Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary — Attraction in Asheville

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary is located 3 miles north of Asheville along Merrimon Ave. The lake is directly adjacent to busy Merrimon Ave and circles around for a couple of miles through residential areas along Lakeshore and Lakeview Drive. In addition, there is a protected bird sanctuary with a raised wooden boardwalk that adjoins the parking lot. Visitors can enjoy walking, photographing, or simply sitting while enjoying the various wildlife in a natural protected environment.

Despite the traffic congestion, I enjoyed my walk around Beaver Lake. The backside away from Merrimon Ave was quite serene and pretty. While walking, you will come upon a couple of old compact strands of trees. I first encountered a small grove of spreading eastern pine with ivy growing up the entire length of their trunks. Further on, I came upon a small thicket of western pine. These erect trees have a distinct crowned top. Arriving back at the parking lot, I took a tour of the small protected bird sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to year-round and migratory birds, along with many other species of animals. Depending on the time of your visit, you may see finches, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, herons, turtles, etc. The wetlands are in a natural protected state built upon the silt deposited from the streams entering the lake. It remains marshy year-round and is an excellent habitat for the residing birds and animals. Along my walk, I came upon an old spreading oak tree? Often photographed, I enjoyed sitting there contemplating the serene setting away from the busy outside world.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary. I encourage others to visit when they are...

The Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary is a wonderful wildlife oasis in the very busy north Asheville area. It is a great spot for a evening walk or morning birding expedition. Walk a 3/8-mile boardwalk through a wetland area and by the lake, complete with sitting areas along the way to soak up the views and watch birds. Beaver Lake provides resting, feeding and nesting spots for resident and migratory birds. The Elisha Mitchell Audubon Society, a chapter of National Audubon, manages the 10-acre sanctuary. It was established in the mid-1980s, when Audubon successfully led an effort to prevent construction of a strip mall on the site. It's free to visit. For a guided bird walk, stop by at 9 AM on the first Saturday of each month from October through March. From April through September, the walks are 8 AM on the first Saturday of each month. North of the sanctuary, a gravel path follows the lake's edge to the dam and spillway for an extended walk. No pets are allowed in...

Beaver Lake Bird Sanctuary is small and dense with a wealth of plant and animal, mostly bird, life. At least, that's what I saw, when I visited with my sister on a recent June Saturday morning. As we arrived, a man with a 35mm digital camera with a long lens was getting in his car. I asked him if he'd seen any good birds. He said no. We walked through at a moderate pace and saw at least a dozen birds, including common species, such as Chipping Sparrows and Carolina Wrens and more interesting ones, such as the Eastern Towhee. We heard many more birds that we did not identify. There is a little bit of poison ivy and nettles at the edges of the trails, which are easily avoided, if you know what to look for. We enjoyed our walk and continued around the Beaver Lake trail.We even picked a few wild raspberries, what we used to call "red caps," when I...