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Upcoming Tour Date(s)
Sat, June 22, 2024 —
6 of 7 Spaces Available
Other Dates Available CONTACT FOR AVAILABILITY
Up to 7 Spaces!
Tim also came through showing us Cassia Crossbills in Idaho... He knows the area, knows the birds and is a fun travel companion.
Paul K. Most Wanted, 2018
Tour Details
Mountain Highlights This 12-hour tour out of Salt Lake City is typically offered from June 1 through the end of July and includes breakfast and lunch.
Our Utah Specialty Tours provide several of our most popular requests into set tours, that allow for a great value, with specific species in mind. Our Mountain Highlights Tour allows you to get up close and personal with the rugged peaks and rangges that flank the Wasatch Front. During June and July we can usually see around 100 species of montane species on this tour through 3 mountain ranges.
You can also use these tour options as a base to help build a custom tour if you are interested in a more expansive experience!
Itinerary
Itinerary subject to change due to weather, birding conditions, and other factors out of our control.
Birding the Wasatch Pickup from SLC at 6:00 AM.
Northern Utah's rugged landscape is dominated by mountains. And the mountains hold a variety of interesting and coveted target birds. Starting at sunrise we depart Salt Lake City and visit a riparian habitat where Lazuli Bunting, Willow Flycatcher, and Yellow Warbler introduce us to the day with their eclectic ensemble. Throughout the day the birding will be easy with several short strolls on well maintained roads and trails, and plenty of birding from the car.
Traversing the High Uintas 13,000' Peaks and Lodgepole Forests
Touring a mid-elevation agricultural area we'll track down Bobolink, Wilson's Snipe, and Sandhill Cranes. This unique habitat is quickly disappearing from the mountain west and these amazing fields provide the best viewing for many of the above mentioned birds. We'll follow a river high into the Uinta Mountains to seek out American Dipper, Hammond's, Cordilleran, and Dusky Flycatcher, MacGillivray's Warbler, Fox Sparrow, and Violet-green Swallow in a monatane riparian habitat that is a world away from the city we departed in the morning.
Ascending to almost 11,000' we find our selves in high elevation conifer where birds like Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, Gray Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, and American Three-toed Woodpecker can be found. Sometimes we are lucky and scope out Black Rosy-Finch on exposed snow patches before descending into southwest Wyoming for lunch.
Exploring Monte Cristo High Desert and Unique Birds
Our afternoon visits a high desert along the Utah and WYoming border where Vesper Sparrow, Golden Eagle, and Sage Thrasher are found, followed up with a stop at a wetland where American Bittern, Sora, Black Tern, and Wilson's Phalarope breed. Depedning on the timing of our visit these marshes may be either flooded or nearly dry!
Making our way into an aspen covered portion of the northern mountains we encounter the mountain subspecies of the Purple Martin, Western Tanager, and occasionally Williamson's Sapsucker.
Visiting 3 distinct sections of northern Utah mountain ranges, we typically pick up around 100 species before making our way back to SLC by 6:00 PM.
2024 Pricing
What's Included & What to Expect
What to Expect on Your Tour
On the day our tour beings we will provide pickup from local hotels and/or one of our set departure locations by 6:00 AM. At the end of the tour, we will drop you off where we picked you up around 6:00 PM.
Transportation
During the tour, we will travel in our comfortable 12-person Transit Van (aptly named Otus). Since this tour caps at 7-people, that means each of our 3-rows in the back has just 2-people, with the 7th passenger riding shotgun. Lots of room to stretch out with your gear and not feel like a sardine in a tin.
We provide a step stool for easy access in and out of the van and ice-cold water is available whenever you need from the back of the van with a custom tour water bottle provided for you to keep at the beginning of the tour.
Meals
Breakfasts will usually be boxed and eaten in the field. Lunch will be a quick stop at a sandwich shop in Evanston, Wyoming so we can keep birding and make the most of our time in the mountains!
Pace
The pace of the tour is fast--we cover over 300 miles during the day.
Difficulty
This tour is not physically demanding. We will do numerous short outings, under 1-mile (usually much shorter), on even terrain.
Weather and Temperature
This tour provides for interesting mix of temperatures as we move between high elevation sites in the mountains and low elevations sites in the Great Basin. It is not uncommon for daytime temperatures at lower elevations to reach into the high 90’s or even low 100’s. While in the mountains daytime temps range from the 50’s to 70’s. I recommend bring a variety of clothing, that is easily layered.
Insects, Snakes, and Predators
Oh my! Mosquitoes can be found at most places we will be visiting, so protective clothing or repellent is highly recommended. While there are other biting bugs, most are not very active this time of year. There is one species of rattlesnake in the Great Basin, but we have not encountered them on any tours. With that being said, please be aware it is possible to encounter them. And lastly, there are both Black Bear and Cougar in the Mountain West, but in 13 years of guiding I have never encountered either during a tour!
Non-bird Highlights
- Bald Mountain Pass
- Mirror Lake Highway
- Deseret Ranch
- Up to 10 Possible Mammal Species
- Summer Wildflowers & Butterflies
What's Included
- Professional Guide Service
- Transportation from SLC
- Breakfast and Lunch
- Spotting Scope while Birding
- Water for Refreshment
- Birds—we’ll find some birds
- Some Flammtastic Tour Swag
- Delightful Conversation about Birds
- A Thoroughly Enjoyable Time!
We also include SFW dad jokes, witty bird puns, and the occasional commentary on things non-bird related!
What's Not Included
- Alcoholic Drinks
- Binoculars
- Cameras and Lenses
- Bug Spray
- Jackets or Sweaters
- Shoes and Socks
- Flights or Transportation to Utah
We highly recommend all of the above ;)
Still have questions? Ready to book a tour? Either way tapping the buttons below will put you in touch with us!
Past Mountain Highlights Tours
June 27, 2019
Mountain Highlights
Read Recap
90 Reviews
2020, '22, & '23 Trip Advisor Travelers' Choice Award Consistently earning great reviews from birders!
Top Rated Wildlife Tour
in Salt Lake City
Tim took three of us out birding for target species over two days. He is knowledgeable, friendly and has a tremendous amount of energy! If you want to see Flammulated Owls he is the man!
David D Custom Tour , 2018
Recent Photos from this Tour
Check out more photos from this tour on Flickr
Still have questions? Ready to book a tour? Either way tapping the buttons below will put you in touch with us!
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