What are the opening hours?

Monday 6am - 7pm Tuesday 6am - 7pm Wednesday 6am - 7pm Thursday 6am - 7pm Friday 6am - 7pm Saturday 6am - 7pm Sunday 6am - 7pm

Waggoner's Gap Hawk Watch

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Carlisle, PA
Waggoner's Gap Hawk Watch

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Waggoner's Gap Hawkwatch is situated atop the Kittatinny Ridge north of Carlisle, Pa, and offers a premier fall hawkwatching experience.

Raptor migration data have been collected at Waggoner's Gap since the 1950s. Today, dedicated volunteers have their eyes to the sky identifying and recording every passing bird from August 1st to December 31st, logging more than 1,000 hours per season on the rocks. Waggoner's Gap Hawk Watch has been owned by Audubon since 2001. The acquisition of Waggoner's Gap was made possible by the Erdman Trust and Natural Lands Trust, assuring that recreational hawk watching and scientific counting will carry forward in perpetuity.

10/29/2026

For those interested in more in-depth information about the migration and history of the hawk watch, here's an opportunity to hear Compiler Dave Grove as a guest in this podcast.
https://www.hemlockstohellbenders.com/episodes.html

I’m excited to announce that Waggoner’s Gap Hawk Watch will be the topic for our new podcast episode premiering on Wednesday!

I spoke to Dave Grove - site coordinator for the past 33 years - about the spectacular raptor migration that can be seen from atop the Kittatinny Ridge.

Check out our newest episode beginning Wednesday on your favorite podcasting platform or by visiting our website!

Waggoner's Gap Hawk Watch

10/23/2026

10/17/2026

10/10/2026

A big thank you to the PA Game Commission Land Management crew for trimming some small trees that were blocking the view, especially on the south side. Here are before and after photos by Tom Filip.

10/07/2026

Golden Eagles pick up movement in October, and Jeff Thompson caught this one on camera yesterday (number 4 for the season), saying it was flying high by the moon. Keep watching the count at hawkcount.org

10/05/2026

Our third Education Assistant this season is Ezra Pugh, from Wilkes Barre, PA. Ezra is currently enrolled at SUNY Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua, NY, pursuing a degree in Conservation Science. This spring she served as an intern at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, where she assisted with the raptor count and engaged with the public on raptor migration and nature interpretation. Ezra also worked on field projects with a focus on American Kestrels. Look for Ezra and her husband Jason on weekends at Waggoner's Gap.

10/01/2026

Here is a summary of the count as of the end of September, along with the totals for each species last season and the averages over the previous ten years. The month produced two records, both for bald eagles - 56 counted on September 5 set a new daily record, and 292 set a new monthly record. The broad-winged hawk count exceeded the ten-year season average but the flight will taper off as sharp-shinned hawks take over as the most numerous migrant. October brings the most diversity in species, with the possibility of seeing any of the sixteen species that are counted.

09/28/2026

Meet another Education Assistant, Alanna Benson.
Alanna is from Bradford, PA and is a senior at Dickinson College in Carlisle, where she served as a teaching assistant for Biology. She has experience as a park ranger at Allegany State Park, NY and Vega State Park in Colorado and also directed a habitat research project in Costa Rica. Her involvement with Project Owlnet banding Northern saw-whet owls sparked a deep interest in birds of prey. Be sure to check in with Alanna when you visit the hawk watch.

09/25/2026

Through our partnership with Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and PA Game Commission, we have a team of Education Assistants supporting the watch this season. Their purpose is to greet and provide information to visitors to the site. They also have loaner binoculars to share.
One member of the team is Glen Van Fleet of Shermansdale, Perry County. Glen has a long history with Waggoner's Gap, having done the compiling from 1987-1994 with his wife Kim. They have also done several bird studies, including banding of saw-whet owls.
Glen retired after many years as a Hazmat Technician for Roadway and the New Cumberland Army Depot. Be sure to say hello to our assistants and ask any questions you have.

09/21/2026

Recent short video by long time Lead Compiler Dave Grove

Address

Carlisle, PA
17013

Opening Hours

Monday	6am - 7pm
Tuesday	6am - 7pm
Wednesday	6am - 7pm
Thursday	6am - 7pm
Friday	6am - 7pm
Saturday	6am - 7pm
Sunday	6am - 7pm

Website

http://hawkmigration.org/, http://hawkcount.org/

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