Hawk Ridge

This is a wonderful gem in Duluth. The drive is not paved entirely and you’ll have to go slow, but the view is worth it. In the fall, I make a point to go watch the birds migrate south. The University sets up grad students and volunteers record birds migrating as well as educate people about it.
We were there only briefly this year, but there was a spike in bald eagles and even one golden eagle sighting (which I sadly didn’t see) while we were there. Usually you can catch some birds with the naked eye, but you can also borrow a pair of binoculars which makes things even better.
The sight of the city from atop the ridge is also spectacular, especially in the fall.

We were traveling through Duluth and heard that the Hawk migration was in it’s peak this week so we decided to stop. It was a gorgeous day with temps in the high 60’s. The hawks were pretty steady during the morning hours but, tapered off in the afternoon. There were Broad-​winged, Sharp-​shinned, Peregrines and Kestrels. The highlight was when a Golden Eagle flew over. Spectacular. I will definitely come back next year.

If you are in Duluth in September be sure to check out Hawk Ridge. The hawks are migrating and pass through daily. Their is an observation area surrounded by people and be sure to check out the trails and amazing views of Duluth. It is always a beautiful place to go, but I highly recommend it in September and October.

Holy Hawks! This fun migration stop for hawks and eagles is a great viewing area. I went there in october to see what all the hype was about. Well turns out we were like a week or two late for the huge migration (you can see 10,000) birds in a day. But we still got to see our fair share of coop, goshawks, bald and golden eagles, merlins ect. I would definitly make a trip there is you can its beautiful and makes for a nice birding adventure.
Up on the «ridge» a group of naturalist are there to help you with identification and info about just about anything «wildlife». They also have a station set up for pro hawk counters that have scopes and will let you know when a bird is coming by. They also have small classes and lectures on birds. The only thing I didnt appreciate was the auctioning off of raptors. They band birds for data purposes and then hold them like ice cream cones in front of eveyone, give you alittle background on the species only to then auction them off for a chance to release the bird. I can relate to needing to make money since its a non for profit but I dont think that its very safe to hand a 75 + yr old woman that has a cane (im not making this up) a 15−16″ annoyed Goshawk with no gloves to release. Oh yea and to release the bird it was $ 75!
But if you get past that it s a great place to visit. If you do decide to hit up duluth I would firs. refer to my other duluth reviews for your own saftey

We were there at the very end of August, when the raptors are just starting their migration. Apparently at the peak in early September there can be up to 100,000 raptors a day flying by. I need to make a trip to see that! A local conservancy group was there providing free use of binoculars, and answering all our questions about the birds (we were clueless so we had many). Even if you’ve never been birdwatching, this is a great place. And lovely beyond description.

If you have been to Duluth, MN then you probably know that the city is at the foot of a very large hill. Well, Hawk Ridge is on the top of that hill. I did not see this place during the day and I wasn’t there for the bird watching, but it offers one of the best views of Duluth and the Harbor at night.
Very late one evening or early one morning depending how you look at it, I drove the Skyline Pkwy. and parked at the observation point on the top of the hill. The Skyline Parkway is basically a one lane road winding its way over narrow bridges to the top of the hill. The view was amazing. The lights of the city below, the twinkle of the stars above, and a calmness that cannot be found in the Twin Cities. I could have spent the entire night here and just slept under the stars, but it started to get chilly.
I would recommend this place if you are in the area and looking for a very romantic spot or just an amazing view.