West Virginia’s Hanging Rock is a great place to watch migratory hawks and other birds.
If you like mountaintop panoramas and vistas packed with receding ridgelines, you’ll love the Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory (HRRO) in Monroe County, WV. Perched atop of Peters Mountain on the Eastern Continental Divide, the HRRO has a 360 degree unobstructed view of the mountains and valleys of southern West Virginia and Virginia. Fifty miles to the east, the Peaks of Otter on the Blue Ridge Parkway are visible. Looking north, Cold Knob and the Beech Ridge Wind Farm in Greenbrier County, though 40 miles distant, are clearly seen.
Though the views are truly telescopic, there’s more to see at Hanging Rock. It’s a raptor observatory after all. On a good day more than 500 migratory hawks can be spotted. Rarer but still seen are eagles, ospreys and falcons.
With all to see at the HRRO, it’s worth a little effort to get to it. Fortunately, it’s only a 0.9 mile hike from the trailhead parking (GPS: Lat. 37.509877, and Long. -80.438039). The trail follows a ridgeline uphill and gains 380 feet in elevation. It’s rocky in certain stretches, but is well worn and easy to follow.
September is the peak month for the hawk migration. For more information: hangingrocktower.org.
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The story above appears in our Sept./Oct. 2018 issue.
