Where to See Puffins in the US

If you’re hoping to spot puffins in the US, your options are limited to a few specific coastal locations. Depending on which coast you are on, you will see entirely different species of puffins. In the United States, puffin viewing is divided between the Atlantic Puffin in the Northeast and the Tufted and Horned Puffins in the West and Northwest.

1. The East Coast: Maine

Maine is the only state in the U.S. where you can see the Atlantic Puffin. They nest on rocky offshore islands from late May through mid-August.

Click here for a full guide to where to see puffins in Maine.

2. The West Coast: Washington & Oregon

In the Pacific Northwest, you are looking for the Tufted Puffin (distinguishable by the long yellow “tufts” of feathers behind their eyes).

Cannon Beach, Oregon (Haystack Rock): This is the most accessible puffin viewing in the lower 48. From April to July, you can see them nesting on the grassy upper slopes of the massive rock right from the beach.
Olympic Coast, Washington: Specifically around Cape Flattery and Destruction Island. These are best viewed via boat, though you can sometimes spot them with binoculars from the cliffs of the Cape.
Smith Island, Washington: Located in the Salish Sea, this is one of the few places in the lower 48 where Horned Puffins (the cousins of the Atlantic Puffin) are occasionally spotted alongside Tufted Puffins.

3. The Northwest: Alaska

Alaska is the undisputed capital of puffins in the U.S., home to both Tufted and Horned Puffins. I

Kenai Fjords National Park: Take a wildlife cruise out of Seward. You are almost guaranteed to see both species nesting on the sheer cliff faces of the fjords.
Glacier Bay National Park: Huge colonies exist on the Marble Islands.
The Pribilof Islands: For serious birders, these remote islands in the Bering Sea host millions of seabirds, including massive, easily visible puffin colonies.