The 2026 annual conference of the Washington Ornithological Society will be held May 14-17, 2026 in Lewiston, Idaho, where the Clearwater River joins the Snake River as the Snake makes a turn west and heads for the Mighty Columbia. This will be WOS’s first conference in the far southeast corner of our state.
Half-day and full-day field trips are expected to be available in three states: Washington, Idaho, and Oregon, including the Hells Gate State Park, gateway to the amazing Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. You can expect great birds and spectacular geology!
And don’t forget the Saturday evening banquet, which this year will feature a keynote address on the White-tailed Ptarmigan.
The conference hotel will be the Hells Canyon Grand Hotel in Lewiston. WOS has secured a contract for rooms at the discounted price of $147/night. You can book your room at the hotel starting immediately. Participants must book their own rooms. Room blocks not booked by late April will not get the conference rates. WOS has also secured a small block of rooms at the Quality Inn in Lewiston at conference rates. See the Hotel section below for more information.
Registration for the conference opens on April 4, 2026.
Check back here regularly as more details develop on this year’s exciting conference!
Hotels
The conference hotel will be the Hells Canyon Grand Hotel in Lewiston. WOS has secured a contract for rooms at the discounted price of $147/night. You can book your room at the hotel right now by calling 208-799-1000 and asking for Washington Ornithological Society Conference or by using this link https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/PQ90G0 Participants must book their own rooms. Room blocks not booked by late April will not get the conference rates.
WOS has also reserved a small block of rooms at the Quality Inn in Lewiston, which is close to the conference headquarters. Mention the Washington Ornithological Society to get the conference rates. Call (208) 262-4856 or make your reservations at https://www.choicehotels.com/idaho/lewiston/quality-inn-hotels/id606
Other hotels in the area:
Hampton Inn
(208) 743-9004
https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/lwsnjhx-hampton-lewiston/
Inn America Lewiston (close to conference headquarters)
(208) 423-3773
https://innamericalewiston.com/
Motel 6 (located in Clarkston, WA)
(509) 213-8895
https://www.motel6.com/property/motel-clarkston-washington-us-293707/
Super 8
(208) 717-4294
https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/super-8/lewiston-idaho/super-8-by-wyndham-lewiston/overview
Field Trips
Birding at the 2026 WOS Hells Gate Annual Conference this May promises to be outstanding: the conference master bird list includes more than 200 species.
Beyond the birds, the setting is spectacular, with towering canyon walls, rushing rivers, basalt palisades, and rolling hills. You’ll have opportunities to bird in Washington, Idaho, or Oregon—or all three if you choose.
You can download or view in your browser a PDF of the conference master bird list, as well as a PDF listing all field trips, their leaders, and related details (use the links below).
The master bird list is unlikely to change, but the field‑trip information will be updated as new trips are added or plans are adjusted, so please check back periodically for the latest details.
We are still recruiting trip leaders. If you are interested in leading a trip, please contact Jon Isacoff at vp@wos.org.
Download or view the conference master bird list.
Download or view the list of field trips (updated January 31, 2026).