Seeing These Animal Migrations Is a Life-Changing Experience. Here’s How to Do It This Winter.

Winter may come along with cold storms, but it’s also when the West’s wildlife puts on its biggest shows. Birds pour into wetlands, butterflies cluster in coastal groves, salmon return to the creeks where they were born, and thousands of elephant seals haul onto the beach to fight, mate, and give birth. Here’s where to watch it all in wonder.

Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese at Bosque del Apache, New Mexico

New Mexico is known for its stellar sunsets, and this spectacle of sandhill cranes that begins in early November really adds to the magic. Cranes and geese lift off and settle in by the thousands during their fly-ins and fly-outs this time of year. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge hosts its Festival of the Cranes on December 5-6 to commemorate the migration, but the birds stick around through early March, so you have time to plan a trip in the new year.

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Cranes, Geese, and Swans in California’s Central Valley

Lodi hosts the Sandhill Crane Festival every November honoring the birds and their wetland habitat. The town sits along the Pacific Flyway, the migration corridor that stretches from Alaska to South America, and flooded farmland and managed wetlands in the valley support millions of waterfowl and hundreds of thousands of shorebirds each year, more than 60 percent of the flyway’s waterfowl. Woodbridge Ecological Reserve in the Stockton Delta is California’s largest freshwater marsh wintering habitat for sandhills, geese, and swans. Cosumnes River Preserve near Galt is also a good place to watch the cranes, or for snow geese, head to the Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area near Davis or the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge near Willows.

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Overwintering Monarchs in Santa Cruz, California

Monarch butterfly numbers have been in decline in California for years due to habitat collapse, so seeing these magical creatures and supporting conservation efforts feels more essential than ever. Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz had the highest tally at 2,500 monarchs in early December of 2025, so it’s a good place to witness their overwintering process, in which the monarchs huddle together in protected coastal forests to avoid the seasonal chill. There are other spots to view them too, like Pacific Grove and Pismo, but Natural Bridges is usually best in November.

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Elephant Seals at Año Nuevo State Park and Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserver

At Año Nuevo State Park, about 10,000 elephant seals come to the park each winter to fight, mate, and give birth. Access to the elephant seal preserve during breeding season is by docent-led guided walk only, which runs December 15 through March 31. Reservations can be made now through Reserve California. Plan on a moderate 3- to 4-mile hike over varied terrain including sand dunes, lasting about two and a half hours.

Spawning Coho Salmon in Marin County

Coho are typically sighted from November to February, with spawning peaking in December and January in the Lagunitas Creek watershed. The best viewing is at Samuel P. Taylor State Park and the nearby Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing Area. The fish are endangered, so keep your distance and stay out of the creek.