Top 14 Most Breathtaking Hawk mIGRATION Sites in Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire

Hawks, fascinating creatures that we can never get enough of, migrate through Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire. And if you want to take pleasure in watching these breathtaking birds in the sky as they migrate, you’ll enjoy this list of the top 14 hawk migration sites in Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire.

So, hawk lovers, let’s get down to business!

Mt. Ascutney State Park

hawk migration sites in Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire

Dates: Sep 1- Oct 18
Address: 1826 Back Mountain Rd, Windsor, VT 05089
Birds you’ll see: Broad-winged hawk, bald eagle, sharp-shinned hawk, broad-winged hawk, American Kestrel

The land of Mt. Ascutney State Park includes most of Mount Ascutney and its flanks, and it is the area’s most prominent natural landmark. Hemlock, hardwood, and spruce forests are all over the mountain, creating a visually pleasing vista.

The Vermont Institute of Natural Science conducted its first official hawk count at Mt. Ascutney in the fall of 2020.

Mt. Philo State Park

Dates: Aug 20- Nov 20
Address: 5425 Mt Philo Rd, Charlotte, VT 05445
Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle

Mt. Philo is located in Vermont’s Mt. Philo State Park. It’s a renowned hawk-watching location and offers stunning views of the Champlain Valley. After many years of counting at the summit, a new count site has been built at the “North Meadow,” which you can enter via the blue gate.

This site offers an open view to the north, as well as a picnic table and extra space for setting up spotting scopes. This hawk counting site can get crowded with hawk watchers and official counters, making setting up and using scopes difficult.

Directions: This site can be reached by hiking up from the lower parking lot, which takes 20 minutes, or down from the top parking lot, which takes 15 minutes. However, there is no parking available at the blue gate.

Putney Mountain VT

Dates: Aug 27- Nov 10

Address: 443 Putney Mountain Rd, Putney, VT 05346

Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, broad-winged hawk, bald eagle, Northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, Northern Goshawk, red-shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine falcon

On the peak of Putney Mountain lies the Putney Mountain Hawk Watch. It offers spectacular views to the northwest, west, south, east, and northeast. Hawk counters have staffed the Putney Mountain Hawkwatch since the 1990s! The raptors’ flight path typically begins in the northeast in the Connecticut River Valley and ends in the southwest in the West River Valley.

Related post: Best Locations for Birdwatching in Vermont

Bradbury Mountain State Park

Dates: Mar 15- May 15
Address: 528 Hallowell Rd, Pownal, ME 04069
Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, broad-winged hawk, bald eagle, Northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, red-shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Merlin

Bradbury Mountain, which rises 485 feet above the southern coastal plain, offers clear, unobstructed vistas to the east and south, all the way to the Casco Bay islands. Freeport Wild Bird Supply began sponsoring a full-season survey in 2007 to quantify the spring raptor movements near the north of Maine’s southern coastal plain; it had been well-known among birders for decades.

Learn more at the Bradbury Mountain State Park website.

Cadillac Mt. Acadia National Park

Dates: Aug 14- Nov 10
Address: Cadillac Mountain, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, broad-winged hawk, bald eagle, Northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Peregrine falcon, Merlin

Everyone is welcome to join hawk watching in Acadia National Park. The view of Frenchman Bay and Bar Harbor is breathtaking. Bring a portable chair- this counting site sits atop rocky granite. And since there’s no shelter from the wind and weather, make sure to dress properly.

Directions: Take the North Ridge Trail a few hundred yards from the Cadillac Mountain parking area. The North Ridge Trail begins in the parking lot’s northwest corner, near the view of Bar Harbor. Blue blazes indicate the trail’s location. The trail is uneven and rocky.

Learn more at the Cadillac Mt., Acadia National Park website.

Clarry Hill

Spring dates: Mar 1- Apr 30
Fall dates: Aug 28- Nov 20
Address: Clarry Hill, Union, ME 04862
Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, broad-winged hawk, bald eagle, Northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Peregrine falcon, Merlin

The site has a 360-degree view of the White Mountains, Monhegan Island, and Camden Hills. Exceptional panoramic views of the ocean and western mountains may be seen from the summit of Clarry Hill. The trails give access to woodlands and fields, providing breathtaking views of the blueberry barrens and the watershed.

Cooper, Maine

Spring dates: Apr 11- Jun 11
Fall dates: Aug 11- Nov 11
Address: Cooper, Maine
Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, broad-winged hawk, bald eagle, broad-winged hawk.

The Cooper hawkwatch site is located near Cooper, Maine, between Calais and Machias, about 30-35 miles inland. This rural location consists of evergreen forest, blueberry barrens, streams, lakes, and wooded swamps.

The site is located on Grove Ridge, with an easterly view of East Ridge. Since raptors use these ridges to gain lift, it’s an excellent place to go hawkwatching. You can also watch hawks at the bottom of East Ridge Road, where the hawks use thermals to gain lift between ridges.

Directions: To get to this location, take Route 9 east through Alexander, Maine and turn right onto Cooper Road. In Cooper, go 8 miles and turn right onto Route 191. You’ll find the town sand pile and East Ridge Road about 1 mile on the left. Follow East Ridge Road to the right, and you’ll find yourself on top of a series of ridges with views down into a valley and Lake Cathance.

Hacker’s Hill

Dates: Sep 1- Nov 1
Address: 174-238 Quaker Ridge Rd, Casco, ME 04015
Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk

Hacker’s Hill is a great place to picnic, fly a kite, see a sunset, look out on a clear day to see Mount Washington, and of course, observe some hawk species migrating in the sky.

Harpswell Peninsula/Casco Bay

Dates: Aug 1- Nov 1
Address: Potts Point, Harpswell, ME 04079
Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, broad-winged hawk, bald eagle, Northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Peregrine falcon, Merlin

Harpswell Peninsula is a hawkwatching site on an island just off Harpswell Neck called Barnes Island. On this Island, you’ll find a wide variety of raptors. And there are many sites to observe hawks, including the Dolphin Marina.

Monhegan – Lobster Point

Dates: Sep 1- Oct 31
Address: Lobster Point, Monhegan, ME 04852
Birds you’ll see: Osprey, American kestrel, Northern harries, sharp-shinned hawk, Merlin

Lobster Point is located on Monhegan Island, Maine, where you can observe a modest number of migrating hawks, including Merlins and Northern harriers.

Carter Hill Observatory, NH

Dates: Sep 1- Nov 15
Address: 73 Carter Hill Rd, Concord, NH 03303
Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, broad-winged hawk, bald eagle, Northern harrier, Northern goshawk, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Peregrine falcon, Merlin

The family-owned Carter Hill Raptor Observatory is at Carter Hill Orchard, where apples and other fruits are grown. It’s located in a rural and mostly forested area near the state capital. The orchard’s central feature is an observation platform that is open to the public and has served as the hawk watching site since 2008.

Up to 10,000 people may visit the site during the fall season, with larger numbers on weekends from mid-September through early October. On weekdays, visits by school groups are pretty common. Visitors can usually drive to the location. However, on especially crowded weekends from mid-September to mid-October, you may be required to park further away.

Directions: Turn north off Route 9 onto Long Pond Road, 7 miles east of Hopkinton and 5.5 miles west of downtown Concord. Take a left on Lake View Dr. Stay straight onto Carter Hill Rd until you reach 73 Carter Hill Rd, then turn right. The site is a small wooden platform to the right of the first building.

Little Round Top Migration Observatory, New Hampshire

Dates: Sep 1- Oct 31
Address: Bristol, NH 03222
Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, broad-winged hawk, bald eagle, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel

With a 270-degree view from the east to the west and at a spectacular elevation of 1100 feet, Little Round Top Migration Observatory is located in the Slim Baker Conservation Area, Bristol.

Directions: To get there, take Exit 23 off I-93 and go west to Bristol. Then, take Rt 3A South. Take High Street to the right of the Historical Society building. Turn RIGHT onto New Chester Mtn. Road at the summit of the hill (at the sign for Slim Baker Lodge) and proceed to the parking area. Follow the track through the trees to the summit, where you’ll find a fire road. The location is close to a large wooden cross near an outdoor chapel.

Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory

Dates: Sep 1- Nov 20
Address:Raymond Trail, Peterborough, NH 03458
Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, broad-winged hawk, bald eagle, Northern harrier, Northern goshawk, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, Peregrine falcon, Merlin

The Pack Monadnock Raptor Observatory is managed by New Hampshire Audubon and the Harris Center for Conservation and is located within Miller State Park near the peak of Pack Monadnock Mountain. New Hampshire Audubon is an organization that emphasizes environmental education and land conservation. It’s in a heavily forested location along the 22-mile long Wapack Ridge in the southwestern part of the state.

An ADA-accessible observation platform, which can accommodate big groups of people, can be reached via a short trail from a parking area at the top of the mountain. Hiking trails, leaf-peeping, sweeping panoramas, and restrooms are all available at Miller State Park.

Pitcher Mountain

Spring dates: Mar 1- Jan 1
Fall dates: Aug 20- Nov 30
Address: Pitcher Mountain, Stoddard, NH 03464
Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, sharp-shinned hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk.

Pitcher Mountain is a great site for watching north and south-bound migrants in the spring and fall due to its 360-degree view from the peak and fire tower. The place is very well-known among locals, especially during the blueberry season in late summer and early fall, making it the perfect place to take the family for a day to pick blueberries and watch hawks.

Directions: The site is along Route 9 on Route 123. Right on Rt 123, there is a parking lot at the Trailhead. You’ll need to take a 5-mile hike. On the left, a rocky path leads into steep woodlands and straight up the fault line, while on the right, a wider trail ascends more gradually, passing the Pitcher Mt Farm, which is home to Scottish Highlander cattle. Both paths lead to the peak.

FAQs about Hawk Migration to Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire

What types of hawks can I see in Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire?

There are eight different hawk species that Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire are known for: sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, red-shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, rough-legged hawk, Northern Harrier, and Northern Goshawk.

More Hawk Migration Locations

There’s definitely no stopping your hawk watching adventures! Check out these other hawk migration sites you can visit!