Top 7 Breathtaking Hawk Watching Sites in Minnesota and Wisconsin

Watching fierce hawks cross the sky during migration season never gets boring, and that’s a known fact to every birder. Minnesota is a bordering state with Canada that is well-known for its wealth of hawk species. The same applies to Wisconsin, dubbed “America’s Dairyland” because of its world-famous cheese. It also has a lot to offer in terms of spectacular wildlife.

Every year, both states witness the migrations of large numbers of hawks of different species, and there are specific places where you can enjoy this event.

Here, we will recommend you top 7 unmissable hawk watching sites in Minnesota and Wisconsin. So keep on reading, fellow birders!

Hawk Ridge

Spring dates: Mar 1- May 31

Fall dates: Aug 15- Nov 30

Address: Duluth, Minnesota, USA

Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, Northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, Northern goshawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, rough-legged hawk, golden eagle, American kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine falcon, Northern shrike

Under a trust agreement with the City of Duluth, the Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory manages the Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve. Counts are conducted from the East Skyline Parkway’s Main Overlook, which is 1.7 kilometers from the lake and can be accessed by car.

Hundreds or even thousands of birds can be observed migrating past the Ridge on days with northwest winds. An impressive number of migrating hawks will be in the sky due to the winds with a westerly component. Although southerly or easterly breezes don’t produce massive raptor numbers, the birds are often lower, making their migration much easier to observe.

Directions from Downtown Duluth: Take Superior Street northeast to 45th Avenue East. Turn left onto 45th Avenue East from Superior Street and go to the stop sign at Glenwood Street. Take Glenwood Street to the left. To get to Skyline Parkway, take Glenwood to the top of the first hill.

Turn right onto Skyline Parkway and drive for about a mile to get to the Main Overlook. At half a mile, there’s a lower overlook. To get to Hawk Ridge, drive half a mile past the first overlook.

Direction from I35 traveling north: Take the London Road / 26th Avenue East exit. Turn right onto Highway 61. Turn left onto 45th Avenue East and go until you see the Glenwood Street stop sign. Take Glenwood Street to the left. To get to Skyline Parkway, take Glenwood to the top of the first hill.

Turn right onto Skyline Parkway and drive for about a mile to get to the Main Overlook. At half a mile, there’s a lower overlook. To get to Hawk Ridge, drive half a mile past the first overlook.

Directions from Hwy 61 traveling south: Turn right onto 45th Avenue East and go to the Glenwood Street stop sign. Take Glenwood Street to the left. To get to Skyline Parkway, take Glenwood to the top of the first hill.

To get to the Main Overlook, turn right onto Skyline Parkway and drive for about a mile. At half a mile, there’s a lower overlook. To get to Hawk Ridge, drive half a mile past the first overlook.

Learn more at the Hawk Ridge website.

West Skyline Hawk Count

Dates: Mar 1- Jun 1

Address: Duluth, Minnesota, USA

Birds you’ll see: turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, Northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, rough-legged hawk, golden eagle, American kestrel, Merlin

The West Skyline Hawk Count is the spring edition of the Hawk Ridge Hawk Count, which takes place in the fall. You’ll find two locations used for hawk watch; Enger Tower and Thompson Hill Rest Area. They’re located along the West Skyline Parkway in Duluth. These are designated pull-offs, which allow easy access for all visitors.

Learn more at the Hawk Ridge website.

Bethany Hawkwatch

Spring dates: Mar 1- May 31

Fall dates: Aug 15- Dec 15

Address: Mankato, Minnesota, USA

Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, rough-legged hawk, American kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine falcon

The position of Bethany, which overlooks the Minnesota River Valley, provides superb views of migrating birds. In the fall, the Bethany Hawkwatch uses 2 observation sites — one site, on the north side of Meyer Hall of Science and Mathematics on the Bethany Lutheran College campus, has been conducting counts since 2003, and the other is around 4 kilometers due west of Mankato in Land of Memories.

Bethany Lutheran College directions: Mankato, Minnesota, is located at 700 Luther Drive. Counting is done mostly from the north side cement patio of the Meyer Hall of Science and Mathematics.

Land of Memories Park directions: From Mankato, take Highway 60/Highway 169 south. The park’s entrance is located on the north side of the road, roughly 0.4 miles west of the Blue Earth River bridge.

Chequamegon Bay

Dates: Feb 21- Jan 7

Address: Ashland, Wisconsin, USA

The Chequamegon Bay count is conducted from the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center’s (NGLVC) 56-foot observation tower near Ashland, Wisconsin. The NGLVC provides a great point for seeing northbound raptors flying west around Lake Superior throughout the spring months.

Directions: At the crossroads of US Highway 2 and Bayfield County Highway G, 2.5 miles west of Ashland, Wisconsin, is the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center.

Forest Beach Migratory Preserve

Dates: Sep1- Nov 30

Address: Belgium, Wisconsin, USA

Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, Northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, red-tailed hawk, rough-legged hawk, golden eagle, American kestrel, Merlin

This site was a golf course that was purchased back in 2009, and it is now being restored to be a safe place for bird migrations. The shoreline of Lake Michigan is about 400 yards to the east. The hawk watch site is located on a slightly rising hillside over Lake Michigan. Visibility is good to the east, north, and northwest.

Directions from the north: Turn west on Co. D to the first crossroads after exiting I-43 at the Belgium exit. Turn left on Co. LL. At the Squires billboard, turn east (left) on Co. P after three miles. Continue east on P until it bends north, then turn right to reach the Clubhouse and parking lot, which is about 300 yards away.

Park in the lot and go north on the road for a short distance, then east for 400 yards to the edge of the old golf course (the property line). Take a 250-yard walk north along the property’s line to the spruce tree where the Hawk Watch is located.

Directions from the south: Exit I-43 on Port Washington on Hwys 32-84. Go south, then turn left immediately at the stoplight on Co. LL. For about 3 miles, follow Co. LL north until you reach Co. P. Turn east on County Co. P and follow the directions above.

Lapham Peak

Dates: Mar 8- Mar 25

Address: Delafield, Wisconsin, USA

Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, cooper’s hawk, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk

Lapham Peak is a state park in Wisconsin that is part of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Birdwatching, 3 picnic areas, a prairie restoration area, a butterfly garden, an amphitheater, and more than 25 miles of dirt and nature trails, are all offered by the park.

Horseback riding, snowshoeing, mountain biking, and dog sled training are all available on the multi-use trail.

Directions: Near Delafield, Lapham Peak lies about a mile south of Highway 94. It is accessible through Highway C.

Maywood Migration Watch

Spring dates: Mar 1- May 31

Fall dates: Sep 1- Nov 30

Address: Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA

Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, broad-winged hawk, cooper’s hawk.

Maywood is in the Wisconsin tension zone, where the forests of the northeast transition to the prairies in the southwest. As a result, you can enjoy both areas in one place. On its 135 acres, Maywood has six different ecosystems and both a hummingbird and butterfly garden.

Directions: Take I-43 to Sheboygan’s exit 128, and head southeast on WI-42 S toward Co Rd J. Turn west onto Mueller Rd. and then left into Maywood.

Learn more at the Maywood Migration Watch website.

FAQs about Hawk Migration to Minnesota and Wisconsin

What types of hawks can I see in Minnesota and Wisconsin?

There are 11 different hawk species that Minnesota and Wisconsin are known for: turkey vulture, osprey, cooper’s hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, red-shouldered hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, rough-legged hawk, Northern Harrier, Northern Goshawk.

More Hawk Migration Locations

More birdwatching glee await you when you continue your hawk adventure. Check out these other thrilling hawk watching sites.