Must-See Wildlife Experiences by Season
Tarantula Trek | La Junta, Colorado
Fall
Warning: Arachnophobes, skip ahead. Everyone else, read on. Every year, tarantulas migrate across the Southwest from Texas to Colorado. In La Junta, Colorado, locals call it the “Tarantula Trek“—the spider migration of the year.
Happening from September through late October, this is actually a mating migration across the Comanche Grasslands, an area of deep Indigenous cultural significance. Venture out in the evenings for the best viewing chances when the spiders emerge searching for mates. Perfect timing for spooky season.
The Elk Rut | The Rocky Mountains
Fall
Fall is one of the best times of year for wildlife viewing, when animals are out foraging for winter bulk with less disturbance from summer crowds. In places like Rocky Mountain National Park, it’s also the season for the elk rut. It’s not technically a migration but still feels worthy of a spot on our list of unique wildlife experiences. Hot and heavy male elk take over the Rockies every year, dramatically bugling to attract female mates and fight other bull elk in antler-clashing showdowns. Moose and deer also rut during this time, but the elk have their own party–the Estes Park Elk Fest.
While fascinating to witness, the elk rut season is quite dangerous. Aggressive elk have been known to charge people and even vehicles that get too close. While not technically a migration, the elk rut still feels worthy of a spot on our list of unique wildlife experiences.
Bats | Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Spring, Summer & Fall
Some bats migrate and some hibernate, which often depends on if they’re tree-dwelling or colonial bats. In Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, dozens of species of bats use both the park’s trees and subterranean caverns to roost. The Brazilian free-tail bat, for instance, dangles from the cave ceiling by day. At night, dramatic outflights can be observed from April to October as part of the national park’s Bat Flight Program.
While in the area, hop across the Texas state line to visit Guadalupe Mountains National Park, one of America’s least visited national parks. Or, visit one of the area’s phenomenal state parks. Heck, why not turn the whole adventure into a multi-park road trip across the region?
Turtle Nesting & Hatching | Southeastern Coast
Spring & Summer
For many southeastern coastal communities, turtle nesting and hatching are the summer season bookends. In May and June, female turtles clamber onto beaches across the southeast to lay their eggs and then crawl back to the ocean. Researchers and local protection groups often barricade known nesting sites so that eggs remain undisturbed.
Later in the summer, the nests hatch in what’s called a “turtle boil.” In some places like Jekyll Island, Georgia, conservation groups like the Georgia Sea Turtle Center provide educational programs and guided nighttime walks for the chance to responsibly observe the action.
Important: Keep lights off during nesting season (they confuse turtles) and fill in beach holes or level sand disturbances that could block turtle paths.
Synchronous Fireflies | Great Smoky Mountains & Congaree National Parks
Summer
The synchronous firefly migration through Great Smoky Mountains National Park and South Carolina’s Congaree National Park is an event you have to win the lottery to see. Literally–there’s a random drawing system for selecting applicants each spring. I was lucky enough to land a ticket in 2019 to the miagration through the Smokies and can confirm it lived up to the hype. There are limitations for attendance – such as vehicle size and available dates – so be ready to make plans and decisions quickly if selected.
Passholders are permitted access to a designated parking lot where shuttles then whisk groups up into the mountains. Arriving at a trail head where fireflies have been confirmed, you find a spot somewhere along the path and wait. As darkness falls, just as you wonder if anything is going to happen, the show begins. Waves of lightning bug signals begin to pulse through the trees in a truly dazzling display by Mother Nature. Make this a highlight of your Blue Ridge Parkway road trip and you’ve got summer vacation sorted.
Salmon Run & Bear Feeding | Alaska
Summer
Every summer, succulent salmon return from the ocean to their freshwater birthplaces to spawn. Their migration requires a harrowing up-river swim, against currents, predators, and eager anglers. In Alaska, the annual salmon run is also a pivotal season for local Indigenous tribes who historically relied on the migration to fish commercially as well as for their own sustenance.
The run also attracts larger mammal life, including several species of bears, which wade into the rushing waters and feast on the fish. During the summer months, visitors can safely view the action with guided tours and excursions in places like Katmai and Kenai Fjords National Parks.
The Great Monarch Butterfly Migration | California & Mexico
Winter
North American Monarch butterflies undergo one of the most extraordinary migrations of any species on the plant. Like birds, they make a two-way migration every year. Where they go depends on which side of the United States they’re on. Western Monarchs overwinter in California, speficially the area of Pacific Grove. Eastern Monarchs travel all the way to the Oyamel fir forests Mexico.
Each generation, they travel a little bit farther, with a “super generation” being the last born before flying over 3,000 miles south of the border. During their highly advanced migratory process, Monarch butterflies gather overnight on peninsulas and other geographic landmarks to give themselves the shortest possible flight distance over water. They only travel in the warmth of day and roost together in colonies for warmth.
Whale Watching | The Pacific Coast
Year-Round
If marine wildlife is your thing, a whale watching excursion is calling your name. Lucky you, there are plenty of US national parks with sea safaris.
For year-round opportunities for whale watching, Channel Islands National Park off the California coast may be one of the most well-known places.
In the winter months, the waters around Hawaii teem with these impressive creatures. Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site is a particularly renowned vantage point and doubles as one of the largest restored Hawaiian temples among the islands.
In the summer, Alaska’s Glacier Bay and Kenjai Fjords national parks become the playgrounds for a variety of whales from humpbacks to orcas. You can find tour operators in the gateway community of Seward and day tours to Glacier Bay.
