Hawk Mountain Sanctuary - Kempton, PA.

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is the world's first refuge for raptors and other birds of prey. This is an important step in the world of conservation. The sanctuary offers a variety of activities for any bird-watching or outdoor enthusiast.

HMS is located just outside of Kempton, along the border of Berks & Schuylkill counties & only 5 miles from Lehigh county. To give you an idea of where it is, the 2 closest large towns are Hamburg & Pottsville. It is located about 10 minutes from the Cabela's off of I-78.

Trail admission is only $5 ($7 on weekends in the fall -- discounts are available for seniors & children). The money goes towards maintenance & conservation programs. To access the trails, just go to the visitor's center to pay your trail fee & receive your ticket before proceeding to the trails. The visitor's center is very informative and has souvenirs throughout. The sanctuary also provides free trail maps which can be put in a drop box to be reused on your way out. Below is also a .pdf version of the map from HMS's website.

There are 3 main trails in HMS. There is the North Lookout trail which is the most popular. It has roughly 10 lookouts, depending on whether or not you take the Express, Escarpment, or Regular trails. The first lookout, South Lookout, is handicap accessible and provides a view east and south of the mountain ridge. The view overlooks farmland in Berks county and the rest of Blue Mountain in the Kittatinny Ridge. You can also see the River of Rocks to the southeast. Many lookouts along the trail provide a different angle of the same view. At the top of the mountain you can hangout on North Lookout, which is where many people watch for raptors. To the northwest you can see windmills, to the north you can see the ridge continue forward, & to the southeast you can see the rolling farmlands of Berks county. The climb has about a 200-250 ft gain over 1 mile, but the view at the top is worth it.

From the North Lookout you can take the Skyline Trail, which connects to the Appalachian Trail but involves climbing over & around boulders. The Skyline Trail also connects to the Golden Eagle Trails which lead to the River of Rocks Trail. You can also access the River of Rocks Trail from the North Lookout Trail.

HMS also allows people to buy a yearly membership, which gets members free admission to the hiking trails & helps to fund research and the protection of raptors. HMS welcomes all people to volunteer their time. Without volunteers, HMS would not be accessible to the public.

Even though the fall colors have already passed, the views are still amazing & worth being checked out. Maybe if you're lucky you'll see part of the hawk migration.

For more information:
* Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
* Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Hiking Trails Map [note: .pdf file]
* Appalachian Trail Conservancy




The view from South Lookout, 1280 ft.

The view from North Lookout, 1490 ft.

Susquehannock State Park - Drumore, PA.

Nestled along the Susquehanna River in western Lancaster County is a small park with enormous beauty by the name of Susquehannock State Park. This small park is loaded with wildlife observation & geological opportunities. From bird watching to wild flower identification to hiking to picnicking, this park has something for everyone.

I will begin with a little bit of park history which can be found more extensively on the DCNR page listed below. As the name implies, the park was named after the Susquehannock Indians meaning "people at the falls" (they were also called Conestogas). They controlled the trade routes along the Sasquesahanough, or Susquehanna, River but were eventually driven out of existence by English settlers. The history between the settlers and the Indians is a brutal one. In 1850 the property was under the ownership of James Buchanan Long who built the Landis House (note: this building is UNSAFE and CLOSED to ALL visitors). This house was a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Landis House currently resides next to the park office.

If you are into birdwatching, this is an excellent park for you! You can see Mount Johnson Island Bald Eagle Sanctuary from the Hawk Point Overlook. It was the first eagle sanctuary in the world. Because of this close proximity, it is not uncommon to see bald eagles soaring through the air along the river. Other birds of prey that can be seen are turkey vultures and osprey. Song birds can also be seen in the park, but most birdwatchers come to see the birds of prey.

If you are into geology, you will find all sorts of minerals at the park, the most notable being olivine. Olivine is green in color so these rocks will stick out like a sore thumb on the paths, especially after it rains. I personally have picked up several olivine rocks because they are so interesting. If you are interested in geology, you will also like studying the mountains around & along the Susquehanna River. The park is approximately 250-300 feet above the river. That alone should be enough to tell you there are amazing views...

If you are into hiking for amazing views of nature, you're in for a double whammy. This park has two overlooks: Hawk Point & Wisslers Run. Hawk Point provides an excellent view south and west of the park. To the southwest you can see Peach Bottom Power Plant. To the south is Mount Johnson Island Bald Eagle Sanctuary & the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, also known as the Mason-Dixon Line. To the west you can see several islands housing cabins & York County, a mile across the river. To the northwest you can see more islands & the Holtwood Dam on a clear day. Follow the Overlook Trail to Wisslers Run and you will have excellent views to the west & north of the park. West provides the same views as Hawk Point but from a different perspective. North provides you with a closer look at the Holtwood Dam and the Muddy Run Storage Plant and railroad tracks.

If you are into hiking for the sake of hiking, there are several trails in the park:
- Overlook Trail (easy) 0.55 miles - connects the overlooks
- Rhododendron Trail (hard) 1.2 miles - goes down into the Wisslers Run valley
- Pine Tree Trail (hard) - goes down into the Wisslers Run valley
- Five Points Trail (moderate) 0.7 miles
- Holly Trail (easy) 0.5 miles
- Fire Trail (easy) - short logging road
- Spring Trail (easy) 0.4 miles - has pawpaw trees
- Nature Trail (easy) 0.3 miles
- Phites Eddy Trail - leads out of the park
- Landis Trail (easy) 0.6 miles - connects the Overlook trail & Landis House.

Susquehannock State Park has pavilions which can be rented for the day by calling the office or used by day users for picnicking. The park is open to horses. There is no individual camping allowed at the park (pre-approved groups only). Park information & maps can usually be found in the kiosk board by the parking lot. There are currently 2 geocaches in this park.

With fall foliage just around the corner schedule a visit to this park ASAP! Although it is beautiful in all seasons...


For more information:
* Susquehannock State Park - Drumore, PA. [DCNR official webpage]
* Drumore Township, Lancaster County, PA.
* Mount Johnson Island, Bald Eagle Sanctuary, PA. [note: .pdf file from PA Audubon Society]


View of the Susquehanna River from Hawk Point Overlook in summer.


View of the Susquehanna River from Hawk Point Overlook in winter.