Naturalist Field Day: Snow Geese Migration at Freezout Lake
Schedule
Sat Mar 28 2026 at 07:00 am to 06:00 pm
UTC-06:00Location
120 Hickory St, Suite A, Missoula, MT, United States, Montana 59801 | Missoula, MT
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Date: Saturday, March 28Time: 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Location: Meet at the Montana Natural History Center, where we will get on the bus to drive to Freezout Lake.
Cost: $100 MNHC members/$110 non-members
Registration closes March 14.
Birds by the hundreds of thousands and humans by the handful congregate at Freezout Lake to celebrate early spring. It’s a wildlife viewing spectacle that for a few days rivals any natural wonder in the world. Tundra swans, snow geese, and 200 other migrating species start in mid-March as they head to northern destinations for feeding and breeding. The snow geese usually reach Freezout in late March, where they rest up from a nearly 1,000-mile flight from California. Spend an inspiring day watching thousands of migrating snow geese, and other birds, at Freezout Lake.
Your leaders and drivers will be MNHC teaching naturalist Ryan Mahar, naturalist Kelly Dix, and potentially guides from Freezout FWP depending on their availability.
Cost: $100 MNHC members, $110 non-members. You can add your MNHC membership to your order when you check out.
Details:
-Activity Level: some walking on uneven ground (less than 1 mile), off and on the bus, limited bathrooms, lunch on the bus, potentially cold and windy weather, long time sitting on the bus (6-7 hours)
-Bus leaves from the MNHC parking lot at 7:00 a.m. (120 Hickory St. near McCormick Park) and will return about 6:00 p.m.
-Mid-morning we’ll arrive at Freezout Lake for an orientation and spend time observing and learning about as many migrating birds as we can!
-Participants should bring lunch they can eat on the bus, binoculars, and spotting scopes if they have them, plenty of warm clothes/layers, nature journaling supplies, and camera.
-MNHC will provide additional binoculars, field guides, and spotting scopes.
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Where is it happening?
120 Hickory St, Suite A, Missoula, MT, United States, Montana 59801Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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