Select Hawk Watch Sites in the NorthEast

Blueberry Hill, West Granville MA. From east or west take Exit 3, Mass Pike and turn south (right) on Rtes 10 & 202. Go into Westfield and take right (west) on Rte 20 for 1 mile. At blinking yellow light take left on Lloyds Hill Road. At end take right, then immediate left on Broadway. At end take right on Granville Road, bearing right after crossing bridge to keep on this road. At 1/2 mile keep right at fork. Go 3-4 miles to end and take right on Rte 57 west. Go 4 miles and take right on North Lane, Go 1.2 miles and park along road just past chain across trail on right. Follow trail to top (easy 5 minute walk). From north or south take exit 14 off Rte 91 to Mass Pike exit 4, then go west to Westfield exit 3.
Top

Chestnut Hill, Litchfield, Connecticut. From the center of Litchfield, where routes CT - 63 and US - 202 intersect, go south on route 63 for 1.5 miles. Watch for Camp Dutton Road on the left (east). Take Camp Dutton to the top of the hill where it ends at Chestnut Hill Road. This is the location of the lookout.
Top

Chestnut Ridge Hawk Watch Bedford, New York: Take I-684 to exit 4 (Bedford-Mt Kisco-Route 172) and turn off the ramp toward Mount Kisco. (Left if coming from the South, right if coming from the North.) Drive about 100 yards and take first left on to Chestnut Ridge Road. Take Chestnut Ridge Road for about 1.5 miles and look for the entrance on the Right, the sign for the Nature Conservancy's Butler Sanctuary and go across the bridge to the parking lot. The Hawk Watch is up the hill to the left (see sign just inside the fence).

NJAMP Chimney Rock, Martinsville NJ. The Chimney Rock hawk watch is located on the First Watchung Ridge in Martinsville, New Jersey. Chimney Rock is most easily accessible from Interstate 287. From the north or south take 287 to the exit for Route 22 east. Follow Route 22 east for approximately 1 mile. Turn right onto the jug handle at Vosseler Avenue. Turn left onto Vosseler Avenue and cross Route 22. Proceed uphill until you reach the peak (about .6 miles). Look for Miller Lane on your left. Turn left onto Miller Lane. Drive about .5 miles down Miller Lane to the parking lot for the hawk watch. NOTE: Miller Lane is narrow and mostly gravel, with a number of private residences along it. Please drive slowly and yield to oncoming cars. The trail to the watch begins at the far end of the parking lot.
Top

Fire Island Raptor Enumerators, Robert Moses State Park, New York: The hawk watch is on a barrier beach, off the south shore of Long Island, NY. We're about midway along Long Island, slightly west of due south from New Haven CT. Driving directions: Proceed south on Robert Moses Parkway, over the bridge to Robert Moses State Park. From the water tower circle (check for PG), proceed East to parking lot #5. From the NE corner of the lot, walk east toward the lighthouse. We watch from the platform near the road barriers.
Top

Hook Mountain, Hook Mountain State Park, Upper Nyack, New York: The hawk watch is at the top of Hook Mountain, 730 feet above sea level, overlooking the Hudson River, just north of the Tappan Zee bridge. Driving directions: From I-287/I-87, take Exit 11 (Nyack) Proceed to Route 9W. Turn left onto 9W. Continue past the traffic light, past Christian Herald Road to the top of the hill. At about 1.8 miles from the turn onto 9W look for the unpaved parking pulloff on the right. (Limited parking, rough surface.) Walk north on east side of the road to triple yellow mark. Proceed up the yellow trail, Paddy's Path to the top of the mountain, about 1/2 mile hike up with some steep sections. Alternate directions are from the Golf Course at Rockland Lake State Park.
Top

Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven, Connecticut: To reach the park, if heading north on Route 95, take Exit 50 (Woodward Avenue, Lighthouse Point). Turn right onto Townshend Avenue and proceed about 2.1 miles to Lighthouse Road. Turn right onto Lighthouse Road, which leads into the park, and keep to your left, going towards the bathhouse. Hawk watching is generally done from the parking lot just east of the large field before the bathhouse. If heading south on Route 95, take Exit 51 (U.S. 1, Frontage Road, Lighthouse Point), which merges with Frontage Road, and runs parallel to Route 95 for about a mile. Turn left at the light onto Townshend Avenue, and continue as described above.
Top

Little Round Top, Bristol, New Hampshire: Take Exit 23 off I-93. Head West toward Bristol. In Bristol, take Rte 3A South for a short distance. At the Rescue Squad building, take High Street, on the right. At crest of hill, turn RIGHT onto New Chester Mtn. Road (at sign for Slim Baker Lodge) and continue to parking area. Hike: Take the trail through the woods to the small fire road which ends at the summit. The watch site is on the promontory just below a big wooden cross near an outdoor chapel. Walking time: 5 to 15 minutes. Trail has some short, but moderately steep sections. Description: Situated in the piedmont of the White Mountains with a scenic panoramic view, Little Round Top is the oldest hawk watch site in New Hampshire. The daily monitoring of the 1960's and 70's extended through the migration period into November. From 2000 to 2009 daily coverage was limited to September. The site is now without a leader. Volunteers are needed to re-establish systematic coverage. Contact NEHW if you are interested in the position.
Top

Montclair, New Jersey: Take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 151 (Watchung Avenue, Montclair). Drive west on Watchung Ave. for about 2.1 miles to its end at Upper Mountain Road, and turn right. Go north about 0.7 miles to Bradford Avenue and turn left. Go about 0.1 mile on Bradford and take the second right turn, Edgecliff Road. Follow Edgecliff for a bout 0.3 miles to a parking area on the right. In the fall, the watch is conducted from the south side of the street. Take the staircase just before the parking area to reach the observation platform.
Top

Mount Peter, New York: The Mount Peter, NY lookout is located on the top of 17A and marked by a pair of microwave towers. To reach the lookout from the west, take Route 94 north or south towards Warwick, NY. Turn onto 17A and follow it up the mountain. Just past the Mount Peter ski signs, you will come to Kain Road on your left. Turn here. The entrance to the lookout is on your right, marked by NY State signs. You can also reach the lookout from Greenwood Lake. From the center of town, turn left up 17A. When you reach the top of the mountain, you will see steep grade signs on your right. Kain Road is a short distance further on your right.
Top

Pack Monadnock, Miller State Park, Peterborough, New Hampshire: Three miles east of Peterborough on Rte 101 or about 10 miles west of Milford watch for entrance to Miller State Park. You can drive to the top of the mountain. A $4.00 entrance fee is charged. A hawk watch platform is just a few yards down the Wapack Trail from the summit with an official hawk counter there daily in September and October (except in case of rain). The park is open daily from Sep 3 to Oct 31.
Top

Quaker Ridge, Greenwich, Connecticut: This watch is located on the grounds of the Greenwich Audubon Center in southeastern Connecticut. Take the Merritt Parkway to Round Hill Road and proceed north. After about 2 miles (look for a church), turn left onto John St. The entrance to the Audubon Center is at the intersection of John St. and Riversville Rd. Ample parking is found on your right a short distance in, with the watch to your left.
Top

Wachusett Mountain State Reservation, Princeton, Massachusetts: From Boston, take Route 2 west to Route 140 south in Westminster. Take Route 140 south to Wachusett Lake. Following the signs to the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area, turn right onto Mile Hill Road. Do not enter the Ski Lodge parking area but continue driving up the mountain to the State Reservation entrance on your right. Water and restrooms are available at the Visitors Center to your left. Normally, you can drive to the summit, but in 2010 & 2011 the road is closed for construction. You can hike to the summit, the best spot to hawk watch in the fall. Stop at the Visitor's Center to pick up a trail map. The Pine Hill Trail, which starts at the Visitor's Center, is the shortest trail, 0.75 miles long, with a 600 ft ascent.
Top

Mount Watatic, Ashburnham, Massachusetts: From Boston, Take Rte 2 west to Rte 31. Take Rte 31 north to Rte 12. Follow Rte 12 to Ashburnham, turn right onto Rte 101 and take it to Rte 119. Turn left onto Rte 119. About 0.7 miles you will see the first trail on your
right, at the power lines; the quickest, but steepest, way to the summit. The half-mile
hike requires 30-plus minutes. Or continue driving 0.8 mile west on Rte 119 to an
off-road parking area and an old logging road on your right. Two easier trails to the
summit begin here. The Blueberry Ledge trail is 1.1 miles long and takes about 45
minutes. The Nutting Hill Trail is 1.9 miles and requires about an hour. The best site is
the East Watatic ledge, a hundred yards southeast of the summit. See the Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch for more information.
Top

Wildcat Ridge Hawkwatch is located in the Wildcat Ridge WMA, in NW New Jersey. It is a 1,025-foot overlook with a view of over 30 miles from the Northeast to the Southwest. (Including Manhattan.) It is a full-time watch for both spring and fall migrations. It is located 6 miles NE of I-80, exit # 37. The hawkwatch will be conducted by Jennifer Luff this spring, a first-year intern.
Top