The road passes through a number of habitats, each with its expected set of bird species. Initially it is grassland, then oak woodland with patches of chaparral, then steep, rocky bluffs with scrub, then Gray Pines and mixed oak and other deciduous trees. There is some water in the creek all year, though it is just a trickle in the summer months.

Key factors for birders are the season, time of day, and temperature. An early start is recommended, but there is modest bird activity all day. On cold mornings it can be birdless until the sun reaches the wooded slopes. The heat of a summer midday would be equally quiet. Night birding is unknown, but could be productive.

This is another of Monterey County's birding hotspots with great potential for additional interesting species and opportunities for the adventurous birder wanting to help further our understanding of bird distribution in a very interesting part of the County. Someday some lucky birder will be present for a major migrant wave, and the hotspot list will expand greatly!

Winter raptors, including Ferruginous Hawk, Bald Eagle and Prairie Falcon, and sparrows, including Lark and Vesper Sparrows, are well-represented here. Local residents include Bell's and Rufous-crowned Sparrows. While Roadrunners are always unpredictable, a fairly good percentage location for this species is right at the start of the road near Airline Highway. Lesser Nighthawks are regular farther down Lewis Creek along Airline Highway--might you be the first to find one along Lewis Creek Road?  A few rarities might stray from the nearby heights of San Benito Mountain.

Lewis Creek Road is a lightly traveled, narrow, rough, paved road that passes through a variety of habitats. Birders have only recently begun to explore it, so the birding data is very limited. The road winds its way up Lewis Creek for 3.8 miles, at which point one reaches an old and ambiguous "no trespassing" sign adjacent to an ungated cattle guard. The road continues for another 1.6 miles where it reaches an "end of county-maintained road" sign, and a few hundred yards beyond that, a locked gate.

In any case, all property along the road on both sides for its entire length is private. This is strictly a roadside birding experience. All habitats and expected and hoped-for species are visible from the roadside. The people who live along the road are accustomed to privacy, and best birder behavior and discretion is mandatory at this location.  

The road conditions vary from clear, to rough, to completely impassable. The road always features stray rocks, steep dropoffs, no guard rails, and steep, slippery sections. In winters with heavy precipitation the road will likely be flooded and impassable at the very start. Other years there are washouts and problems farther up canyon.

The road passes through both Monterey and San Benito Counties, with the first few hundred yards from the turnoff from the Airline Highway (State Route 25) in San Benito. The next stretch is in Monterey County, but everything on the far bank of Lewis Creek is in San Benito County. Part way up the road crosses a bridge and back into San Benito County, then quickly back into Monterey again. At the upper end the road is close by the creek, with birding in both counties possible. There is a corresponding Lewis Creek hotspot for San Benito County.

There are no trails or side access available on this route. Roadside birding only.