Sometimes you just need to get away. I get it.
Leave the wildlife of the city behind – the traffic, crowded shopping centers, and constant noise.
You need to escape to a unique wildlife experience. The kind found in places with hiking trails and remote campgrounds for a night under the stars.
Places where you’ll see a variety of nature’s wildlife—reptiles, waterfowl, amphibians, and mammals—in their natural habitats.
Wildlife can be found away from the city in nature preserves, state, and national parks.
Before you jump in the car and head out, we want to share five ideas to help you see more wildlife, stay safe, and have a good time exploring the outdoors.
Research Your Trail
Whether you decide to travel to the nearest wildlife preserve for a day hike or to another state for a weekend trip, spend time researching the trails you plan to hike.
The National Park Service has over 21,000 total miles of trails to choose from. On their website, you can find trails and the animals you may see on your hike.
If you plan to stay local and see wildlife native to your area, check your state park and nearby wildlife preserve websites.
Here’s a few things to look for when researching trails:
- Difficulty level: trails can be rated from Very Easy to Extremely Difficult. You’ll want to consider your hiking ability and the trail rating when planning your hike.
- Recent statistics on the active wildlife: The majority of parks and preserves will post the numbers of each species present, based on the time of day and season.
- Trail closures: Often trails are closed due to weather, maintenance, and certain species’ breeding seasons.
Timing Your Hike
The season and time of day will affect what wildlife you’ll see. Early mornings in the spring and summer are a great time to hike. Wildlife will be stirring and getting out of their burrows, nests, and undergrowth.
In the afternoon heat, you’ll see birds, but larger animals will be hiding out in the shade. And don’t forget to bring water if you’re hiking in the heat.
You may also see some wildlife you want to avoid — snakes are more active in the heat. Typically, you’ll also see more activity at dusk feeding times. But you should plan to be off the trail before dark.
If you plan to see migratory waterfowl, be sure your trail takes you along a shoreline. If you’re there at dusk, you should see and hear them as they fly in for the evening.
Refer to the website for the trail you will be exploring and see what wildlife you can expect to see based on the timing of your visit.
Walk Softly and Listen
Hiking with a speaker blasting out your favorite tunes will NOT help you see or hear wildlife on the trail. And, neither will your cell phone’s ringing and buzzing, so silence your devices and enjoy the sounds of nature.
Hike as quietly as you can and speak softly to your trail buddies. This is especially important when you spot wildlife. And when you spot them, keep your distance. Depending on the animal, you may scare it off or encourage it to attack.
There’s an exception to the quiet rule. If you are hiking in bear country during the summer months, be loud. You want the bears to know you’re there so they can avoid you. Check for more safety tips in bear country.
Look for Signs Along the Trail
Keep a lookout for signs of animals while you hike.
Such as paw prints in the dirt, scat, and patches of grass that have been flattened by an animal resting. Sometimes you’ll even see burrow holes, patches of tree bark scraped off, and low-hanging branches that have been chewed.
Don’t forget to look up. Depending on your location, you could see raccoons, birds of prey, or even a bear!
Many parks have guides in their visitor centers that include information to help hikers identify animal tracks along the trail. You can also find guides on most park websites.
Bring the Right Equipment
You can’t get too close, or you’ll scare the wildlife away or encourage them to attack.
What do you do?
Bring a good pair of binoculars.
On the trail, there are just two things you want your binoculars to do — make distant objects closer and clearer.
And the better the pair, the better you can see the distant wildlife – in the air, on the ground, or perched on a tree branch.
If you don’t have a pair or you’re not happy with your current binocs, here are some things to look for when shopping:
(photo credit: diane-helentjaris–unsplash)
- Wide field of view: You’ll want a magnification greater than 8 and less than 10 because the greater the magnification, the narrower the field of view. With a narrow field of vision, finding the animal you’ve spotted is harder.
- Durability: The lens quality and coating are essential. Also, see how the binoculars handle humidity and dust. They need some degree of waterproofing.
- Comfortable grip: Binoculars come in various shapes, sizes, and weights. The pair you select must feel comfortable in your hands and be easy for you to look through the lenses and adjust the focus. If possible, try before you buy.
- One last ‘bonus’ tip: Before heading off on your hiking adventure, check your equipment to be sure you have everything you need.
If you have any questions or would like to recommend your favorite trail for seeing wildlife, please leave us a comment below.
Peggy Staver, the author of this blog, is a freelance writer specializing in outdoor recreation and hospitality. You can contact her at peggystaver.com. Photos were taken by Photography by Andreas. Visit his portfolio here.
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