Discover Our Wild Side!

It’s easy to discover Virginia’s wild side with The Virginia Bird and Wildlife Trail (VBWT), an organized network of outdoor sites highlighting the best places to see birds and wildlife in the Commonwealth. Walk a nature trail, paddle a river, or enjoy a scenic overlook to experience Virginia’s wealth of natural diversity, ranging from brown pelicans and bottlenose dolphins along our Atlantic Coast to bald eagles and black bear in the Appalachian Mountains. With 400 species of birds, 150 species of mammals, 150 species of amphibians and reptiles, 250 species of fish, plus hundreds of butterfly, dragonfly, and other invertebrate species, you’ll soon see why Virginia is a premier destination for birding and wildlife viewing.

Start Your Exploration:

Find a site near you – Use the interactive maps and menus at Find Wildlife: Viewing to search for viewing sites near you or by city/county, search for sites with specific birds and wildlife of interest, or get driving directions to a site from your current location.

Plan a trip – The VBWT features 65 trail loops to help you plan your outdoor travels. Each loop contains multiple birding and wildlife viewing sites; select those that interest you most or drive from site-to-site. Each loop has a webpage with a map of the loop, descriptions of its viewing sites, and links to tourism information. To get started, select from the mountain, piedmont, or coastal regions using the links below.

Contact Us: [email protected]

Additional support for this project provided by:

The VBWT is proud to be a part of Virginia Green, a network of tourism-related organizations and programs that are committed to protecting and promoting the environment.