BACK
Upcoming Tour Date(s)
Wed, June 11 - Day Tour Discounted Public Tour ($199/person)
4 of 5 Spaces Available
Thu, July 10 - Day Tour Discounted Public Tour ($199/person)
5 of 5 Spaces Available
Sun, July 20 - Quick Tour Discounted Public Tour ($99/person)
4 of 5 Spaces Available
Thu, August 14 - Day Tour Discounted Public Tour ($199/person)
5 of 5 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 Birding Tour Options available year round--but May-August provides the best birding!
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 Birding Tour allows you to get up close and personal with the rugged peaks and ranges that flank the Wasatch Front. During Jthe summer months our full day option typically produces over 100 species!
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.
The Quick Tour - 3-5 hrs Millcreek Canyon, Alta, or Jeremy Ranch Road
This popular tour option is a great way to get an introduction to birding in the mountains of Utah. We have several options for places to go, based on what birds you are interested in seeing. We may visit a local canyon where a low elevation riparian corridor is flanked by oaks, before rising into confiers and aspen. Yellow Warbler are common here, while we will focus on trying to find a few local specialties like Western Flycatcher, Lazuli Bunting, Fox Sparrow, American Dipper, and Western Tanager. Another option is a visit to a mid-elevation riparian site that winds through a mountain valley surrounded by sage-covered hillsides. Here we look for things like Black-headed Grosbeak, Gray Catbird, "Northwest" Willow Flycatcher, Brewer's Sparrow, and Mountain Bluebird amongs others. A third option for this short trip is a visit to teh high elevation site at Alta. Here teh fringes of the forest meet the treeline and species like Green-tailed Towhee, Cassin's Finch, Clark's Nutcracker, Pine Grosebak, and Olive-sided FLycatcher are possible. During the winter we can visits Alt to look for Black Rosy-Finch as well as Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch. For our quick tour options, we have several other possible locations, but will work with you to determine the best option for the time of year you are visiting, and the birds you want to see!
The Recommended Tour - 6-8 hrs The Quick Tour + The Uinta Mountains
By far our most popular mountian tour this option starts with a visit to a mid-elevation riparian site that winds through a mountain valley surrounded by sage-covered hillsides. Here we look for things like Black-headed Grosbeak, Gray Catbird, "Northwest" Willow Flycatcher, Brewer's Sparrow, and Lazuli Bunting. 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 Western Tanager, 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, Mountain BLuebird, and American Three-toed Woodpecker can be found. Sometimes we are lucky and scope out Black Rosy-Finch on exposed snow patches of the ridges above! This tour provides a great cross ssection of the birds found in the mountains of the west and only takes up half a day during the summer!
The Day Tour - 10-12 hrs The Wasatch, The Uintas, + Monte Cristo
This tour follows the same itinerary as teh recommended tour, butcontinues into southwest Wyoming for lunch. 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.
2025 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.
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
No meals included on the quick tour. For the recommended tour a boxed breakfast will be included. For the full day, a boxed breakfast, and a sandwich from a deli in Evanston, Wyoming are included.
Pace
The pace of the tour is generally pretty fast. No matter which version you choose we will try to pack as much birding into our time as possible.
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!
Possible 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
- 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 Birding Tours
June 26, 2024
Mountain Birding Tour
View Trip Report
July 27, 2023
Mountain Birding Tour
View Trip Report
June 15, 2022
Mountain Birding Tour
View Trip Report
June 13, 2022
Mountain Birding Tour
View Trip Report
June 8, 2022
Mountain Birding Tour
View Trip Report
June 15, 2021
Mountain Birding Tour
View Trip Report
June 30, 2019
Mountain Birding Tour
Read Recap
June 29, 2019
Mountain Birding Tour
Read Recap
94 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!