Drive on Over to These Top 5 Birdwatching Spots Near Fayetteville, NC

Jul 18, 2023

Fayetteville is nestled on the Cape Fear River in the state’s Sandhills region, known for sheltering hundreds of beautiful bird species. Birdwatching is one of the best ways to enjoy the natural landscape around you, starting with these renowned locations within driving distance of Fayetteville, NC. Start your birdwatching journey in style with a new BMW, like the luxurious X5 or efficient 3 Series.

1. Cape Fear Botanical Garden

This Fayetteville park features 80 acres of paved walking trails where you can observe a variety of local bird species, not to mention the gorgeous plant life. You may catch sight of woodpeckers, migrating songbirds, Mississippi kites, belted kingfishers, and ruby-throated hummingbirds, just to name a few.

Cape Fear Botanical Garden is open seven days a week, with frequent special events like farm-to-table meals. The most expensive tickets cost only $10, so it could be an affordable way to spend the day in Fayetteville.

2. Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge

You can explore more than 140 miles of paved and gravel roads by car, foot, or bicycle on these protected federal lands. Located about a two-hour drive from Fayetteville in Jefferson, Carolina Sandhills Wildlife Refuge gives you an opportunity to see migrating birds, including Canada geese and wood ducks, as they journey from the north to the south and back again with the seasons.

It’s also home to the nation’s largest population of red-cockaded woodpeckers as well as groups of Bachman’s songbirds and wild turkeys.

3. Cliffs of the Neuse State Park

Found about an hour from Fayetteville in Seven Springs, Cliffs of the Neuse State Park gives you access to a range of habitats with a diverse array of animal life. You can walk trails through a pine forest, cypress swamp, and hickory forest, with bird species that include the wood duck, pine warbler, chuck-will’s-widow, and red-headed woodpecker. Recent visitors also report seeing dark-eyed juncos and willow flycatchers.

4. Lumber River State Park

Birdwatchers drive about an hour south to Orrum, where you can observe the variety of bird species at Lumber River State Park. This nationally designated scenic river area provides a home for Mississippi kites, prothonotary warblers, Northern perulas, and other floodplain birds. You can paddle a canoe along the river or hike about 1.5 miles of trails.

5. Carvers Creek State Park

This is another popular birding location right in Fayetteville, with more than 4,500 acres spanning varied natural habitats. You can explore hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails that wind through the home of woodpeckers, warblers, grosbeaks, and Savannah sparrows. The BMW X1, the brand’s all-new luxury sports activity vehicle, has the stamina you need to check out even remote bird spots around North Carolina. Test drive this innovative crossover at Valley Auto World BMW today.