The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a 74,000-acre wetland at the northern end of the Great Salt Lake, where the Bear River spreads into a broad delta of marshes, mudflats, and open water. It is one of the most important bird habitats in the Western Hemisphere — a critical stopover on the Pacific Flyway where millions of shorebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds rest and feed during migration.
The refuge has an excellent visitor centre with exhibits on wetland ecology, and a 12-mile auto tour route that loops through the marshes. Bring binoculars. In spring and autumn the birding is extraordinary — avocets, white-faced ibis, pelicans, egrets, and dozens of duck and goose species. In winter, bald eagles gather along the river. Even non-birders will appreciate the scale of the landscape and the sheer density of wildlife. The refuge is free and open year-round.