East Cascades Full-Day Birding Adventure (Beginner Friendly)

Join Seymore Gulls, author of Backyard Birds West and Founder of Birding for the People, for an intimate full-day birding adventure through the Columbia Gorge, Tygh Valley, Maupin grasslands, and Mount Hood!

This fundraiser trip supports Birding for the People, with proceeds helping expand our optics lending library and our ability to support free bird walks and assist other local community birding groups throughout the greater Portland area.

Only 5 seats are available for this experience.

We’ll depart at 6:45 AM from an East Portland park and ride and spend the day exploring a huge variety of habitats across Hood River County, Wasco County, and Clackamas County. Depending on weather, bird activity, and group energy, expect a flexible adventure that could last up to 12 hours.
Expect waterfalls, alpine forest, river canyons, grasslands, oak habitat, old-growth forest, scenic mountain stops, and lots of opportunities for birding, photography, and iNaturalist observations along the way.

Potential target birds include:
Lewis’s Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, Hermit Warbler, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Black-billed Magpie, Golden Eagle, Western Meadowlark, Western Kingbird, Say’s Phoebe, Bullock’s Oriole, Rufous Hummingbird, Pygmy Nuthatch, Chipping Sparrow, Lazuli Bunting, Yellow-breasted Chat, Williamson’s Sapsucker, and more.

We will finish our day by stopping at Timberline Lodge for a drink and a snack and then searching for carnivorous sundews, sub-alpine flowers, Canada Jays, and additional mountain species.

Your event ticket includes:
• Transportation in a private minivan
• Coffee and light snacks in the morning
• Water and beverages throughout the day
• Loaner binoculars available
• Guided birding and natural history interpretation

Participants should bring:
• Lunch and any additional snacks or drinks desired
• Layers for changing mountain and desert weather
• Comfortable walking shoes or hiking shoes
• Camera and binoculars if you have them
• Funds for incidentals, restaurant stops, and optional guide tips

This trip will happen rain or shine, though exact stops and walking routes may shift slightly depending on weather and road conditions. Expect 10,000+ steps over the course of the day. Walking will be on a variety of paths including dirt/rock/forest floor with some paved areas and optional scrambling over downed logs or steeper hillsides. Portions of the trip may be moderately strenuous at times, but there will be plenty of breaks and relaxed scenic (bathroom) stops throughout the day.

Sliding Scale Pricing:

$150 - Community Access Ticket (promo code "access")
Helps cover transportation, fuel, guiding, and trip expenses.

$225 - Supporter Ticket (promo code "support")
Helps Birding for the People expand our reach and support additional free bird walks throughout the Portland area.

$300 - Steward Ticket
Helps expand our optics lending library while supporting the long-term growth of Birding for the People and future community programming.

No experience needed — birding is for everyone!

If you are interested in attending but need financial assistance, please reach out. If the tour does not fill, scholarship spots may be available through the waiting list. We sincerely believe birding is for everyone and want this special trip to be enjoyed by as many people as is comfortably possible in a minivan.