Birds of Washington with Kids: A Nature Explorer Guide (+ Free Map)

Washington is a birding wonderland, where misty coastal rainforests, the high meadows of Mount Rainier, the rugged North Cascades, and the dry canyons of the Columbia all hold their own birds. In the dripping Hoh Rainforest, the tiny Pacific Wren pours out one of the longest, most complex songs of any bird; on the alpine slopes of Hurricane Ridge, sooty grouse and gray jays patrol the meadows; and in backyards across the state, bright American Goldfinches flash gold through the gardens. For families, Washington offers an extraordinary range of birds against some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.

This guide maps the best spots to find birds in Washington with kids. Give your young explorer a mission before you go with Nature Explorer Club's Birds of Washington Activity Book to track every bird your family discovers.

Best Spots for Birding in Washington

We mapped the best birding locations in Washington so you can plan your adventure before you go.

1. Dog Mountain, Columbia River Gorge — A famous Gorge trail where spring wildflower meadows and soaring views draw raptors, swifts, and songbirds high above the river.
2. Dalles Mountain Trail, Columbia River Gorge — Open grassland hills on the dry eastern Gorge, excellent for meadowlarks, raptors, and bluebirds amid spring wildflowers.
3. Palouse Falls State Park — A dramatic desert waterfall canyon in eastern Washington where white-throated swifts, swallows, and raptors wheel over the gorge.
4. Chain Lakes Trail, Mount Baker — A high subalpine loop past mountain lakes and meadows, home to gray jays, Clark's nutcrackers, and mountain songbirds.
5. Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park — A lush temperate rainforest where the Pacific Wren, varied thrush, and woodpeckers thrive among moss-draped giant trees.
6. Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park — A high alpine ridge with sweeping views where sooty grouse, gray jays, and finches patrol the wildflower meadows.
7. Mount Rainier National Park — A vast mountain park whose forests and subalpine meadows host woodpeckers, jays, and the cheerful song of mountain birds.
8. Cascade Pass Trail, North Cascades — A spectacular alpine trail in the rugged North Cascades, home to ptarmigan, nutcrackers, and high-country species.
9. Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail, Columbia River Gorge — An oak-and-grassland trail on the dry Gorge, good for oak woodland birds, wrens, and raptors.
10. Weldon Wagon Road Trail — A historic Gorge trail through oak woodland and wildflower slopes, drawing bluebirds, woodpeckers, and warblers in spring.

Make the Adventure Real The Birds of Washington Activity Book turns your trip into a hands-on mission for ages 7–12 — with a species tracker, fun facts, drawing pages, games, and puzzles. Shop the Book Get the Full WA Set