Hawk Mountain facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hawk Mountain
View of Hawk Mountain from Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, North Lookout
Highest point
Elevation	1,521 ft (464 m)
Prominence	181 ft (55 m)
Parent peak	The Pinnacle
Geography
Hawk Mountain Location in Pennsylvania
Parent range	Blue Mountain
Topo map	USGS New Ringgold
Climbing
Easiest route	Lookout Trail (hike)

Hawk Mountain is a mountain ridge in central-eastern Pennsylvania, U.S.. It is part of the Blue Mountain Ridge, which is a section of the huge Appalachian Mountain chain. This area is located near the cities of Reading and Allentown.

The mountain and its surroundings include about 13,000 acres (5,300 ha) of land that is protected. This includes the 2,600-acre (1,100 ha) Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, a special place for birds.

You can see a cool area called the River of Rocks from the Sanctuary. These large boulders were shaped by very cold weather and ice during the "ice age," known as the Pleistocene epoch. This happened when glaciers were common.

History of Hawk Mountain

Early Name and Hunting

This mountain was once known as North Mountain. It got this name because it sits across the Lehigh Valley from another mountain called South Mountain.

In 1929, the Pennsylvania Game Commission offered money to hunters. They would pay $5 for every goshawk shot during migration season. These birds were seen as pests at the time.

Protecting the Hawks

In 1932, a birder and photographer named Richard Pough took pictures of hundreds of dead hawks. He shared these photos in a magazine called Bird Lore. This magazine later became Audubon.

For many years, hawks and eagles were hunted on this ridge. But in 1934, a woman named Rosalie Edge decided to stop it. She bought the land herself. She then changed the mountain's name to Hawk Mountain. She turned it into a safe place for birds, a sanctuary.

The Sanctuary Grows

The Hawk Mountain Sanctuary officially became an organization in 1938. It started working all year round in 1946. The payment for hunting hawks ended in 1951. However, birds of prey still faced dangers, like harmful chemicals such as DDT.

People have been counting birds at Hawk Mountain since the end of World War II. On October 8, 1992, the Sanctuary counted its one millionth raptor. A raptor is another name for a bird of prey, like a hawk or an eagle.

Scouting and Training

Hawk Mountain is also home to the Hawk Mountain Scout Reservation. This is a place where Boy Scouts can go camping and learn outdoor skills.

The mountain also hosts the Civil Air Patrol's Colonel Phillip Neuweiler Ranger Training Facility. This facility is also known as the Hawk Mountain Ranger School. Here, young people can get special training in outdoor survival and leadership.

Gallery

• 

  Hawk Mountain viewed from a rocky overlook at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary

• 

  River of Rocks