Bird the Boreal Forest with Us

From Boreal Chickadees in our vast forests to Loons on our magnificent lakes to the rare Bicknell’s Thrush in the high peaks above, the Rangeley Region is rich with birds. Add in both migrating and breeding warblers, and you have a unique opportunity to see and learn about birds that are difficult to find in other parts of Maine, all in one weekend.

Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust has partnered with Saddleback Mountain to make the 2025 Rangeley Birding Festival bigger and better than ever! Get ready for four days of incredible birdwatching and unforgettable experiences. Explore some of the best boreal birding spots in the Northeast with expert biologists and seasoned birders as your guides. Plus, enjoy festival highlights, including:

-- A special welcome reception at Saddleback

-- Lift access up Saddleback Mountain for breathtaking views and birding opportunities

-- An inspiring keynote speaker dinner

-- A delightful brunch at The Nest, Saddleback’s high-elevation restaurant

Trips & Activities

Highlights
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Scenic Chairlift Rides
This year, festival goers will enjoy lift transportation up and down Saddleback Mountain. Ride the Rangeley Quad to high-elevation habitat, home to Bicknell's Thrush and Boreal chickadees.

Activities for Young Birders
The Kid’s Banding Station is a hands-on activity where participants (of all ages) learn about bird banding by receiving their own unique “band” (a beaded bracelet) based on real bird banding data collection methods.

Brunch at The Nest
Join us for a Bicknell's Brunch at Saddleback's high-elevation restaurant, The Nest. Acclaimed by Downeast Magazine, The Nest is perched high atop Saddleback at 3,620'—a dining experience like no other.

Full Trip Schedule

Visiting the Rangeley Lakes Region isn’t just about soaking in its breathtaking natural beauty—it’s also your chance to check off some “bucket list” bird species you’ve been eager to spot. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable birding adventure!

Friday, June 6, 2025

Friday, 6:15 AM | Bicknell's Thrush, Saddleback 

This trip focuses on birding the high-elevation spruce-fir forests of Saddleback Mountain for boreal birds. New this year! Chairlift access will be offered on the Rangeley Quad. Ride up and down for easy access to this trip! Participants are welcome to hike if they wish. Chairlift access is provided to the top of the mountain. Participants will bird the summit area for 2 hours and then the group will bird on the hike down the mountain. Participants may opt to skip the hike down the mountain and take the chairlift instead. In addition to standard birding gear, participants must bring a small day pack, water, bug repellent, sunscreen, a raincoat or windbreaker, and a head net.  Second Bicknell's Thrush trips up Saddleback Mountain on Friday and Saturday morning will be added based on demand. To get on the list for a second trip please email Nick Leadley, Event Coordinator, at [email protected]. The second trip will start at 7:00 a.m.

• Guides: Steve Hale & Sally Stockwell
• Key Species: Bicknell's Thrush, Black-backed Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Canada Jay, Boreal Chickadee, Blackpoll Warbler, Fox Sparrow
• Physical demands: If hiking: expect approximately 2 miles of hiking on uneven terrain. IMPORTANT: If riding the lift, you must be able to load and unload at a brisk pace and walk on uneven terrain.
• Difficulty:
• Parking: Park along the Access Road before the Lodge on the left. 
• Meet: At the Saddleback Welcome Sign and flagpole. 
• Arrival: 6:15 AM
• Depart: 6:30 AM 

Return to Parking: 2:30 PM Unreliable cell service prevents contacting participants. Please review the directions for distance and travel time from your accommodations

Friday, 6:15 AM | Boy Scout Road

Over 60% of all the species ever seen in Franklin County are documented on Boy Scout Road. This dirt drive cuts through prime boreal habitat. It allows you to walk up to nesting warblers, compare vireo species nearby, and even pick up waterbirds along the Kennebago.  

• Guides: Tim Flight and Samantha Allen
• Key Species: Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Boreal Chickadee, Philadelphia Vireo, warblers including Cape May, Tennessee, Bay-breasted.
• Physical demands: Expect approximately 2 miles of walking on a dirt road with varying terrain. 
• Difficulty:

• Parking: Turn onto Boy Scout Road and drive for 1 mile. Turn left onto a dirt road with an open green gate. This entrance is the driveway for the Boy Scout Camp. Park carefully along this driveway/road, the turtle's nest in the sand. 
• Meet: At the parking area at the Boy Scout Camp
• Arrival: 6:15 AM
• Depart: 6:30 AM 
• Return to Parking: 10:30 AM
• Unreliable cell service prevents contacting participants. Please review the directions for distance and travel time from your accommodations. 

Friday, 6:15 AM | Perham Stream Birding Trail | Perham Stream Introduction to Bird Identification, Behavior, and Conservation

Join avian research ecologist, Peter McKinley, for a walk through lowland northern hardwood and spruce-fir forest to begin the ecological tour of the western Maine High Peaks ( take the chairlift or hiking trails to see the upper reaches of this region’s diverse ecology on other Festival trips ).  We will stay in the lowlands for this trip but will have great views of the mountain ranges around us as we stroll near where the Perham Stream meets the Orbeton Stream, both successfully welcoming Atlantic Salmon returning to breed from the North Atlantic Ocean.  Also returning to breed are the wood warblers, thrush, vireo, and kingfisher who will be well into their breeding season busy foraging for their young and singing to mark their territories before the next few months disappear and they (neotropical songbirds) return to Central America for the winter.  Pete will include stories from his 35 years of conservation and avian research ecology dedicated to conserving the forests of Maine and along the entire Appalachian range to Georgia. The walking conditions are gentle and rolling over mixed fields and forest passing by the centuries-old settlement site of Madrid, Maine which still includes some cellar holes and stories from the 7th generation of the family that settled the area and kept journals of all the happenings in the natural world over that time period. All levels welcome, novice to expert, we have a trip you will all enjoy.

• Guide: Pete McKinley and David Miller
• Key Species: Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Magnolia Warbler, Belted Kingfisher, and Red-eyed Vireo
• Physical demands: Expect approximately 2 miles of hiking on mostly rolling terrain. 
• Difficulty:
• Parking: Park along East Madrid Road on the left across from the Perham Farm Settlement Museum. 
• Meet: At the parking area and trailhead sign. 
• Arrival: 6:15 AM
• Depart: 6:30 AM 
• Return to Parking: 10:30 AM Unreliable cell service prevents contacting participants. Please review the directions for distance and travel time from your accommodations.  

Friday, 3 PM | Loon Paddle

Spend the afternoon on Rangeley's Haley Pond with the Rangeley Adventure Company. Expect a leisurely paddle on the 170-acre pond in the heart of Rangeley Village. All gear will be provided. Prior on-the-water experience is recommended. 

• Guides: Nick Leadley & Seth Laliberte
• Key Species: Common Loon
• Physical demands: Expect approximately 2 miles of paddling on flat water. 
• Difficulty:
• Parking: Park along Pond St or on Main St. 
• Meet: Rangeley Adventure Co, 7 Pond St., Rangeley 
• Arrival: 2:45 PM
• Depart: 3:00 PM 

Return to Parking: 5:00 PM Unreliable cell service prevents contacting participants. Please review the directions for distance and travel time from your accommodations.

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