Hawk Mountain Sanctuary - Eckville, PA - U.S. National Natural Landmarks on Waymarking.com

Near Eckville, along the Kittany Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains, is Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, which has been designated a National Historic Natural Landmark.

To get to the sanctuary, from I-78, take the exit for Route 61 and travel north through Port Clinton to the intersection with Route 895, the travel on this road to Hawk Mountain Road on the right, then travel on this road to the sanctuary near the top of the ridge.

There is a large parking area, and the nature center is near the parking area. Once you pay your fee ($8 at the time of the visit in 2014), you can hike on one of several trails. The most commonly traveled one is from the nature center to South Lookout. It is about a half mile long on a gently rising elevation. The vista from here is good, and there are staff people who are looking out for raptors to tally. Even better is the view from North Lookout, which is higher and a bit more challenging to hike to.

A plaque in a rock is located along this trail. It states:

"Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
Has been designated a
REGISTERED
NATURAL LANDMARK
Under the provisions of the
Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935
This site possesses exceptional value
in illustrating the natural history
of the United States
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
1965"

On a pdf listing the National Natural Landmarks, the following description is provided with the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary listing:

"Hawk Mountain Sanctuary offers an outstanding vantage point for
observation of concentrated hawk migrations along the Kittanny
Ridge. The site also contains an excellent illustration of geology
and ecology of the eastern Appalachian region. Designated: 1965.
Ownership: Private. "

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is dedicated toward research and preservation of habitats for migratory raptors. The following is their mission statement:

"The mission of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association is to conserve birds of prey worldwide by providing leadership in raptor conservation science and education, and by maintaining Hawk Mountain Sanctuary as a model observation, research and education facility."

The history page for the sanctuary states that Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is the first refuge for birds of prey. Here is more:

"In 1929, Pennsylvania's Game Commission placed a $5 price tag on the goshawk's head—a grand sum at the time. Two years later, while Pough was a recent college graduate living in Philadelphia, he became one of a growing number of conservationists opposed to the widespread movement to eradicate wildlife predators, including predatory birds.

Pough heard of the place locals called "Hawk Mountain" and decided to visit. There he saw gunners stationed, shooting hundreds of passing hawks for sport. He returned to gather the carcasses lying on the forest floor and take photographs. Pough's photographs were eventually seen by a New York conservation activist, Rosalie Edge.

In 1934, Mrs. Edge came to Hawk Mountain and leased 1,400 acres. She installed a warden on the property, a New England bird enthusiast named Maurice Broun, and Maurice's wife and bird conservation partner, Irma Broun. The shooting stopped immediately and the next year, Mrs. Edge opened the Sanctuary to the public as a place to see the beautiful but persecuted birds of prey. She purchased and deeded the 1,400 acres to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association, incorporated in 1938 as a non-profit organization in Pennsylvania."

Today, the sanctuary continues to observe these birds as they make their way to their winter and summer locations.

Predominate Feature: Kittany Ridge, Appalachian Mountains, eastern PA Parking/Access Location: N 40° 38.037 W 075° 59.237 Ownership: Private - Open Access Terrain Rating: Admission Charged: yes Landmark's Website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:

At least one photograph personally taken by the Waymarker must be posted.

Visitor should describe the experience of their visit.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/05/2019 ripraff visited it 04/20/2015 Kirsten2usa visited it

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