Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

Ridge-top raptor migration, September through November Founded in 1934 on Pennsylvania's Kittatinny Ridge, the sanctuary counts migrating raptors through a four-month autumn season that averages about 18,000 birds. Come in September for numbers: the broad-winged hawk peak can push a single day past 3,000. Come in late October or November for drama, when golden eagles ride the ridge, and early November is the best chance to see a golden and a bald eagle pass on the same day. The strongest flights tend to follow a cold front with northwest winds, so watch the forecast and go the day after the front clears. The lookouts are a hike up from the road, and a weekday gives you the rocks with fewer people.