Hawk Mountain

Hawk Mountain was another one of my hang-outs when I lived up North.  It is a bird sanctuary.  It is where most people flock to to watch the Spring and Fall Migration of Raptors and Birds.  It is situated in Kempton, PA, which is about 2-3 miles up the road from the Cabela's store that I have just written about.  The Fall migration is when you can find the most people there, sitting on North Lookout to watch them fly over.  There are birders there equipped with scopes and binoculars to help identify the Raptors/birds flying over. 

There are several miles of trails there, which is why hikers go there throughout the year and not just during migration. 

The trails will take you through forest canopies.

Bridges and boulders.

North Lookout where people usually sit on the boulders and watch the Spring and Fall migrations.  Get there early in the Fall because it gets filled up especially on the weekends.

Rhododendrons grow all over the park in the Spring and Summer.  Also Mountain Laurel.

This is the North Lookout Owl Mascot.  Be careful he swoops down sometimes and lands on the rocks.  : )



Turkey Vultures love me.  They graciously pose for me whenever I am in town.  For migration, you should bring no less than a 500 mm lens, because the Raptors/birds fly high in the sky.

There are also water lilies in the Lily pond off to your right as you are entering the trail right before the trail head where they take your tickets. 
Hawk Mountain is in central PA and a great place to just go and unwind on your day off.  You can get some decent hiking in and hang out with the wildlife and birds.  It is a fairly safe area, as there are hikers and Hawk Mountain guides and crew on all the time.