GETAWAYS
Bird Migration: Savanna, IL
April 16-17, 2025
If this is your first hike of the year, please register for the season and fill out the mandatory Annual Registration Waiver.
April 16-17
2-days
$130.00
Difficulty rating
Miles
Approx 3.5 miles on Day 1, less than 1/2 mile on Day 2.
Connect with the fascinating world of birding by getting up close and personal to the vibrant spring bird & waterfowl migration along the picturesque Upper Mississippi River Valley in Savanna, IL. Led by experienced bird enthusiasts, Laura Simpson and Barb Karon, this engaging outing will help you identify and locate these stunning songbirds and intriguing diving ducks. This "Flyway Corridor" is a critical habitat where hundreds of thousands of birds and waterfowl stop to rest and feed while heading to their northern breeding grounds.
We will stay overnight at the Quality Inn and Suites in Savanna, IL. Savanna is a small town by the Mighty Mississippi that is being revitalized, about 2 and 1/4 hour from Palatine, IL. Please check the detailed itinerary for information about our walk, hotel, and meals.
Hotel
Savanna Inn & Suites: 101 Valley View Drive, Savanna, IL 61074
815.273.2288
Located upon a hill overlooking the Mississippi River, this hotel is the ideal hub in which to explore the Mississippi Palisades and the protected Spring Lake Sanctuary.
You may choose a single king size room or two queen beds. All rooms are discounted for Trailbound Trips. Rooms include WiFi, TV, mini-frig, toiletries, and morning coffee/tea service.
Solo King size room is $133.20
Double Queen room is $144.30
Please call the hotel to reserve the room of your choice. Ask for a room held under Trailbound Trips. If you want help finding a roommate to share a double queen, please email hello@trailboundtrip.com
Room must be cancelled 24 hours before check-in (15:00) to avoid being charged.
Cost of registration is non-refundable if cancelled less than 72 hours before the trip.
Driving Directions
Upper Mississippi River Valley National Wildlife & Fish Refuge Spring Lake trailhead
Address: HWY IL-84. Savanna, IL
1/4 mile south of Seven Eagles Resort and Camp.
Google directions to Meet in parking lot with outhouse.
Savanna Inn and Suites
Address: 101 Valley View Drive, Savanna, IL 61074
What to Bring:
Comfortable walking shoes that can get dirty and/or wet
Binnoculars
Backpack
Layers & raingear
Sack lunch for 1st day of birding
Snacks for 2nd day
Quote of the day:
“Cultivate a philosophic spirit, be content to sit and listen to the voices of the marsh; let the fascinating, mysterious, bewildering voices encompass you and hold your peace” Florence Merriam Bailey, Birds through an Opera-Glass
DAY 1
Our adventure into the world of birds and waterfowl begins at Spring Lake, a protected National Wildlife sancturary. We begin our walk along a raised dirt path that goes through the middle of the backwaters of the Mississippi. Here in these quiet protected waters, the ducks, shorebirds and wildflowers flourish. This is a 3.5 mile path that we will walk along slowly to enjoy the wide variety of wildlife. Led by 2 experienced bird enthusiasts, Laura Simpson and Barb Karon, they will help you identify and enjoy the ducks and birds up close through their telescopes. You will also need to bring your own binnoculars for full enjoyment of the day. Lunch will be on the trail, so please bring your own packed lunch.
Check into the Savanna Inn and Suites hotel. Enjoy some afternoon tea with new friends in the lobby, or relax in your room until dinner.
Dinner at Sippi-Side Pub and Grill.
Downtown Savanna, on the Mississippi River, we will enjoy their fresh meals with a front row view of the Mighty Mississippi. This restaurant has a great variety of fish, burgers, salads, & gourmet mac and cheese. We personally loved the grilled grouper tacos!
After dinner, you have the option to go “owling” nearby, play cards in the lobby, or relax in your own room.
DAY 2
Breakfast is on your own. The hotel only offers coffee and donuts in the lobby. There is a McDonalds across the street, or you may bring your own breakfast, stored in your room’s mini-frig. Please check-out early, and have your car packed.
Depart for the Mississippi Palisades State Park, only a 10 minute drive. We begin early, as the birds are most active in the morning. This 2,500 acre park is known for it’s steep cliffs along the river and unusual rock formations.
We will not need to walk far to see and hear the songbirds that fill the air with their melodies. The deep ravines filled with mature hardwood forests, create an ideal habitat that attracts a wide variety of wildlife. We hope to see the vibrant warblers, melodious vireos, stunning tanagers, agile flycatchers, and many more beautiful species. Additionally, we will be keeping our eyes peeled for the trillium, shooting stars, and colorful bluebells that grace the forest floor.
Lunch back at Sippi-side, beause it’s the best place in town!
We will visit the Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center, and check out the Sloan Marsh and activity of waterfowl.
For smoked fish lovers, we'll stop at Scafer Fisheries for samples of their local fish. Bring a cooler if you want to take some home!
Next, we will visit the Thomson Causeway and Lock and Dam #13 to see a top breeding area in the Midwest for White Pelicans. Over 1,000 of these majestic birds make their home here.
Depart for home, feeling invigorated and refreshed with your new skills of birding and new friends made along the journey.
Registration Cost
Included in booking:
3 guides for 2 days of birding and evening camaraderie
Access to view birds from telescopes
Photos from trip
Not included:
Hotel costs at Savanna Inn & Suites
All meals
Binnoculars
Cancellations & Refunds
You may cancel your Getaway to Savanna for a full refund if made 30 days in advance.
If you cancel less than 30 days, a refund will be made if your spot can be filled from a wait list.
If you cancel less than 72 hours, Trailbound will not refund your registration.
Itinerary may change due to weather.