Raptors soaring over Pennsylvania’s ridges, ablaze with fall colors, is an autumn experience you won’t soon forget. Fall migration is once again upon us, and October is the best time to witness this spectacle along the Kittatinny Ridge. Hawkwatching here has been a favored pastime since the 1930s, providing premier outdoor recreation for visitors and playing a significant role in scientific data collection. In fact, the Kittatinny Ridge is recognized as one of the preeminent corridors for North American raptor migration, concentrating more birds than any other corridor in eastern North America, and proudly holds the longest-running raptor migration count in the world.
Today, there are six active hawk watches along the ridge, each staffed with professional hawk counters and educators ready to introduce you to the thrilling world of hawkwatching!
Where to Go to See Migrants on the Move
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton, PA
The birthplace of global raptor conservation, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary was founded in 1934 by Rosalie Edge, who purchased the land to put an end to the shooting of migrating hawks along the ridge. 91 years later, Hawk Mountain boasts the longest migration dataset in the world. Hawk Mountain is located north of Hamburg, PA, in Berks and Schuylkill counties approximately 7 miles northeast of I-78. The official Autumn Migration Count runs from August 15 – December 15, with peak counts in September for broad-winged hawk migration, and peak species diversity in October. Counters this season have already recorded over 9,600 migrating raptors and counting!
Learn more about the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary watchsite and keep up with the count.
Waggoner’s Gap, Landisburg, PA
Waggoner’s Gap is located 10 miles north of Carlisle, on the border of Cumberland and Perry counties. The watchsite is a part of State Game Lands 230, public land owned by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Hawk Mountain Sanctuary staffs the watchsite with a professional daily counter and a weekend educator, who will be present onsite from August 1 – December 31. A new parking lot is located on Rt.74, just below the ridge on the Perry County signs. The watch is accessed by a .2-mile gravel trail. The site is also a trailhead for the 250-mile Tuscarora Trail. Counters at Waggoner’s Gap have already counted over 10,800 migrating raptors this season!
Learn more about the Waggoner’s Gap watchsite and keep up with the count.
Bake Oven Knob, Germansville, PA
Bake Oven Knob, located on the border of Lehigh and Carbon counties and is part of the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s State Game Lands 217. This site has been in operation since 1961, but present-day the count and education are conducted by the Lehigh Gap Nature Center. Daily counters are stationed August 15 – late November, and weekend outreach staff provide visitors with migration interpretation. The hawkwatch is accessed by a gravel parking lot and .8-mile section of the Appalachian Trail. So far, counters have already recorded over 16,500 migrating raptors at this site!
Learn more about the Bake Oven Knob watchsite and keep up with the count.
Second Mountain, Ft Indiantown Gap, PA
Second Mountain is on Ft Indiantown Gap property at the top of Second Mountain, north of the lake. Look for signs to Hawkwatch. This is one of the most accessible hawkwatches along the Ridge, as visitors can drive right up to it, and the flat parking lot makes it easy to use a chair or telescope to view the migrating raptors. The site is completely manned by volunteers and counters are on duty August 15 – December 15. So far this season, counters at Second Mountain have recorded over 4,800 migrating raptors.
Learn more about the Second Mountain watchsite and keep up with the count.
Little Gap, Danielsville, PA
Little Gap is stationed ~433m ASL on the Kittatinny Ridge near Danielsville, PA, and is a 15 minute hike up on the Appalachian Trail, which runs E-W past the count site. Thanks to a grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has been able to staff the watchsite with a professional daily counter, who is assisted by volunteers on weekends. The count is conducted daily, from late August through Thanksgiving Weekend. Hawk Mountain has also posted weekend educators to help people spot and identify hawks flying past on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 10 – 3 PM. Visit educators stationed on the north side of the ridgetop parking lot of the Blue Mountain Ski Resort, directly across the road and east of the count site, until mid-November. The parking lot north side offers great views of the migration, giving the site added accessibility. Counters at this site have logged nearly 20,000 migrating raptors so far this season!
Learn more about the Little Gap watchsite and keep up with the count.
Route 183, Bethel, PA
The Route 183 hawkwatch is located at the top of the Kittatinny Ridge in Wayne Township, PA, near the border of Schuylkill and Berks counties, and north of Strausstown, PA. The count is conducted just off the west side of Route 183, in an opening five minutes from the roadway. The property is owned by the National Park Service (Appalachian Trail) and is adjacent to PA Gamelands 110. Safe parking is provided 100 yards south of the AT on east site of the road, which is a 15 minute walk to site. Visitors should bring their own lawn chair and no facilities are provided. Thanks to a grant from the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has been able to staff the watchsite with professional daily counters supplemented by trained volunteers. The site will have full coverage September 1 – Thanksgiving, 2025. So far this season over 10,000 raptors have migrated past this site!
Learn more about the Route 183 watchsite and keep up with the count.