Raccoon Creek State Park
Lakeside Lodge Road

 

Directions:  Beginning at the US 30 entrance gate, proceed 0.6 miles to Lakeside Lodge Road on the right. The park road between US 30 and Lakeside Lodge is often alive with song on spring mornings, but birding can be difficult here as the birds are not often close to the road and there are no good pull-offs. Lakeside Lodge Road is rough and full of potholes, and terminates in a parking lot at a boat launch after about one mile. There is a trail that begins from the parking lot that can be productive, though usually not as productive as the road itself. The entire road is usually very good for migrants, and it is often advisable to walk all or part of the road during peak passage. White-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-winged and Hooded warblers, Indigo Bunting, and Chipping Sparrow are very numerous here throughout the summer. Less common, but reliable, are Yellow-throated Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, and Louisiana Waterthrush. The hillside on the right side of the first half-mile of the road is one of the best places in the park (and anywhere in Beaver County) to look and listen for Worm-eating Warbler in spring. Rarities such as Mourning, Connecticut, and Golden-winged warblers have also been found here. Lakeside Lodge Road is also particularly good for passerine migrants in fall, which peak in the month of September.

 

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