Top 5 birds

The Iron Trail is home to over 155 nesting species of birds. Our most popular common birds for viewing are the common loon, bald eagle, sharp-tailed grouse, great gray owl, snowy owl, northern hawk owl, and numerous warblers.

Nearby Lake Vermilion has over 265 nesting loons. Bear Head Lake State Park in Ely has nesting eagle areas, and the Department of Natural Resources have sharp-tailed grouse blinds that may be reserved for this elusive bird’s viewing. The Sax-Zim Bog is the place for owl viewing and McCarthy Beach State Park in Side Lake hosts over 175 bird species including many warblers.

With over 175 miles of hiking trails, 320,000 acres of the Superior National Forest and 500 lakes and rivers, there is no better place in Minnesota to view so many varieties of birds during your vacation.

All of our birding & wildlife areas offer their own unique host species of birds and wildlife and nowhere in Minnesota can you find so many birding areas so close together. That’s why birders travel from all across the world to spend time in our pristine wilderness setting, not to mention to enjoy our wonderful hospitality and service.

Our easy accessible road system and state scenic byways allows birders of all ages and ability to view our beautiful and abundance species, sometimes without leaving your car. We’re home to five of the top 10 hardest to find birds found in North America. So, we invite you to view our most common species found on the Iron Trail and to also get out your lifetime birding checklist and get ready to check off some long sought after species and discover why the Iron Trail is “A Great Way to Getaway!”