See Increasingly Rare Grassland Birds at Grassland Bird Trust's Alfred Z. Solomon Grassland Viewing Area & Bird Trail Year-Round!

The trail starts at the Alfred Z. Solomon Grassland Viewing Area. It winds through the grasslands and along the Dead Creek with spectacular views of the Adirondack Mountains.

With a little luck, you’ll see increasingly rare grassland birds in this Audubon-designated Important Bird Area (IBA).  Year-round, you can see threatened Northern Harriers and American Kestrels. Possible winter sightings include endangered Short-eared Owls and Horned Larks that migrate south from the Arctic.  In the spring and summer you can greet Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, Grasshopper Sparrows, and other “at risk” grassland birds that breed and raise their young in the IBA.  In addition to many at-risk grassland birds, you are likely to spot Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks, Bald Eagles, Snow Buntings, Snowy Owls, and more.

The Alfred Z. Solomon Viewing Area & Bird Trail is situated in the heart of the 102,000-acre NYS DEC Washington County Grassland Conservation Center.  The Grassland Bird Trust works here to conserve critical, vanishing habitat for these grassland birds, sometimes described as the “canaries in the coal mine of potential bird extinctions.” This is one of the largest Grassland Bird Conservation Centers remaining in New York State.

Grassland Bird Trust hosts guided bird walks and other fun and educational events throughout the year at the Washington County Grasslands. Check out our website for announcements.

The handicapped accessible viewing area and 2.6-mile trail are open to the public, dawn to dusk.  Seasonal trail closing are posted at the trail.

Grassland Bird Trust is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit working to protect critical grassland habitat for vanishing grassland birds.

The Alfred Z. Solomon Grassland Viewing Area and Bird Trail were funded in part by grants from the Hudson River Valley Greenway and the Alfred Z. Solomon Charitable Trust.