Watching beavers at work

April 29, 2024 5:14 PM

Where, in the continental U.S., could one find a cabin or bed and breakfast on a river where it is a certainty one could watch beavers at work, either directly from the place or a short hike away? I do not want to disturb the beavers.
posted by tiny frying pan to Travel & Transportation around United States (21 answers total)

Beavers are primarily nocturnal. I've been studying their effects on streams and wetlands for 10 years now, and I've only actually seen one a handful of times. I'm not saying what you want is impossible, but it may be more challenging than you're expecting.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:39 PM on April 29 [5 favorites]

Response by poster: Nocturnal is fine. The question is where would be a good place to try to do this, thanks!
posted by tiny frying pan at 5:46 PM on April 29

Do you have strong binoculars? Beavers are either easily disturbed, or they just don't seem to care. It depends on the beavers. If you find a rental that advertises seeing beavers.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 6:21 PM on April 29

Best answer: A few years ago I was visiting friends in Ulster County NY and I could not believe how many beavers there were in the streams and small rivers near people's houses. Like, we went swimming (in the daytime) and we were just surrounded by beavers. They were everywhere and yes I did see them building dams. The local people found them a nuisance and in fact were worried bc they were known to carry rabies. I don't know if that was a freak (pre-pandemic year) beaver explosion but you might start looking into southern NY State.
posted by ojocaliente at 6:35 PM on April 29 [5 favorites]

Best answer: In fact (to continue the answer above) it was quite near here where as the article says, "Walking or running around this preserve – an oasis in the middle of New Paltz, sandwiched between a continuing-care center for the elderly and an elementary school, along the Mill Brook stream (Tributary 13) – provides its daily dose of beaverdom."
posted by ojocaliente at 6:43 PM on April 29 [3 favorites]

Best answer: So, I see you're in Chicago. It's been a few years, but I've personally seen a beaver at Independence Grove Forest Preserve in Libertyville, and often see evidence of beavers along the Des Plaines River.

You might want to shoot an email to the Cook County and Lake County Forest Preserve Districts, as well as local nature centers like The Grove in Glenview. They might be able to tell you where you can see beavers not too far from your own backyard. Maybe the Field Museum too.

(Though I'm not discouraging a nice BnBnB [Bed 'n Breakfast 'n Beavers] vacation.)
posted by Reverend John at 6:45 PM on April 29 [4 favorites]

"Every day is like a beaver Advent calendar" -- ojocaliente's link

Now I want to go.
posted by HotToddy at 7:01 PM on April 29 [5 favorites]

You could also try Saskatoon, which is where the guy behind the Mike's Videos Of Beavers YouTube channel films all of his favorite beavers, often in broad daylight, it seems.
posted by mediareport at 7:44 PM on April 29 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: I love Mike's videos of beavers but he's not in the U.S.
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:48 PM on April 29

Ah, apologies. It's such a great channel, isn't it?
posted by mediareport at 8:08 PM on April 29

Best answer: "Every day is like a beaver Advent calendar"

Sorry, to bring a dose of middle school to this otherwise wholesome thread, but that phrase is just conjuring a very different image.

Also I have seen urban beavers (not that kind!!) in Lake Union in Seattle just foraging along the shore.
posted by brookeb at 10:46 PM on April 29 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Come stay at my house? I live in Madison WI and I very reliably see a beaver at 5:30 am in Wingra Creek, on the edge of the UW Arboretum. Low risk of disturbance since they’re already an urban beaver, accustomed to traffic, dog walkers, etc.
posted by juliapangolin at 4:08 AM on April 30 [8 favorites]

The "Biggest Loser" weight loss camp in Western New York is located at Beaver Hollow. A number of running/walking trails lead past the lake, creek and the local beaver dam. The beavers are very accustomed to human presence and are active in daylight. I ran past one, not more than six feet away.

The camp is generally for a week, will exercise you well, drop you some weight and you can get your own room. (for a price!)
posted by Colonel Sun at 7:23 AM on April 30

Not in-person, but the Cornwall Wildlife Trust has two live cams of beavers.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:23 AM on April 30

Response by poster: Doesn't answer the question, but yes, I am aware of live cams of nature.

Thanks for the locale suggestions, folks!
posted by tiny frying pan at 11:02 AM on April 30

Best answer: I would get it touch with Beaversprite in upstate New York. It's a nature center on the homestead site of the maybe the first Beaver conservationist, Dorothy "the Beaver Lady" Richards. They do field trips and programming, and have a campsite for rental on the sanctuary property.
Beaver populations can vary a lot year over year so I'd definitely get in touch to find out if there's any beaver activity on the property currently or even in the broader area before traveling anywhere.

If things don't work out for beavers and you're still desperately craving large aquatic rodents, hit me up, because I know a place in the chicago area where you can almost be guaranteed a sighting of a muskrat, the poor man's beaver.
posted by Cold Lurkey at 12:17 PM on April 30 [3 favorites]

Well, just to take it another direction, anywhere within walking distance of the Minnesota Zoo, where there are beavers including (last time I was there a number of years ago) video inside the lodge.

Beavers at the Minnesota Zoo.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 11:37 PM on April 30

Response by poster: A zoo, a video...these answers do not answer the question at all. Maybe I should have directly, painfully specified live, wild beavers in nature with me watching. I didn't think this would need so much direction.
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:47 AM on May 1

Just wanted to add a small note that a fair number of people go canoeing on the Des Plaines River, which I imagine might be a really good way to get close to beavers and see them in action while still minimizing any disturbance. (In fact I'm in the parking lot of a DPR canoe launch as I type this :-)
posted by Reverend John at 7:55 AM on May 1

As someone who has a beaver dam on my regular hiking spots, I'd add that dawn and sunset are also good times. If you're on shore, stay motionless for quite a while, because they can be spooked by any movement. In a kayak they seem less freaked out, but you still have to be quiet and still.
posted by RedEmma at 12:57 PM on May 2 [1 favorite]

My family spent a lot of time vacationing in the Nicolet National Forest in Northern Wisconsin when I was a child. I remember fairly frequent beaver sightings, and locals often knew where the nearest active dams were. There might be some suggestions here, and you could camp or find a cabin nearby some of the dams, eg:

i) Access #9 Popple River Crossing - Twin Rivers Rd
...This section of river is remote and very beautiful with stretches of marshland and mature forest land along the bank. There are beaver dams to cross. In all this section is 6.3 miles of river which takes a minimum of 3 hours to paddle and portage.
posted by amusebuche at 3:50 PM on May 4