Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge Center

This is one of the best visitor centers I've ever been to. The interactive exhibits, taxidermy, and movie theater are all top notch. The bird call exhibit is a favorite because you can memorize the calls before taking the 3km walk around the refuge. The walk itself is very accessible, paved and mowed so you can comfortably walk without worrying about ticks from the tall grasses. Oh, and the gift shop and indoor toilets are amazing. Board games, high quality toys, and even a bird mural in the ladies '.

Such a beautiful place to escape the hustle and bustle. In addition to spotting many different birds, we loved the peaceful atmosphere of the marshes, and the way the clouds reflected on the water.

Visitor center was closed the day we were there due to the federal shutdown, but we enjoyed the auto tour. Probably more migrating birds in Sept. than Oct.

This was such a great place to visit! We ran out of time and will definitely be back. The auto tour is open from sunrise to sunset. The visitor center is open from 8-4. In the visitor center, my kids were able to play bingo in the exhibit hall and were rewarded with a butterfly sticker. There was so much fun stuff to view in the exhibit hall. There is a theater that we did not have time to view. We were also able to check out adventure backpacks for the kids that contained different magnification viewers for bugs, 2 different kinds of nets, kids' binoculars, field identification guides, etc. Each child received their own booklet to complete, and after completing a number of activities, they were able to get a junior ranger badge. We spent almost an hour on the trail just watching the bugs and birds and trying to catch bugs to view and then release. They had so much fun! We will definitely be back!

It is a peaceful and beautiful place to visit — perfect for bird lovers and anyone who enjoys nature. The variety of birds you can spot here is incredible. We saw pelicans, herons, ducks, and so many others, all in their natural wetland habitat. The auto tour route is an easy and relaxing drive with stunning views throughout. It’s a great spot for photography, a quiet getaway, and a family outing. Highly recommend if you’re in the area and want to experience a unique part of Utah’s natural beauty.

Beautiful free park where you can bird watch. Leaving the highway, it feels crazy to think a whole refuge is right next to it. The visitor center is at the entrance of the park. The recommended path is a ungraveled road of about 1h30 (highly depends on how you want to do it). You drive on the loop and can see plenty of things. Birds are EVERYWHERE. Note: The month of may has a lot of insects (mosquitoes…) so be prepared if you want to get out of the car. Great free activity that entertains everhone.

The area around the visitor center is great. Trails run through wetlands and there is even a photo blind. But the biggest downside are their trails. They are open sunrise to sunset. So far so good, but you can't use any of the loop trails if the visitor center is closed. You need to track back to the first crossing and go back to the parking lot that way. All the trails run literally through the visitor center but the visitor center currently closes at 4pm and is not even open every day. This could have been handled better, the architect of these trails probably never used a trail in their life.

Beautiful property with an array of birds and some mammals. The auto tour loop is cool, but finding the entrance was a little challenging at first. The yellow-headed black birds and white pelicans were my favorite by far. Good location for birding!

I've recently found myself interested in bird watching-yup, I'm pretty sure I'm getting old. No apologies! You should give it a try too; it's pretty fun. If you do want to give it a try, the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a terrific place to visit. Come with your walking shoes and binoculars and prepare to see lots of different birds and other wildlife. There's a drivable route that you can take where you can enjoy the scenery from your car, pulling over as you'd like to get a better glimpse of things. Or you can take a walking path just past the visitors' center that will give you a taste of the experience. Either way you'll want to prepare with adequate water, sunblock and bug spray. This is nature, and you're going to be in the elements, so be prepared for that. While you're at it, enjoy all the different birds up above or watch the voles as they scurry about below.

Willard Peak Campground on this on the places to see while staying with them. WE loved the loop drive. We did see a lot of wildlife (and cows). I have a feeling during the winter time here it must be a sight to see

So the big arch across Main Street in Brigham City said "Gateway to the World's Greatest Wild Bird Refuge". You don't say.......the WORLD'S greatest.......this we have to see. And I'm so glad we did! Unfortunately the day we were there the Visitor Center was closed and I'm sure we missed some great information there. We did the trail there and saw some birds......not that impressive but a nice trail. It was the beginning of June so not exactly migratory season and we didn't really expect to see too many species. But, we luckily decided to do the 12 miles auto tour! Keep in mind it is a 12 mile drive from the Visitor Center to the start of the auto tour. Keep your eyes open and be prepared to pull over along this stretch because there will be much to see before the official tour even starts. At the beginning of the auto tour, there is parking, restroom, and a lookout tower. The auto tour is one way, so once you start it you are committed. It is not paved but a nice dirt road. There are several pull offs to allow people to pass or to even get out and take a better look. We did find it was pretty "buggy" when we were there, so even though we would have loved to sit and enjoy lunch that wasn't happening. I wish we would have brought our binoculars because I'm sure we would have seen even more. But, just from our car we saw am impressive number of birds!

Do not go to this on a Sunday or any day that the visitors center is closed because it is pretty boring without that. I went out in mid-August drove the whole way with friends and there was not much to see Seagulls Canada geese A small bird called a playa and 2 pelicans that we could barely see because it was such tall grass. So yeah pretty but boring and not many birds in mid-August Maybe another time of year and with the visitors center open it would be better.

Such a pretty and peaceful place, especially at sunset. So many birds and species of vegetation (which I love to identify). I came on a Monday and the visitor center was closed so I can't comment on that. But it meant no one else was around and I had the whole place to myself (win!).

My dog, Alison, and I had a great day driving through the auto tour portion of the park. It was spectacularly scenic with the river, grasses, some birds and ducks, and an amazing backdrop of the mountains. Best are the pictures that I took of Alison.

The auto tour loop is a great place for a morning bike ride. The variety of birdlife and the expansive vistas of marshland and mountains are just wonderful, even if you're not a birder. You get a much different feel for the landscape than from the freeway or the mountains. You drive about 12 miles past the visitors center to the beginning of the loop, where you'll find a viewing tower, restrooms and other amenities (you can pick up a bird list there too). The loop road is 12 miles long and not paved - partly packed dirt, partly gravel - and completely flat. Traffic is one-way, so you will be doing the whole loop. Cars are very considerate and mostly driving very slowly, so not a problem. We started the ride at about 10 am and I would recommend earlier - cooler, less wind, fewer cars and more active birds - but we were fine. I'm not a fast cyclist and we rode at a leisurely pace, and were done in less than two hours. Give yourself plenty of time to relax and read the signs at the turnouts. Binoculars and cameras are a good idea. It's just a really lovely place.

We came June 3rd, long after the best migration period and it was still stunning. So many species, beautiful, and we had the whole place to ourselves for hours. Photographer's dream. Our sunset was epic. Cannot think of a place more worthy of protection, support, and visitors. We are planning a trip back in Fall and another for next Spring. A side note: It is shameful that hunting is allowed here. It's the only freshwater place the birds can stay in such a huge area. Make a refuge a refuge, Utah.

If you like to bird, you will love it here. Bring your binoculars! We visited in early February and there weren't numerous flocks but we saw several interesting birds none the less. There are many birds along Forest road as you head to the refuge. Keep your eyes peeled for raptors, the surrounding snowy mountains provided a perfect backdrop. We saw pheasants, horned larks, kestrels, Harriers, hawks, common Golden eyes and a bald eagle! I liked that it wasn't busy out there. I imagine it will be even better in warmer weather.

Stopped in as we were making our way through UT on a road trip. Lovely educational center, and what looked to be decent trails to get back into the wildlife areas. We were there out of season and only observed the year round residents (crows, red winged blackbirds, etc.) with some swallows who were fledging. In addition to the birds, saw two snakes of undetermined types and what looked to be sizable catfish. Would like to return in season to see more of the migratory birds.

This exceeded my expectation. We spent several hours here on a Saturday they were doing an owl day. Kids loved it and I loved it as well. I was expecting this place to be small and not very good. The place is really cool inside and there is plenty to see and do. It was free so that is always a bonus. It is Lee's than a mile off of I15 so it is very confident too. We did not walk any of the paths but there are a lot there too go and explore.

I don't really know about all the birds, but the road out to the bird refuge is great for cycling! Smooth and flat. Driving on the auto tour is pretty fun, and you see a great amount of wildlife. Be prepared for lots of insects if you get out of your vehicle!

Every time I go there are different birds Eagles, Sandhill Cranes, Swans it is amazing-great photo opportunities this is a must visit place for anyone that loves birds

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is an amazing birding location. It's one of those places where you can just drive along and see a bunch of awesome birds doing a bunch of awesome things. Here are some birds we saw in abundance here: Yellow-headed Blackbird, Redhead, Cliff Swallow, American Coot, Double-crested Cormorant, Common Tern, White-faced Ibis, California Gull, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Cinnamon Teal, and Western Grebe. We also saw Pied-billed Grebe, Western Kingbird, Eastern Kingbird, Black-crowned Night-Heron, Song Sparrow, Wilson's Phalarope, and Spotted Sandpiper. There is a road you can simply drive along slowly and stop when you see birds. There are so many birds here. You can see pelicans in action eating fish and flying, which is awesome, as well really close-up blackbirds, avocets, and stilts. The road is a little long and that is my only complaint. It is really fun for about the first half but by that point you begin to see the same birds over and over again and it gets tedious by the end. Still, this is an amazing birding location that I would recommend to anyone who is birding in the area. It is good.