Snake River Road to Richland

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Snake River Road/Brownlee Reservoir

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Brownlee Reservoir & Hewitt Memorial Park

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Farewell Bend State Recreational Area

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Durkee and Burnt River Canyon

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Seasons

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Location

This trip should be in conjunction with Farewell Bend (see below). Start birding Farewell Bend SRA. Then take I-84 north to Huntington (exit 345). Drive into Huntington and stay on the main road as it goes through this tiny town. About 5 blocks into the town, take a left on Washington Street (There’s a brown sign that says, “Spring Rec. Site”). This road will quickly become Snake River Road. Shortly after leaving Huntington, a dirt road will branch off to the left. This short road leads to the sewer ponds. Continue on River Road for about 30 miles (Make sure you have gas and water) to the small community of Richland. Just a few miles to the east is Harry M. Hewitt Memorial Park. If you have time, this park, right along the river, can be productive.

Directions

Habitat and Birds

This route, taken in the spring, summer or fall, will offer some of the best birding in the county. The river is lined with vegetation and the steep, dry slopes offer more diverse habitats. Look for migrants of all kinds, waterfowl in the river and dry canyon species like Canyon and Rock Wren, Chukars (go early) and raptors. Nesting species include Bullock’s Oriole, Yellow-breasted Chat, Lazuli Bunting and Eastern Kingbird. Gulls and swallows are abundant.

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