[Fan Theory] Where To Find The Best Winter Wildlife Watching In The U.S.

Some species are at their most active in winter, whether they're flying, feeding, or mating. From elephant seals in California to sandhill cranes in Nebraska, here's where to watch—responsibly. While some animals (and humans) hibernate in winter, other species are at their most active.

Whales, butterflies, and birds are migrating; elephant seals are mating; and wolves are actively hunting prey. With less foliage (and fewer crowds) obscuring your view, and animals more actively searching for food, winter offers a surprising advantage to wildlife watchers.  Whether it's bald eagles fishing in ice-fringed rivers or elk bugling through snow-dusted valleys, every corner of the country is bursting with wonderful wildlife watching this winter.

Here's where to see these animals in action. Sunny Santa Cruz, California (about a two-hour drive south of San Francisco ), may be best known as the often contested surfing capital of the country, but to nature lovers, it's famous for its extraordinary density of wildlife, much of which is most active in winter.

At the Monarch Butterfly Preserve at  Natural Bridges State Beach , approximately 10,000 winged wonders spend their winter in the eucalyptus grove, forming a sort of “city in the trees.” The largest number of butterflies can be seen in January, as most slowly begin heading back north in early-mid February. Occasionally, you can still find Monarch butterflies through early March.  About a 30-minute drive north of Santa Cruz,  Año Nuevo State Park  welcomes hundreds of elephant seals, who come ashore to mate every winter, usually from December through March, peaking, oddly enough, during their mating season around Valentine's Day. Males battle on the beach to impress the females, who birth and nurse their young nearby.

It's the only place to join a  guided tour  for the seasonal spectacle. Tickets  sell fast, so plan ahead. Winter transforms northern  Yellowstone  into a living wildlife documentary, where snow-blanketed valleys and steaming geothermal basins set the stage for some of the most thrilling animal encounters in North America. A stretch of the park in Montana —anchored by the Lamar Valley and  Gardiner  entrance—remains accessible even in the depths of winter, drawing seasoned wildlife watchers with its raw, cinematic beauty.

It's one of the best places in the country to see gray wolves in the wild, especially at dawn when packs traverse the snowy meadows in search of prey. Bison plow through drifts, while snowshoe hares and stoats (known in their winter-white form as ermine) leave fleeting tracks across the snow. Although visitors can spot these animals without a guide, joining a  winter wildlife-watching tour  is an ideal option.

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