You can enjoy wildlife watching in the San Bernardino National Forest any time of the year. Early morning and early evening are usually the best times to catch a glimpse of birds and mammals, especially on hot summer days. Watch for lizards and snakes during the heat of the day. Hawks can be seen almost anytime.

The listing below includes some convenient roadside pull-offs and short trails where you are most likely to see animals. Most are good for viewing year round, though in the higher elevations winter snow can hamper viewing of some species. CLICK HERE FOR THE HABITAT CHART

CAJON
Mountain Top  |  Heaps Peak Arboretum  |  Big Bear Lake

SAN GORGONIO
Santa Ana River  |  Thurman Flats

SAN JACINTO
Indian Vista  |  Lake Fulmor  |  Alandale Fire Station  |  Lake Hemet

Thurman Flats

This picnic area is on Highway 38, about 3.5 miles northeast of the Mill Creek
Ranger Station. This is one of the best bird watching areas on the Forest, with
over 200 species seen here. Look in the incense cedars at the picnic area and in
the alders growing along the creek: yellow warblers, and Lawrence’s goldfinch,
scrub jays, hooded orioles, and northern orioles. Many of the birds are using the
trees as a resting place while migrating to and from Central and South America.