| |
Route
Description -
Interstate
395 between Alturas and Haiwee Reservoir parallels 400
miles of shorebird and waterfowl flyway migration routes.
This interior segment of the Pacific flyway runs the entire
length of the eastern escarpment between the high rugged
Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges and the Great
Basin. The variety of wildlife and plant communities that
can be seen - along this route ranges from cranes and
pronghom antelope on the northern end to bighom sheep
and Clark's nutcrackers of the steep, glacier carved eastern
Sierra. To the south, you can view some of the oldest
living trees, the Bristlecone pine near Bishop, in the
White Mountains or catch a glimpse of a unique native
fish, the California Golden trout in Cottonwood creek.
Many varieties of resident and migrating species are best
observed during the spring and fall migration periods.
Summers
are hot and dry while winters can be snow-covered and
windy. Remote, small towns and long distances between
them necessitate keeping the gas tank full and planning
ahead for accommodations. The trip is well worth the time
it requires to see this rugged, eastern portion of California.
The wide open spaces and panoramic vistas along this route
will be remembered for many years to come. |
|
|
|
|
|
Location:
From State Highway 299 at Canby, take Modoc County Road
54 south/southeast for eight miles. Turn south onto unmarked
road, pass through a metal gate, then drive .25 miles.
Reservoir is located to the east.
Best
Season to View: Waterfowl and shorebird viewing
is excellent in spring and early summer. Antelope are
common in spring and winter.
What
to See: In an arid region punctuated by volcanic
ridges and sagebrush grasslands, this seasonal reservoir
flanking Portuguese Ridge is an oasis for wildlife. During
the spring, the water teems with Canada Geese, green-winged
teal, mallards, and northern pintail. American avocets
and willets probe along the marshy shallows. Many birds
of prey perform aerial acrobatics, including golden eagles.
Bald eagles appear occasionally during winter. The surrounding
knolls offer great views, including occasional pronghorn
antelope.
Visiting
Tips: Bring binoculars or spotting scope. Recommend
using high clearance vehicle. The dirt road may be wet
and impassable during winter.
Contact:
BLM - Kelly Reservoir (530) 233-4666
Local
Accommodations and Travel Information:
Shasta
Cascade Wonderland Association - Modoc County
Modoc
National Wildlife Refuge |
| |
Location: From Highway 395/Main St. at south end of Alturas. Turn east on County Road 56. Go .5 miles, turn right on County Road 115. Go one mile, turn left on headquarters/entrance road.
Best Season to View: Waterfowl, shorebirds, songbirds, excellent in spring and fall, including cranes. Threatened greater
sandhill cranes perform elaborate spring courtship dances
before nesting. Canada geese, cinnamon teal, willets,
and others provide broods of summer viewing, mixed among
American white pelicans, great egrets, and white-faced
ibis. Bald eagles, good in winter. South of Alturas, look for cranes on east side of highway 395; pronghorn antelope on west side in spring.
What
to See: More than 230 bird species; seventy-six nest here. The rugged Warner Mountains rise dramatically
above remote ponds, marshes, wet meadows, and sage uplands
that border the Pit River. Redheads, gadwalls, hundreds
of tundra swans, and other waterfowl gather on extensive
marshes. Pond mudflats and shallow water are probed
by scores of shorebirds. Sandhill cranes nest in spring. Dense wetland vegetation hides
several secretive nesting species, including black-crowned
night heron, Virginia, and Sora rails. Resident mule deer gather near headquarters and
along the two-mile auto tour that encircles Teal Pond.
Jack rabbits, cottontails, and muskrats are common,
as are migratory songbirds.
Visiting
Tips: Excellent birding near headquarters,
on auto-tour.
Contact:
Modoc National
Wildlife Refuge (530) 233-3572
Local
Accommodations and Travel Information:
Shasta
Cascade Wonderland Association - Modoc County
|
|
| |
|
| Location:
From Litchfield, drive twenty miles north on Highway 395.
Turn west on Karlo Road and drive about six miles to site.
Stay on main road and cross railroad tracks.
Best Season to View: Waterfowl, excellent, spring through fall. Upland birds, good, spring and summer. Osprey, spring and fall. Wading birds, good in summer. Dirt road can be rough, impassable when wet. Suggest 4x4 or call for road information. On drive to and from site, watch private wetlands for cormorants, waterfowl.
What
to see: This small, high desert lake tucked
in an arid, rimrock canyon attracts American pelican,
osprey, and other water birds. Muskrats and marsh wrens
inhabit this isolated marsh. Shoreline tracks reveal the
presence of mammals; pronghom and mule deer come to water
during the summer, near dawn and dusk. Surrounding junipers,
rabbitbrush, and sage conceal chukars, sage grouse, and
other upland species.
Visiting
Tips: Dirt road can be rough, impassable when
wet. Suggest 4x4 or call for road information. On drive
to and from site, watch private wetlands for cormorants,
waterfowl.
Contact:
BLM-Biscar
Wildlife Area (530) 257-0456
Local
Accommodations and Travel Information:
Shasta
Cascade Wonderland Association - Lassen County
|
|
|
Honey
Lake Wildlife Area |
|
|
|
| Location:
From Highway 395, about 3 miles east of Litchfield, turn
south on Mapes Road. Drive 1.8 miles and turn left on
Fish and Game Road. Continue 1 mile to entrance of Fleming
unit. OR< from US Highway 395 just south of Janesville
and 1.9 miles north of the rest area, turn righ (east)
on Standish-Buntingville Rd.(old County A3). Go about
five miles and turn east onMapes Lane. Drive 3 miles and
turn south at the entrance.
Best Season to View:Wading birds, good, spring through fall; crane courtship displays, April. Bank swallows, winter.
What to see: Alkali vegetation fringes this sprawling, shallow lake in the Great Basin desert near the Sierra Nevada and Diamond Mountains. This wetland is a major breeding,foraging, and staging area for migratory birds, ranging from snowy plovers to tundra swans. Shorebirds and resident Canada geese nest on man-made islands. Waterfowl and threatened greater sandhill cranes nest on nearby grasslands or among marsh vegetation that also hides secretive species, such as white-faced ibises. Threatened bank swallows nest in burrows along the Susan River. The nearby sage uplands offer
excellent winter and spring views of pronghorn.More than
200 bird species. Waterfowl, shorebirds, excellent, spring;
good, fall. Hundreds of tundra swans.
Visiting
Tips: No viewing Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays
during waterfowl hunting season.
Contact:
California Department of Fish and Game (530) 254-6644
Local Accommodations
and Travel Information: Shasta
Cascade Wonderland Association - Lassen County |
|
|
Bizz-Johnson
Trail/Susan River |
|
|
|
|
Location:
ln Susanville. Take Highway 36/Main St. to South Weatherlow
St. Turn south and follow 0.5 mile to railroad tracks,
where South Weatherlow St. becomes Richmond Rd. Park at
Susanville Depot, 601 Richmond Rd. Nine access points to trail, travel on foot, horseback, bicycle or cross-country skis.
Best Season to View: Nearly 100 bird species. Songbirds, excellent, spring and fall, though summer is also good. Look for birds of prey, deer, predators and aquatic mammals year round, mostly mornings and evenings.
What
to see:This twenty-five mile trail parallels
a river canyon through three bioregions- the Sierra Nevada,
Cascade Ranger, and Great Basin desert. The trail, linking
Susanville and Westwood, follows an old railroad grade
through tunnels and across bridges and skirts the Susan
River for sixteen miles. It moves from high desert, through
south-facing grasslands and oak woodlands, past north-facing
firs and pines, and ends in a dense pine and cedar forest.
River vegetation shelters many birds, from belted kingfishers
and hooded orioles to calliope hummingbirds and canyon
wrens. Brushy dams and grassy mounds along the river are
evidence of beavers and muskrats. Watch the skies for
turkey vultures, American kestrels, great horned owls,
and other birds of prey. Patient observers may see bats,
raccoons, porcupines, coyotes, even bears.
Contact:
BLM - Bizz Johnson (530) 257-0456
or
U.S. Forest Service - Lassen National Forest (530)
257-2151
Local
Accommodations and Travel Information: Shasta
Cascade Wonderland Association - Lassen County
|
|
|
Lee
Vining/Tioga Lake |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Location:
From Lee Vining on Highway 395, drive south to Highway
120 west and turn right, toward the entrance to
Yosemite National Park. Proceed up Tioga Pass for
5.5 miles to pullout, continue 6.5 miles to Tioga
Lake. Roads are impassable in the winter.
Best Season to View: High probability of seeing shorebirds, gulls, and small mammals from April through October. Songbirds are seen from May through August. Birds of prey appear year-round. Bighorn sheep are well camouflaged and elusive. In spring and fall, stop at pullout 5.5 miles from Lee Vining, look north, near springs, for bighorn.
What
to see: This glacier carved subalpine lake
is located on the highest paved road in California.
Watch for wildlife throughout the steep-walled canyon,
especially California bighorn sheep. Vegetation
along a meandering creek shelters Clark's nutcrackers,
rock wrens, and occasional bobcats. Tioga Lake attracts
Caspian's terns, California gulls, spotted sandpipers,
and other shorebirds. A wet meadow offers views
of hunting red-tailed hawks, yellow-bellied marmots,
and spectacular spring wildflowers. The adjacent
forest hides blue grouse, coyotes, pikas, and badgers.
Contact:
U.S.
Forest Service - Inyo National Forest (760)
873-2400
Local
Accommodations and Travel Information: Lee
Vining Chamber of Commerce |
East
Walker River Wildlife Area |
|
Location: In Bridgeport, from the junction of Highway 395 and 182, drive north on Highway 182 about 5 miles. Use pullouts over the next seven miles to view wildlife.
Best Season to View: Deer and fish common year-round. Many resident mammals. Waterfowl common in spring and summer. Songbirds, birds of prey best spring
through fall.
What
to see: The scenic East Walker River
winds through miles of Great Basin shrublands
bordered by the Toiyabe National Forest. This
7.5 mile stretch of river is known as one
of California's finest trophy trout fishing
streams. It claims seven of the eight fish
native to this watershed: mountain whitefish,
tui chub, speckled dace, Lahonton redside,
mountain sucker, Tahoe sucker, and Lahonton
cutthroat trout. The lush riparian corridor
sustains nesting Canada geese and other waterfowl.
Look for Canada geese nesting on the cliffs
overlooking the flyer. Beaver, mink, and river
otter reside in and along the stream. It's
not unusual to see golden eagles, bald eagles
and prairie falcons cruising above the watershed.
Migratory deer routinely travel along the
river corridor and use the surrounding area
as their winter range. The shrublands attract
songbirds, upland birds, and occasional black
bear and mountain lions. One of the springs
on this wildlife area is also habitat for
an unusual species of spring snail that has
not been found elsewhere in the state.
Contact:
California
Department of Fish & Game - East Walker River
Wildlife Area (530) 495-2570
Local
Accommodations and Travel Information:
Bridgeport Chamber of Commerce (760)932-7500
|
| Mono
Lake |
| |
Location: From Lee Vining, take Highway 395 north to the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center. To reach South Tufa, take Highway 395 south of Lee Vining 5 miles. Turn left on Highway 120 east and drive 5 miles to the turnoff toward South Tufa; turn left and proceed 1 mile to the parking lot.
Best Season to View: Brine shrimp, flies, gulls, plovers, excellent, spring and summer. Phalaropes, excellent, July and August. Eared grebes, excellent, August to October. Jack rabbits, Belding's ground squirrels, coyotes, excellent, year-round.
What
to see: Set in the high desert beneath
snow-capped peaks, this vast, blue inland
sea, more than 700,000 years old, is dotted
with delicate calcium-carbonate knobs and
spires, called tufa. Brine shrimp and flies
thrive in water that is two-and-a-half times
as salty and eighty times as alkaline as seawater,
providing a feast for seventy species of migratory
birds, including nearly one million eared
grebes and huge flocks of killdeer, Wilson's
and red-necked phalaropes. The eastern shore
is a nesting area for snowy plovers and the
nesting islands attract 50,000 California
gulls, their largest rookery in the state.
The area is of such importance to migratory
shorebirds, it is a Western Hemispheric Shorebird
Reserve Network site.
Visiting
Tips: Do not damage or collect tufa.
Remain one mile away from nesting islands
from April 1 to August 1. Visitor Center.
Contact:
US
Forest Service - Mono Lake (760)
647-3044
Local
Accommodations and Travel Information:
Mono Lake Committee & Lee Vining Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center
|
Hot
Creek Wetlands and Hatchery |
|
Location: Near Mammoth Lakes and junction of Highways 395 and 203, drive south on Highway 395 for 3 miles. Turn left (east) onto Hot Creek Hatchery Road and drive 1 miles to parking area.
Best
Season to View: Spawning during July,
August, November and December. Good year-round
viewing. Wild trout .3 miles below settling
ponds has wild trout interpretive display
and waterfowl.
What
to see: Named for the geothermal
hot springs at its source, Hot Creek meanders
through high desert sagebrush and lava rock
forming ponds and wetlands beneath eastern
Sierra Nevada peaks. Numerous springs in a
scenic meadow form the creek's headwaters,
then are directed to the hatchery ponds. Hatchery
workers spawn and rear 1.75 million golden,
Kamloop, cutthroat, and rainbow trout and
supply 12 million eggs to other fish-rearing
facilities. Mallards and cinnamon teal occupy
the settling ponds. A half-dozen mallard broods
can be spotted here each spring, a time when
bald eagles perth on roadside fence posts.
Great blue herons and great egrets are common.
Walk down the road to see curlews and other
shorebirds stirring up food in the shallows.
Visiting
Tips: Excellent viewing from 1.25
mile of paved, level road. Group tours available.
Adjacent US Forest Service land offers good
wildlife viewing.
Contact:
California
Department of Fish and Game-Hot Creek (760)
934-2664
Local
Accommodations and Travel Information:
Mammoth
Lakes Visitors
Bureau (888) 466-2666 or (760)
934-2712
|
|
Laurel
Ponds |
|
|
Location: From Bishop or Bridgeport, take Highway 395 to Convict Lake exit. Drive .2 miles and turn right on dirt road; continue two miles to pond.
Best
Season to View: Waterfowl, shorebirds,
songbirds, May through November. Deer excellent
May, September, October.
What
to see: Against a backdrop of rugged
peaks and high desert sagebrush, this cooperatively-managed
pond and wetland was developed with treated
wastewater. The ponds, in an otherwise arid
setting, are a magnet for migratory waterfowl
and shorebirds. Mallards, cinnamon teals,
ring-necked ducks, Canada geese, avocets,
and killdeer are common, with several breeding
species; Great blue herons are conspicuous
but look for Sora rails hiding among marsh
vegetation. Resident prairie falcons and golden
eagles share the skies with wintering rough-legged
hawks. The open sage flats attract sage thrashers,
sage sparrows, and sage hens and offer views
of migratory mule deer, often 300 animals
at a time.
Visiting
Tips: Road impassable in winter.
Contact:
US Forest Service (760) 924-5500
Local
Accommodations and Travel Information:
Mammoth
Lakes Visitors
Bureau (888) 466-2666 or (760)
934-2712
|
|
Fish
Slough |
|
|
Location: In Bishop, take Highway 395 north to Highway 6. Drive north on Highway 6 for 1.5 miles, turn west on Five Bridges Road. Drive about 2.5 miles. Shortly after the sand and gravel plant, turn right on Fish Slough Road. Go one mile, cross a cattle guard and travel 5.5 miles to fenced pond. Marshlands will be on east side of road as you drive to pond.
Best
Season to View: Pupfish and wading
birds, excellent, year-round. Birds of prey,
good, year-round. Waterfowl and shorebirds,
excellent, fall and winter. Songbirds, excellent,
fall and spring.
What
to see: Three natural springs flow
from volcanic cliffs and form a marsh-lined
slough that meanders for seven miles until
it reaches the Owens River. This cooperatively-
managed site in one of the few marshlands
in the Great Basin desert and a sanctuary
for endangered Owen's pupfish and Owen's tul
chub. Both endangered fish are found on six
acres of clear ponds at two locations. The
two-inch pupfish are easy to recognize by
their distinctive "start-stop" swimming
style. Adjacent wetlands and volcanic tuff,
sagebrush, and saitbush attract everything
from yellow-headed blackbirds and praine falcons
to green-winged teal and black-crowned night
herons.
Visiting
Tips: Critical fish habitat; please
don't disturb. Tule elk often seen next to
Highway 395, three miles south of Big Pine.
Contact:
BLM - Fish Slough (760) 872-4881
Los
Angeles Department of Water and Power (760) 872-1104;
Department of Fish & Game (760) 872-1171
Local
Accommodations and Travel Information:
Bishop
Area Chamber of Commerce (760)
873-8405
|
|
Ancient
Bristlecone Pine Forest |
|
|
Location: From Highway 395 in Big Pine, take Highway 168 east thirteen miles to Westgard Pass. Turn north on White Mountain Road; go ten miles to site.
Best
Season to View: Best viewing in summer.
Songbirds, excellent. Birds of prey, small
mammals, good.
What
to see: The steep, wind-ravaged,
White Mountains sustain many wildlife species
and a forest of gnarled bristlecone pines
that are among the oldest living things on
earth. Tree rings patterns indicate the Oldest
pine is more than 4,600 years old. The twisted
branches of these dramatic, wind-polished
trees become temporary perches for such featherlight
songbirds as mountain chickadees, hermit thrushes,
mountain bluebirds, and violet-green swallows.
Clark's nutcrackers, Pinyon jays, and ravens
are common. Watch for golden eagles and American
kestrels scanning the slopes for white-tailed
jack rabbits, chipmunks, and other mammals.
Visiting
Tips: Inaccessible November through
April. Schulman Grove has Visitor Center.
Spectacular views.
Contact:
US Forest Service (760) 873-2525
Local
Accommodations and Travel Information:
Bishop
Area Chamber of Commerce (760)
873-8405
|
|
|
go to top
Continue
to Northern Mojave Desert Loop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
e
