Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton, Berks County

Back in the saddle this week! I couldn't update on schedule last week, as my Facebook followers saw, because I was extremely sick. Still not quite firing on all cylinders, but doing better than I was and I appreciate everyone who reached out to wish me better.

My husband Kevin and I went out on a special trip last month to collect this marker. It's a place which is very near and dear to my heart, as I spent several years there as a volunteer, and I was so pleased to hear they were finally getting a marker. I only missed the ceremony because it was at the same time that the Richard Moore marker was being dedicated, and I had already promised to be in Quakertown that day. Because I love Hawk Mountain so much, this post will be maybe a touch longer than usual and with more photographs.

The marker is situated on the southern side of
Hawk Mountain Road, at the point where it
bisects the sanctuary; it sits next to the path
leading from the visitor's center to the trail

The movement to save the birds of Hawk Mountain first began in 1929. At that time, the game commission was encouraging the shooting of northern goshawks, offering a bounty of $5 each. Richard Pough, a photographer and conservationist, visited the popular hunting location known as Hawk Mountain and published photographs of the carnage. These disturbing images were eventually seen by New York conservationist and birding enthusiast Rosalie Edge.

Starting in 1934, Mrs. Edge came to the mountain and leased 1,400 acres, which she entrusted to the care of a pair of passionate conservation activists - her personally selected warden, Maurice Broun, and his wife Irma. Living on the property and preventing hunters from accessing the trail, the Brouns were able to bring the killing to an immediate halt. The Sanctuary opened the following year, allowing people to view but not hunt the birds, and Mrs. Edge purchased the property. The Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association was incorporated in 1938 as a non-profit, and the 1,400 acres were deeded to the organization in perpetuity.

View of the marker as you head for the trail;
behind the traffic director is the gatehouse

During my years on the mountain, I was one of the volunteers who occupied Irma's role in the sanctuary, known as 'the keeper of the gate.' In her day, Irma (according to her husband's book) sat at the base of the trail with her dog and her knitting, and cheerfully sent away anyone who showed up with a weapon. Nowadays, the keeper of the gate sits behind a wooden desk inside the gatehouse at the same spot, and checks to make sure that visitors have their admission stickers. I was there on the fourth Saturday of the month, spring to fall, for about seven years in all kinds of weather. (Berks County autumns are beautiful but occasionally rainy.) 

My favorite memory of my time as a volunteer is still the day some hikers came down gushing about the wonderful scenery, and then adding happily, "And we just loved your bear!" Needless to say, we didn't 'have' a bear, so when I asked for clarification, they said that there was a bear just off the path a little way up the trail. They thought it was a tame animal! I called for help, but by the time our guy was on the scene, the bear had shuffled away. It could have been a bad memory, but all things considered, it's just funny to me now.

Life-size models of various birds of prey soar
from the ceiling inside the visitor's center; behind
them, the view from North Lookout. The globe
uses lights to illustrate the migratory paths the
birds take each fall.

I've been to Hawk Mountain so many times that I feel like I could almost do it in my sleep. Start in the parking lot; get your bug spray and give yourself a good dousing before you do anything else, especially in the summer. Follow the brick path to the visitor's center, and go inside to check out the offerings. You can read displays about Hawk Mountain's history, sign the guest book, pick up maps and brochures, and check to see whether any special educational programs are being held. There's also an observation window, where songbirds and chipmunks visit feeders, and a gift shop full of treasures, including art pieces from local crafters. Be sure to pick up some drinks for the hike, and some of the homemade snacks from Wanamaker's General Store in Kempton. (The trail mix is particularly good.) Make sure you have something with which to pack out your trash, because there are no garbage cans on the trail; the center has trash and recycling receptacles. The center is also where you'll pay for your trail admission, or show your membership card to hike for free. You might want to use the restroom while you're here too - there are two outdoor restroom stations along the trail, one on the way to South Lookout and the other at North Lookout.

Educational programs are conducted out behind the center, or you might decide to take a tour of the native plant garden, which is fenced inside what they call an "exclosure" - it's to keep the deer out. You can visit the bird blind, where you can sit in a camouflaged hut to possibly see wildlife up close, and the pond where the bullfrogs like to sing. Follow the path across Hawk Mountain Road to the trailhead, and climb up to take your first view from South Lookout. No matter how limited your hiking skill might be, everyone is able to access the South Lookout, which can be reached via either the main trail or the wheelchair-friendly Silhouette Trail; the graded path is easy to climb and the South Lookout has a beautiful view of the entire valley below the mountain.  From there you can chart your own adventure - will you go up to the other lookouts, or down into the valley to visit the River of Rocks, a relic from the last ice age?

Which trail will you follow? Click for large view.
(Sorry about the glare, I did the best I could.)

The Hawk Mountain property has nine trails; I've hiked on all of them and completed most of them, though I've long since abandoned the dream of managing the difficult Skyline Trail leading to the East Lookout. At left is a map which depicts the various trails and gives you an idea of how challenging they are. Probably the majority of visitors choose to take the leisurely path up to the famous North Lookout, where volunteers and interns gather starting every August to perform "the count" - the annual monitoring of raptor birds who fly through the Kittatinny Ridge (the range of which Hawk Mountain is a part) on their way south for the winter. It gives conservationists a strong idea of how many hawks, eagles, falcons, and other birds of prey are in the wild. Whichever trail you choose to follow, make sure to leave early enough that you have sufficient daylight to get back to your car - the trails close at sundown, and there is no lighting on the mountain!

Ghost pipes growing beside the gatehouse.

After your hike, if you're hungry and want a good meal, I'm a big fan of Deitsch Eck Haus in nearby Lenhartsville, which has delicious Pennsylvania Dutch cooking and authentic Pennsylvania Dutch artwork on the walls. Also, if you're coming from a distance, the Hawk Mountain website has some info about where you can find overnight accommodations while you're in town, in case you're not up to making a drive after your wilderness explorations.

Hawk Mountain is the oldest and largest member-supported raptor conservation organization in the world. Admission is free for members and for children aged five and under; older children and adults pay between $5 and $10 each, depending on age. Please note that pets are not allowed on the trail for their own safety, although leashed pets may be walked on the nearby Appalachian Trail. Trails are open from dawn to dusk every day, but winter maintenance is not provided so hike at your own risk. For the safety of visitors, the trails are closed on all Saturdays and the first Monday and Tuesday of deer hunting season. The visitor's center is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm except on major holidays or in the event of inclement weather. A full schedule can be found on this page, and a full list of rules and regulations can be examined here.

I have spent more time at Hawk Mountain than anyone else I know (though less than many others), and some part of me is always eager to go back. I hope that you get the chance to climb up and see for yourself why that is.

“Time spent amid the peace of Hawk Mountain brings the strength and inspiration which we need so much.” - Rosalie Edge 

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Sources and Further Reading:

Official website of Hawk Mountain

Broun, Maurice. Hawks Aloft: The Story of Hawk Mountain. Stackpole Books, 1948.

Wright, Jim; Kevin Watson (photographer); Deborah Edge (foreword). Hawk Mountain: The World's First Raptor Sanctuary. Camino Books, 2009.

Edge, Peter. Rosalie Edge: A Most Determined Woman. Revised edition, 1998. (The link leads to a free download available from HawkMountain.org; the author is Rosalie Edge's son.)

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary at the Historical Marker Database

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Except where indicated, all writing and photography on this blog is the intellectual property of Laura Klotz. This blog is written with permission of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. I am not employed by the PHMC. All rights reserved.