Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary in Asheville
Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary is located in Buncombe County, North Carolina. For a guided bird walk, stop by at 9 AM on the first Saturday of each month from October through March.
From April through September, the walks are 8 AM on the first Saturday of each month. North of the sanctuary, a gravel path follows the lake's edge to the dam and spillway for an extended walk. No pets are allowed in the sanctuary.
Romantic Asheville: Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary
The Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary is a wonderful wildlife oasis in the very busy north Asheville area. It is a great spot for a evening walk or morning birding expedition. Walk a 3/8-mile boardwalk through a wetland area and by the lake, complete with sitting areas along the way to soak up the views and watch birds. Beaver Lake provides resting, feeding and nesting spots for resident and migratory birds. The Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society, a chapter of National Audubon, manages the 10-acre sanctuary. It was established in the mid-1980s, when Audubon successfully led an effort to prevent construction of a strip mall on the site. It's free to visit.
A great spot for a evening walk or morning birding expedition. Walk a 3/8-mile boardwalk through a wetland area and by the lake, complete with sitting areas along the way to soak up the views and watch birds. Beaver Lake provides resting, feeding and nesting spots for resident and migratory birds. The Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society, a chapter of National Audubon, manages the 10-acre sanctuary. It was established in the mid-1980s, when Audubon successfully led an effort to prevent construction of a strip mall on the site. It's free to visit.
To find out more about the sanctuary and other awesome places in Buncombe County Romantic Asheville
Habitats: Pond with muddy and marshy edges, open water on lake, wetlands along lake edge, weedy field, patches of hardwoods and conifers.
Key birds: Summer: Yellow-throated and Warbling Vireos, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Yellow and Yellow-throated Warblers, Tree, Barn and Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Catbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Winter: Brown Creeper, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Winter Wren, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Pied-billed Grebe, Bufflehead. Year-round: Brown-headed and White-breasted Nuthatches, Pine Warbler, American Goldfinch, Eastern Bluebird, Belted Kingfisher, Red-shouldered Hawk.
General Information: Audubon uses donations to maintain the sanctuary, and a donation box is situated near the parking lot. In 2002, Audubon began a major effort to replace invasive/exotic vegetation in Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary with native plants. The sanctuary was established in the mid-1980s, when Audubon successfully led an effort to prevent construction of a strip mall on the site. In addition to the sanctuary lot a few parking spots are available at the dam at the corner of Merrimon and Glen Falls. There are no restrooms. Hours are dawn to dusk, and the parking-lot gate opens and shuts on a timer. North of the sanctuary, a gravel path follows the lake's edge to the dam and spillway. Visitors are asked to take away trash.