Birding spots · California
Best Birding Spots in Alpine County, California
Indian Creek Reservoir leads Alpine County's birding spots with 155 species reported, best in summer. 26 spots in the county have enough data to rank.
Species counts are birds reported at least three times in that season at that spot, 2016–2025. Busy spots list more species simply because more people look, so compare the checklist counts. Spot names come from public map data and hotspot listings.
| Spot | Species | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Creek Reservoir | 155 | 43 | 69 | 130 | 109 |
| Markleeville | 125 | 37 | 63 | 81 | 85 |
| Curtz Lake | 101 | 7 | 50 | 77 | 57 |
| Paynesville | 94 | 37 | 49 | 64 | 45 |
| Grover Hot Springs State Park | 77 | 6 | 36 | 70 | 16 |
| Frog Lake | 75 | 0 | 22 | 69 | 11 |
| Heenan Lake Wildlife Area | 71 | 0 | 26 | 51 | 29 |
| Woods Lake | 65 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 23 |
| Fredericksburg | 64 | 16 | 26 | 28 | 43 |
| Winnemucca Lake | 60 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 16 |
| Bear Lake | 59 | 9 | 26 | 45 | 23 |
| Bee Gulch | 58 | 0 | 18 | 48 | 29 |
| Pacific Crest Trail National Scenic Trail (Carson Pass) | 55 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 14 |
| Hope Valley Wildlife Area | 50 | 1 | 14 | 38 | 13 |
| Paynesville (northeast) | 49 | 1 | 32 | 45 | 6 |
| Highland Lakes | 47 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 7 |
| Cary Canyon | 47 | 8 | 16 | 30 | 5 |
| Monitor Pass | 42 | 0 | 13 | 39 | 7 |
| Sorensens | 42 | 0 | 2 | 37 | 9 |
| Pacific Crest Trail National Scenic Trail (Sonora Pass) | 40 | 0 | 8 | 38 | 14 |
| Caples Lake | 31 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 9 |
| Birding spot near Alpine Village | 97 | 18 | 36 | 55 | 70 |
| Birding spot near Mesa Vista | 93 | 6 | 40 | 64 | 50 |
| Birding spot near Kirkwood | 61 | 9 | 24 | 52 | 11 |
| Birding spot near Mesa Vista (Paynesville) | 60 | 4 | 13 | 38 | 41 |
| Birding spot near Alpine Village (Stevens Lake) | 53 | 0 | 11 | 25 | 4 |