SITE DESCRIPTION

SITE DESCRIPTION:
"The Soddy Mountain hawk lookout is located in southeast Tennessee on the eastern face of Walden's Ridge (the Cumberland Escarpment) in Hamilton County, a short distance north of the town of Soddy-Daisy, TN. It lies at the eastern terminus of Jones Gap Road atop a bluff overloooking Hwy. 111 and the beautiful Tennessee River Valley to the east. The hawk lookout location is state-owned land, and there are currently no restroom or eating facilities nearby. Hawk watchers are advised to bring their own folding lawn chair, sunscreen, a hat, and drinking water, as well as binoculars and a field guide. Caution should be used at all times, especially if children are present, as there is no fence to prevent a fall off the nearby 75 foot bluff. The hawk lookout proper is level ground." *

No Shelter is available, and parking is on a level below the lookout grounds. The climb to the watch site is up a steep bank about 8' high. Other helpful tools might include an umbrella or spotting scope, although on a good day, you might not find time to use either.*

Courtesy of William G. (Bill) Haley, compiler and author of the brochure, Soddy Mountain Hawk Lookout, produced for TOS.

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk
Falconer Mr. Johnson's Red-tail

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

COLD NIGHTS AND ALL THE RAIN PUSHED A NICE FLIGHT THIS WAY

November 4, 2025 - Bill had 6 hours to spend yesterday, on Tuesday the 4th. He had good numbers and I also saw a nice group of 1 RT and several TVs moving through NE to SW being greeted by other Hawks rising up to say Hello as they passed through. The locals mostly flew North so easy to distinquish. And all the while the RT just kept catching little thermals and consitantly moving ever more SW in the sun. It was a very large bird, thus definitively female, and lots of red reflected off the feathers. The Tail and Wings glowed Pink. Beautiful bird as the sun enhanced it even more. Here's Bill's exciting report:
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