Birder's Guide
By Wilson Cady, local birder and naturalist The Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge is not open to the public yet but there are plans to build a visitor’s center with walking trails in the future. Despite it being closed you can observe many species from either the roadways or from the trail on top of the dike. The directions in this guide use the clearly marked mileage posts along the Lewis and Clark Highway (Highway 14). This formerly seasonal floodplain lake located on the eastern boundary of Washougal is the southernmost spot in the state. With its location at the mouth of the Columbia Gorge and at the foot of the Cascade Mountain Range, it is a migration crossroads. Birds following along the foothills and those traveling through the nearly sea level break in the mountains may be encountered here. Over 200 species have been recorded on this 955 acre refuge including Clark County rarities such as; White-faced Ibis, Surf Scoter, White-tailed Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Gyrfalcon, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Gray Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Sage Thrasher, and Lesser Goldfinch. Related Links Chickadees |