Entry No. 37 — the Chicago file — filed under: outdoor-weird

Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary (The Magic Hedge)

A 150-yard tangle of shrubs and trees on a lakefront point that draws an absurd density of migratory birds, over 300 species recorded here including vagrants like Painted Bunting and Kirtland's Warbler. The hedge is an accident of history: the Army planted honeysuckle in the mid-1900s to screen barracks, then left, and the invasive growth became a world-class birding magnet. On a good migration morning it is crowded with birders training scopes on a wall of leaves.

The move: Borrow binoculars and walk the Magic Hedge at dawn during spring migration to spot warblers most Chicagoans never notice.

📍 Before you go Best during spring and fall migration; far quieter (and birdless) midsummer and winter.

• 📍 Uptown / Lincoln Park lakefront
• 💸 Free
• ⚡ Up for anything
• 🌗 Outdoors

Where: 4400 N Simonds Dr, Chicago, IL 60640

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-23