Top 11 Remarkable Hawk Watching Sites in West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware

Hawk watching sites are not all the same— some of them offer normal vistas with medium to low numbers of migrating hawks, while some others offer unforgettable, panoramic views with high concentrations of the majestic migrating hawks, and we’re always looking for the latter!

So, if you’re looking for the best sites to watch these birds of prey passing through the sky of Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, you’re in the right place! In this article, we’re giving you a list of the top 11 remarkable hawk watches you have to stop by in West Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Let’s get started!

Hanging Rock Tower

Dates: Aug 17- Nov 11

Address: 4836 Waiteville Rd, Waiteville, WV 24984, USA

Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, golden eagle, American kestrel

Hanging Rock Tower is a forest service fire tower perched atop a mountain at an elevation of 4,500 feet. Visitors are welcome all year round, although the fall migration season, which starts from the middle of August to November, sees the highest concentration of raptors.

There is no running water, bathroom facilities, or electricity, so make sure to bring water, wet wipes, snacks, extra clothes, sunscreen, sunglasses, caps, and hiking shoes to the site.

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Directions: See all directions here.

Learn more about the hawk watch at the Hanging Rock Tower website.

Ashland Nature Center

Dates: Sep 1- Nov 30

Address: Hockessin, Delaware, USA

Birds you’ll see: Black vulture, turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, red-shouldered hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, golden eagle, American kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine falcon

Staff from the Delaware Nature Society conducted unofficial hawk watching on this site in the fall of 2005 and 2006. Based on the large number of raptors seen from this site, it was decided to conduct a formal, full-time fall hawk watch, and you can totally be a part of it!

Directions from Wilmington, Delaware: Take Rt. 52 north out of Wilmington to Rt. 82 north at the intersection of Rt. 52 and Rt. 95. Take Rt. 82 north and turn left onto Barley Mill Road, where you will find the sign for Ashland Nature Center. After the covered bridge, the Ashland Nature Center driveway is located on the right side.

Directions from Hockessin: To get to Brackenville Road, follow Rt. 41 south. Brackenville Road will be on your left. Follow for about 2 miles until you reach the Ashland Nature Center entrance on the left side.

Directions from the north: Take Rt. 82 south into Delaware from Kennett Square, then take Barley Mill Road to the right side. The Ashland Nature Center is located after the covered bridge on your right.

Learn more at the Ashland Nature Center website.

Cape Henlopen Hawk Watch

Spring dates: Mar 15- May 10

Fall dates: Sep 1- Nov 30

Address: Sussex County, DE, USA

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

The hawk watch is located on a WWII bunker that is about 65 feet above sea level and 330 feet from the Atlantic Ocean. The hawk watch provides visitors with excellent, 360-degree views. Plus, you get to enjoy fantastic views of shorebirds and seabirds, too!

Directions: The site is located in Lewes, Delaware’s Cape Henlopen State Park. A few steps will lead you up the side of the WWII bunker to the site, which is adjacent to and east of the parking lot.

White Clay Creek State Park – Carpenter Recreation Area

Spring dates: Apr 3- Jun 11

Fall dates: Aug 13- Nov 26

Address: Newark, Delaware, USA

Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture

White Clay Creek State Park features beautiful natural views and woodlands, and it is named for the clay that was previously mined there. At the park’s Carpenter Recreation Area, you’ll get to watch turkey vultures migrating in the sky of Delaware.

Cromwell Valley Park

hawk watching sites in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware

Dates: Sep 11- Nov 14

Address: Cromwell Valley, Hampton, MD, USA

Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, red-shouldered hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel, merlin, peregrine falcon

The hawkwatching location is basically a campfire circle with picnic tables and benches. Cromwell Valley Park has been a great birding destination for Baltimore locals since it opened in 1993, thanks to its diverse habitat.

Directions: At the highest point of the road, the watch station is positioned along the new asphalt road that connects the Sherwood Farm and Willow Grove areas.

Cumberland Gap

Spring dates: Mar 1- May 1

Fall dates: Aug 15- Dec 15

Address: Allegany County, MD 21502, USA

Birds you’ll see: Black vulture, turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, sharp-shinned hawk, red-shouldered hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, golden eagle

The hawk watch is only a few minutes from downtown Cumberland, on the Cumberland Gap A.K.A. “Lovers Leap” escarpment. It’s on the sheer of a 200-foot cliff. The site provides a breathtaking 270-degree panorama of the Cumberland Gap and adjacent mountains and valleys.

Wills Creek splits the Wills Mountain Anticline, resulting in an open area in the ridge that the raptors must cross throughout their migration, offering excellent views of migrating hawks.

On the natural rock, there are several places for visitors to sit. You can bring your own cushion for a little bit more comfort. You’ll also find plenty of flat spots for sitting if you have a folding chair. You need to come prepared since there are no facilities there.

As a recently established hawk watch, it needs many new volunteers to assist with raptor observation. And they’re currently covering it as much as possible.

Learn more at the Cumberland Gap website.

Fort Smallwood Park

Dates: Jan 1- Jan 1

Address: 9500 Fort Smallwood Rd, Pasadena, MD 21122, USA

Fort Smallwood Park is 11 miles south of Baltimore, on the western bank of the Chesapeake Bay, at the mouth of the Patapsco River. Visitors are welcome to Fort Smallwood Park all year. There has been a hawkwatching site there since the early 1980s. Over the years, the Park has observed about 290 different bird species.

Directions: The park is located in northeastern Anne Arundel County, at the eastern of Fort Smallwood Road. Exit Rt. 607 on the left from Rt. 100 east. Make a right onto Rt. 173, Fort Smallwood Road, and follow the road for 3 miles to its very end. After passing through the gatehouse, make a right into the loop road, and at the “T,” turn right and park in the parking area. The best place to see raptors from is about halfway down the east-facing shoreline. Continue about 600 feet south, past the buildings on your right side, and come to a stop where the view of the pond broadens.

Hilltop Ridge

Dates: Aug 1- Nov 30

Address: 5910 Fairwood Ave, Baltimore, MD 21206, USA

Birds you’ll see: Turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, sharp-shinned hawk, red-shouldered hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk

This hawk watch, a steep ridge approximately 200 feet above Belair Road and roughly 260 feet above sea level, is the area’s most visible peak. It’s the first ridge west of the Chesapeake Bay, running northeast to southwest. On top of the ridge, you’ll find 3.8-acre woods. The hawk watching location is located on the ridge’s east and west sides.

Mt. Pleasant Skywatch

Spring dates: Apr 1- May 31

Fall dates: Sep 1- Nov 15

Address: Grassland Lp, Woodstock, MD 21163, USA

Birds you’ll see: Black vulture, turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, sharp-shinned hawk, red-shouldered hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, American kestrel

Turkey Point

Dates: Sep 1- Nov 30

Address: Turkey Point Lighthouse Trail, North East, MD 21901, USA

The Turkey Point Hawk Watch, organized by The Cecil Bird Club, is an ongoing effort run by volunteers to count vultures, hawks, and eagles flying over the site and its lighthouse. The location is just a few hundred yards from the Turkey Point Lighthouse located in Elk Neck State Park.

Visitors are welcome to either assist in the count or just enjoy the outstanding views of migrating raptors. The field that surrounds the lighthouse is on Turkey Point’s tip, providing spectacular vistas of the upper Chesapeake Bay.

Directions: Go to the state’s northeast corner, where you can find Cecil County. Take Rt. 272 south from either I-95 or Rt. 40. Keep going through the town of North East. In Elk Neck State Park, the road comes to a halt in a gravel parking area. Hike 3/4 mile south to the hawk watch, which you’ll find on your left.

Washington Monument State Park

Spring dates: Mar 1- Jun 1

Fall dates: Sep 1- Nov 30

Address: Mt Lena, MD 21713, USA

Directions: The site is located near Boonsboro, MD, off of Alternate Rt. 40. Travel west on Alt. 40 to Monument Road from I-70 in Frederick. To get to the park’s entrance, take Monument Road. The Monument Trail is half a mile into the park if you take a right at the fork. The hawk watch is a quarter-mile uphill walk. The vistas are better on the western slope as treetops hinder raptors flying on the eastern slope.

Related post: Best Places for Birdwatching in Delaware

FAQs about Hawk Migration to Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware

What types of hawks can I see in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware?

There are 14 different hawk species that Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware are known for: Black vulture, turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, red-shouldered hawk, cooper’s hawk, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, golden eagle, American kestrel, merlin, peregrine falcon.

More Hawk Migration Locations

There’s no getting enough of these glorious hawks. Catch a glimpse of them again in these other hawk migration sites.