Top 9 Hawk Watching Sites to Visit in California, Nevada, and Arizona

Attention hawk watchers, this one’s for you! Hawks — we will never get bored of watching these strong, fierce birds travel through the air during their migration season, especially when there’s a high concentration of them in certain hawk-watching sites.

The good news is, we’re giving you both of these thrilling elements together: the panoramic views of migrating hawks in the sky and the fascinating high concentration we all visit these sites to see. Check out our top choices of hawk watching sites to visit in California, Nevada, and Arizona as you scroll down.

In this article, we’re breaking down the top 9 eye-level hawk-watching sites to visit in California, Nevada, and Arizona.

Goshute Mountains HawkWatch

Dates: Aug 15- Nov 5

Address: Mt Pisgah, Nevada, United States

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, Swainson’s hawk, ferruginous hawk, golden eagle, American kestrel, merlin, peregrine falcon

Goshute Mountains HawkWatch is one of the greatest recorded concentrations of migrating hawks in the western United States and Canada, with annual counts that range from 12,000 to 25,000 migrating raptors.

Note: The hawk watch is only accessible through a 2.5-mile steep hike and a 5-mile dirt road.

Directions: Take Highway 93 southwest for about 24 miles from Wendover to a road marked by a BLM interpretive sign and Ferguson Springs Highway Maintenance Station. Keep moving west on it for about 1.8 miles until you reach a “T” in the road.

Turn right and go 1.3 miles to the top of a rise where a sign for Christmas Tree Canyon can be found. Make a left and move 2 miles to a trailhead and parking lot. The hike from there is one mile and a half with an elevation gain of approx 1800 feet. Make sure to bring a good amount of water since there are no sources of water along the hike.

Learn more at the Goshute Mountains HawkWatch website.

Grand Canyon HawkWatch (Yaki Point)

Dates: Aug 27- Nov 5

Address: Yaki Point, Arizona 86023, United States

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

Yaki Point is a prominent canyon lookout located along the Grand Canyon’s south rim. The Grand Canyon HawkWatch offers visitors with one of the richest hawk-watching experiences in the western United States and Canada. At 2 locations along the canyon’s south rim, hawk watchers recorded 19 species of raptors, with combined counts normally ranging from 10,000 to 12,000 migrating hawks each season.

Everyone is welcome there. Their educational interpreters let you know more about raptor identification and migration ecology. You can either walk to the site or take a shuttle bus.

Directions: You can get to the location via Hwy 64, around 7 miles northeast of the south park entrance. The count site lies on the west of the point, about 655 feet south of the Yaki Point overlook.

Learn more at the Grand Canyon HawkWatch (Yaki Point) website.

Aubrey Cliffs

hawk watching sites to visit in California, Nevada, and Arizona

Dates: Sep 1- Oct 31

Address: Williams Unified District, AZ, USA

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

The hawk watch is situated on a north-south cliff escarpment that rises over 1000 feet from the grasslands of Aubrey Valley. The location is 12 miles northwest of Seligman, Arizona, where you can observe pretty decent numbers of migrating raptors.

Tubac Hawk Watch

Dates: Mar 1- Mar 31

Peak dates: Mar 10- Mar 25

Address: Ron Morriss County Park, 31 Calle Iglesia, Tubac, AZ 85646, USA

Birds you’ll see: Black vulture, turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk, Swainson’s hawk, cooper’s hawk, golden eagle, American kestrel, common black hawk, gray hawk, zone-tailed hawk

Many species move north along the Santa Cruz River in March, including gray hawks and zone-tailed hawks, which are only found in a few parts of the United States; Tubac Hawk Watch is one of them.

Bring your water bottle, sunscreen, binoculars, and enjoy watching migrating hawks passing by Tubac Hawk Watch.

Lipan Point (Grand Canyon)

Dates: Aug 27- Nov 5

Address: Lipan Point, Arizona 86023, United States

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

Lipan Point boasts some of the most spectacular and wide-ranging canyon vistas on the South Rim; it also has the longest vista of the Colorado River. It’s definitely a great place if you want to watch the scenic, natural views, as well as the migrating hawks crossing the sky in the fall.

Directions: The count site is located 2 miles southwest of the Grand Canyon National Park’s east gate on Highway 64. It’s roughly 560 feet south of the parking area, just above an Anasazi granary on the canyon rim.

Note: The site is not operating at the moment. Learn more at the Lipan Point (Grand Canyon) website.

Auburn Area Vulture and Raptor Count

Dates: Sep 15- Oct 15

Address: 840 Pacific Ave, Auburn, CA 95603, United States

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

With an elevation of 1375 feet, the count site is basically a hill overlooking the North Fork American River Canyon, known as Headquarter Hill. This is your destination if you want to witness massive numbers of migrating turkey vultures in the sky. The distance between the parking lot and the counting site is 150-200 feet. There are public restrooms and parking nearby.

Directions from Colfax: Take Interstate 80 west and exit at Nevada Street. Turn right on Placer Street and then right on Union Street. Take Maple Street to the left. The route becomes Auburn-Folsom Road at the next light. Keep moving straight on Auburn-Folsom Road until you get to Pacific Avenue, where you should turn left. To get to Overlook Park, keep going right on Pacific Avenue.

Directions from Sacramento: Take Interstate 80 east and exit at the Newcastle Exit. Keep moving up Indian Hill Road at the light. Turn left into Auburn-Folsom Road and keep moving on Auburn-Folsom Avenue until you reach Pacific Avenue, where you will turn right at the light. Move straight on Pacific Avenue until you reach Overlook Park on the right.

Headquarter Hill is the count site above ARD Overlook Park on Pacific Avenue, which is the best route to the location.

Learn more at the Auburn Area Vulture and Raptor Count website.

Borrego Valley

Dates: Jan 15- May 1

Address: Borrego Springs, CA 92004, USA

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

Swainson’s hawk cannot be found in many hawk watches, but you will almost certainly find a good number of them in the spring in Borrego Valley Hawkwatch, located in the town of Borrego Springs.

Morning Site Directions: To visit the morning count site, go to DiGiorgio Road, which is 2.8 miles north of Palm Canyon Road, in Borrego Springs.

Evening Site Directions: To visit the evening count site, go 1.5 miles north of Palm Canyon Road on Borrego Valley Road.

Hawk Hill

Dates: Aug 15- Dec 5

Address: Sausalito, CA 94965, USA

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

Hawk Hill is a hill with an elevation of 914 feet, with the hilltop located about 0.20 miles, or 100 feet, above the Conzelman Road parking lot. This destination will gain the liking of birders who like to observe large flocks of red-tailed hawks, turkey vultures, and sharp-shinned hawks.

Learn more at the Hawk Hill website.

Lagoon Valley

Dates: Sep 1- Nov 30

Address: Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, CA, USA

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

Lagoon Valley Park is on the outskirts of Vacaville, a lovely Solano County town that sits on the border of the Sacramento Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. This park is a wonderful Northern California destination, with a little lagoon that shimmers when the sun rises, hills covered with grass, tall oak trees, and 470 acres of biking and hiking trails.

It is a favorite for both locals and outsiders who wish to enjoy undisturbed nature and stunning landscapes. You can witness a good number of migrating raptors there and a modest number of species.

Directions: The Lagoon Valley is located near Vacaville, in the Vaca Mountains. It’s 45 miles northeast of San Francisco, on the west of the Central Valley.

Related post: Best Places for Birdwatching in Delaware

FAQs about Hawk Migration to California, Nevada, and Arizona

What types of hawks can I see in California, Nevada, and Arizona?

There are 16 different hawk species that California, Nevada, and Arizona are known for: Black vulture, turkey vulture, osprey, bald eagle, Northern harrier, sharp-shinned hawk, cooper’s hawk, northern goshawk, golden eagle, broad-winged hawk, red-tailed hawk, Swainson’s hawk, American kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine falcon, and Ferruginous hawk.

More Hawk Migration Locations

There are more visit-worthy spots you can add to your hawk adventure bucket list. Check out what these hawk migration sites have in store for you.