Blue Ridge Country

A vote for the intriguing Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory showed up in the “Best Birdwatching” category, so we investigated.

The 1,500 people who visit the Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory each year don’t come for the amenities. The observatory has no electricity, no running water and only a primitive outdoor privy. What this Monroe County, W.Va. bird watching outpost does offer is a 360-degree view 1,300 feet above the adjacent valley.

The tower was originally built in 1956 as a fire-spotting outpost. When planes took over the job in 1972, the post was abandoned, but not for long. Hawk watchers in Monroe County, and the Handlan Chapter, Brooks Bird Club soon took over upkeep of the tower. They repaired the dilapidated building and made Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory a public bird watching station.

“It is always worth the trip,” says Rodney Davis, a birdwatcher who has been visiting Hanging Rock for more than 20 years. For Davis, bird watching is not the only reason he enjoys Hanging Rock.

“The wide variety of people who make the trip is one of the most interesting aspects,” he says. From teenagers to elderly, locals to foreigners, Hanging Rock is accessible and enjoyable to many.

All these people come for the birds. At Hanging Rock, broad-winged hawks are the most counted species, but show up mostly during a 10-day period in September. Sharp-shinned and red-tailed hawks are the most commonly spotted during the August-to-November season.

Eagles and ospreys are also frequently seen. In the end, however, it’s not the number of birds, but the perspective that makes Hanging Rock special.

“It’s always exciting to see a bald eagle,” says Davis. “It’s even better to see it at eye level.”
—Carrie Fowler