Moose, wolves, elk, bald eagles, bison—the list of creatures that call the American Midwest home is a lot longer (and a lot wilder) than you might realize. At nearly 750,000 square miles, the region rolls from ancient swamps to sandstone badlands, from waving prairie to volcanic islands, every ecosystem rife with wildlife encounters for travelers who bring their patience and their binoculars.
Here are nine remarkable species to spot, including all-American icons as well as the nation’s tallest bird and the fastest land mammal. Come discover the heartland’s wild side.
Pictured above: a moose calf in Minnesota
Bald Eagles
Upper Mississippi River towns in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
As northern waters freeze come winter, thousands of bald eagles migrate to the open waters of the Upper Mississippi River. From the bluffs of Minnesota to the woods of Illinois, this iconic waterway becomes an eagle-watching bonanza from December through March.
Visitors may spot hundreds of eagles in a single day—typically in the morning and around sunset—as they congregate near lock and dam systems where turbulent waters provide prime fishing for the birds of prey.
You have a lot of options for catching sight of the national symbol soaring against winter skies. Ride Amtrak’s Borealis route and simply look out the window when you near La Crosse, Wisconsin. Attend Bald Eagle Appreciation Days in Keokuk, Iowa (pictured above), for guided tours and educational programs. Visit the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota. Or drive the Great River Road along the course of the Mississippi and pull over when opportunity strikes.
After nearing extinction in the 1960s, the eagle’s remarkable recovery represents one of America’s greatest conservation success stories. Nowhere is this more evident than along the winter waters of the Upper Mississippi.
Pronghorn and Bighorn Sheep
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
Avid sportsman—and eventual U.S. president—Theodore Roosevelt was entranced by western North Dakota for good reason. Here, amid colorful buttes and winding river valleys, roams America’s fastest land mammal: the pronghorn antelope (pictured above), capable of sustaining speeds of 55 mph. Found only in North America, these highway-ready beasts represent a living link to prehistoric times, as the sole surviving member of their evolutionary family (closest relative: the giraffe).
Bighorn sheep are worth scouting out in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, too. Males of the species enter dramatic head-butting contests each fall, with the sound of impact echoing up the park’s steep bluffs. The South Unit’s Scenic Loop Drive is great for spotting both pronghorn and bighorn, particularly during the morning and evening, when the animals are at their most active.
Sandhill Cranes
Platte River, Nebraska
Each spring, Nebraska hosts one of the planet’s greatest wildlife spectacles, bar none: the sandhill crane migration. From late February through mid-April, some 750,000 cranes—roughly 80% of the world’s population—gather on the Platte River for a pit stop on their northward migration. This ancient ritual transforms the water into a living, squawking carpet of gray bodies, the air churning with their rattle-like calls during the 6-week phenomenon.
Central Nebraska sites like Rowe Sanctuary and the Crane Trust Nature Center provide tours and viewing blinds where visitors can witness the dawn liftoff—thousands of birds simultaneously taking flight from the river—or the evening roost, when the birds return en masse before nightfall. Eager “craniacs” can also book overnight crane-viewing cabins and up-close photography tours led by local pros.
Beyond witnessing the birds’ sheer numbers—2025 set a record—visitors witness the elaborate dance of the cranes, involving leaps, bows, and tossed sticks in courtship and fighting displays that double as live theater.
Moose
Gunflint Trail, Minnesota
The Gunflint Trail is a 57-mile scenic byway that winds from Grand Marais, Minnesota, into the Boundary Waters wilderness. Along the way, there are cozy lodges, Northwoods restaurants, epic hikes, canoe routes, and some of the best moose-viewing potential in the Lower 48.
Despite being four times the size of your standard white-tailed deer, moose fit right into the Land of 10,000 Lakes—they’re fantastic swimmers. Early mornings and dusk provide the best chances to spot the behemoths emerging from the boreal forest to feast in the region’s shallow waters and boggy areas, especially during spring and fall.
While it’s possible to spy moose as you drive the Gunflint Trail, you’ll up your odds by hiking the Gunflint’s Moose Viewing Trail or other paths around local lakes such as Swamper and Loon.
Elk
Northern Wisconsin
Nope, you don’t have to travel to Colorado to hear the bugling of bull elk during the fall rut. Thanks to successful reintroduction efforts, these giants now stomp, bark, and call throughout northern Wisconsin. The Clam Lake area in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest hosts a growing elk herd that provides increasingly reliable viewing opportunities.
September and October mark the height of the rutting season, when massive antlered bulls compete for harems of females. The haunting calls—a series of deep grunts rising to a high-pitched squeal—can be heard for miles. Locals around Clam Lake keep daily elk reports, so just ask around for the most recent sightings and you’ll be sent in the right direction.
Bison
Custer State Park, South Dakota
South Dakota’s Custer State Park is home to one of the world’s largest publicly owned bison herds. Some 1,400 bison roam freely across the park’s 71,000 acres of rolling prairie, pine-covered hills, and granite outcrops in the state’s scenic Black Hills region.
The park’s 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road offers nearly guaranteed bison sightings; “buffalo jams” across the roadway aren’t uncommon. The annual Buffalo Roundup in late September promises an even more dramatic experience as cowboys on horseback drive the thundering herd into corrals for health checks and herd management. The roundup serves as a reminder that American bison once numbered in the tens of millions before being hunted to near extinction—you’ll be heartened to see the animals thriving again amid their native landscape.
Herons and Egrets
Cache River State Natural Area, Illinois
Deep in southern Illinois lies another world: the country’s northernmost cypress-tupelo swamp. At Cache River State Natural Area, thousand-year-old bald cypress trees create a hauntingly beautiful landscape, a tiny slice of bayou life in the Midwest.
Great blue herons, great egrets, and other wading birds nest in colonial rookeries, building stick nests high in the cypress canopy. Canoe trails wind through the swamp, allowing visitors to paddle beneath the nests and spot birds fishing in the same waters.
Fifteen miles of hiking trails stretch into the floodplain forest, while the Section 8 Woods boardwalk provides an accessible viewing platform for those without watercraft or sturdy boots. Spring brings the height of nesting activity, but summer offers reliable birding opportunities, too.
Wolves and Foxes
Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
Decades ago, wolves wandered into Isle Royale National Park via a temporary ice bridge, and the elusive creatures still linger on—though population numbers vary widely each year. Wolf sightings are rare, but your best chances come during winter months or along inland trails and the lakeshore.
Red foxes, on the other hand, have practically become the park’s mascot (don’t take the name literally; they also come in shades of brown and gray). Foxes are seen on trails, near campgrounds, wandering the lakeshore, you name it. (The fox pictured above was spotted near Malone Bay.)
They’re curious creatures and scavengers as well, unafraid of a little human presence if it means snacks are on the menu. Of course, it should go without saying but we’ll say it anyway: Don’t feed wildlife.
Whooping Cranes
Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area, Indiana
One of conservation’s greatest success stories, the whooping crane—North America’s tallest bird—had dwindled at one point to just 15 or so individuals. Today, around 850 can be found in the wild and captivity combined, each sighting still representing a brush with rarity. And though the cranes can be spotted in Nebraska and Wisconsin, Indiana’s Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area has emerged as an important stopover for these endangered birds during migration.
Standing nearly 5 feet tall with striking white plumage and black wingtips, these mini dinosaurs now regularly appear at Goose Pond’s restored wetlands. Some 260 other bird species can also be spotted here throughout the year, from bald eagles and raptors to rails, owls, and pelicans.
The visitor center provides spotting scopes and updated information on recent sightings, helping each guest grasp a whole new meaning to the term “flyover country.”