Best Time to See Beavers in the US
April, May and June is the best time to see beavers in the United States. This is a national picture built from 77,955 verified iNaturalist observations across 50 states, showing when and where beavers are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
77,955 verified observations of beavers in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When beavers are recorded in the US
Peak month
April
13,300 records (17.1% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 4,452 | 5.7% |
| February | 4,354 | 5.6% |
| March | 7,651 | 9.8% |
| Aprilpeak | 13,300 | 17.1% |
| Maypeak | 11,666 | 15% |
| Junepeak | 8,009 | 10.3% |
| July | 6,110 | 7.8% |
| August | 5,020 | 6.4% |
| September | 4,247 | 5.4% |
| October | 4,529 | 5.8% |
| November | 4,363 | 5.6% |
| December | 4,254 | 5.5% |
Beavers you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| American Beaver | 53,605 |
| North American Beaver | 200 |
Across the country, beavers sightings peak in April, when 13,300 of the 77,955 annual observations are logged, about 17.1% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through April, May and June.
The best states to see beavers by recorded sightings are Canada (24,150), Texas (3,959), Washington (3,170), Massachusetts (3,153) and California (2,795). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The beavers you are most likely to encounter nationwide are American Beaver and North American Beaver, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see beavers
- beavers in Canada24,150 sightings, peak May
- beavers in Texas3,959 sightings, peak April
- beavers in Washington3,170 sightings, peak April
- beavers in Massachusetts3,153 sightings, peak April
- beavers in California2,795 sightings, peak May
- beavers in Oregon2,592 sightings, peak April
- beavers in Maryland2,554 sightings, peak April
- beavers in Minnesota2,513 sightings, peak April
- beavers in Virginia2,433 sightings, peak April
- beavers in New York2,361 sightings, peak April
- beavers in Vermont2,332 sightings, peak April
- beavers in Ohio2,258 sightings, peak April
- beavers in Pennsylvania1,818 sightings, peak April
- beavers in Colorado1,682 sightings, peak April
- beavers in North Carolina1,672 sightings, peak April
Most-recorded beavers species nationwide
- American Beaver53,605 records
- North American Beaver200 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see beavers in the US?+
April is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through April, May and June, based on 77,955 verified observations across 50 states.
Which states are best for seeing beavers?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are Canada, Texas and Washington. Canada leads with 24,150 verified observations.
How many beavers sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 77,955 verified beavers observations are logged on iNaturalist across 50 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of beavers live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are American Beaver and North American Beaver, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.
Full beavers guides by state