Why Doesn’t New York’s Birding Trail Include the Hudson Valley?

The Hudson Valley is an amazing place to spend time outdoors and if you enjoy hikes and birdwatching, then you really are in the right place. Every person that I chat with about my newfound birdwatching hobby, has a special place that they go to find new birds or even a group that works together to find great places.

Then I found out that New York State doesn't realize that the Hudson Valley or Mid-Hudson Valley exists as one of the best places to bird watch in New York. How do I know this for sure?

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Have you heard of the New York State Birding Trail?

Photo by Pete Nuij on Unsplash

Me neither. So, when I started investigating, I was getting super excited that this existed, then I saw where the trail was and got angry. Thank You New York State.

So where is this New York Birding Trail? Hint, not in the Hudson Valley!

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is the place that hosts this trail. Yep, they even made cute signs I 🐦NY. The trails you ask? Where are they? Long Island and Buffalo. Yep, completely ignored the Hudson Valley.

When was the New York Birding Trail Formed or Created?

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To be fair, this is still a relatively new thing. This trail first began in October of 2021, which was not that long ago. So, I will cool my birding jets for a moment and take a deep breath.

How can you as a New York State Resident nominate an area to be included in the NYS Birding Trail?

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Believe it or not, there is a simple form to fill out on the NYS DEC website. They have about a dozen plus sites (none currently in the HV) that are under the approval process to be added to the trail officially.

Are there other Official Birding Trails across New York State?

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Yes, there are. There are trails in the Lake Champlain area, Finger Lakes, as well as Cayuga Lake. Might be a little bit of a drive, but could be worth it.