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Trail News & Issues
Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory
Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory perches at more than 3,800 feet near the middle of a 50-mile ridge of the Eastern Continental Divide called Peters Mountain in Monroe County. In addition to the hawks and occasional bald eagles who cruise the area, the view from the top is a panorama of timeless animal trails, now roads, winding sinuously through neat Monroe County farms. Virginia is to the east; a retreating horizon of West Virginia mountains extends to the west; and the rock spine of the divide extends north and south to either side.
Open daily except Sundays, the area affords hikers a chance to enjoy an exclusive picnic site in a small frame building with benches and a table. (Suggestion: Check out Mennonite taste treats from the two shops in nearby Gap Mills.)
It's a 45-minute hike into the observatory. Volunteers record more than 200 hawks a day during migrations each fall.
(Monroe County is situated in the southeastern corner of the state. From U.S. Route 219, take State Route 3 east 10 miles to Gap Mills and signs for the Hanging Rock Raptor Observatory. Other nearby attractions include Moncove Lake State Park, Organ Caverns and Greenbrier State Forest)
Excerpted from Way Out in West Virginia, a Must-Have Guide to the Oddities and Wonders of the Mountain State, by Jeanne Mozier. For ordering information, visit the official web site at .
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