Getting out in nature, either for a casual stroll or for some serious birding or nature photography, has been a passion of mine for most of my life.
I find peace and solitude when I visit places such as the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. It literally recharges my soul and energizes my most inner-self.
Most of the time, as many of you who know me already know, I spend my days, countless hours each year, in fact, on the Bear River Bird Refuge auto tour route, a self-guided gravel road that takes you out and into some great wildlife habitats for this so-called peace and serenity I think we all need once in a while. I know I sure do.
But the auto loop isn’t the only option for a quick nature fix, if you will, available on the refuge for those wanting to get away for a moment or two from the hustle and bustle of our modern day, fast-paced civilization.
The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge has 2 self-guided nature walks that adjoins the visitors center many people don’t know about.
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One of the refuge’s nature trails is a concrete paved course about 1/2 mile long that leads from the parking lot to the backside of the visitors center.
The other nature trail is a mile-long unimproved gravel trail that ties onto the first trail and leads you around the marsh on a more rustic type of travel.
I have walked both and enjoy both trails. In fact, I was there just last week in order to get a few photographs for this blog post to visually show what improvements have been made and what a curious visitor would encounter.
I will say, however, the trails are a great start, or finish, to a trip inside the refuge visitors center where some great displays, a bookstore, and other features reside, but, unfortunately, these resources remain closed due to the caronavirus outbreak and they will be once again available when life gets back to normal.
The nature trails just behind the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge visitors center remain open daily from sunrise to sunset, however, so even though visiting the educational center isn’t currently an option, walking the refuge’s nature trails still is an opportunity to get out in nature and enjoy what the natural world offers us.
Summer is by far the best time to visit the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge nature trails, as birds, butterflies, and all the other creatures will be out and about.
But even now, regardless of this cold and snowy time of year, I still find the casual walk very enjoyable and relaxing, regardless of how many or how few birds I see. It’s just good to get out and be in nature, plain and simple.
Recently, the refuge has made some additions to the nature walks, with some interpretive signs, benches, and a new section that takes a stroll literally right over a part of this marsh-type of habitat for a first-hand look at one of nature’s most diverse and productive environments, the wetland ecosystem.
A photography blind is also available for the avid nature photographer that wants to get out and try their hand at capturing some of nature’s beautiful creatures on film.
The photo blind, free to use, is located on the unimproved section of the nature trail on the very southern tip of the walk, just before it turns and heads back towards the refuge visitors center.
All in all, I love the refuge nature trails, and on my walks there, I have come across countless species of birds, mammals, amphibians, and insects.
As I have traversed it over the years, I have seen great blue herons, marsh wrens, monarch butterflies, dragonflies, frogs, northern harriers, a variety of different duck species, nesting Canada geese, red-winged blackbirds, and yellow-headed blackbirds, just to name a couple off the top of my head.
For those of you that would like a video representation of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge nature trails, on my trip there a few days ago to photograph, I also recorded a simple video tour of the trails.
Feel free to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you are interested in the video format of my blog.
I am in the efforts to not only photograph and blog about my time outdoors, both on and off of the refuge, but I am also working on doing more YouTube videos as well, when the opportunities arise, that is.
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