundant marine life. Rushing rivers, open prairies, and rugged, wave-battered shoreline together support a surprising and rewarding diversity of wildlife amid the ancient, silent groves.

A rugged coastal Maine park where peregrine falcons nest on the granite cliffs and harbor seals haul out lazily on offshore ledges. Dense forest, rocky shoreline, and bare mountain habitats together draw devoted birdwatchers and wildlife lovers to its dramatic and much-loved Atlantic setting.

Beneath the largest living trees on the entire planet roam black bears, mule deer, and a host of elusive Sierra predators. The park’s dramatic range from oak-studded foothills up to granite high country supports a diverse array of wildlife across sun-dappled forest, meadow, and rugged backcountry.

A stark desert wilderness where desert bighorn sheep, coyotes, jackrabbits, and darting roadrunners all endure the harsh extremes. A warm spring brings a sudden burst of vivid life to this Mojave-Colorado landscape, rewarding patient watchers with hardy, superbly adapted, and often overlooked desert wildlife.

Despite its harsh and forbidding reputation, this desert extreme quietly supports bighorn sheep, kit foxes, coyotes, and endangered pupfish. Wildlife emerges cautiously at dawn and dusk across the salt flats and shadowed canyons, revealing surprising and inspiring resilience in the very driest place in the country.