Situated less than a mile south of Lake Superior near the town of Copper Harbor, Brockway is the most northerly and prominent of a series of parallel ridges running along the spine of the Keweenaw. For hawks carried along the peninsula on southerly winds, it acts as a funnel for movement further toward Keweenaw Point, where most appear to turn around and come back down the Keweenaw Peninsula. This two-way flow of hawks past Brockway Mountain, and the viewing location at 1328 ft (726 ft above Lake Superior level) combine to produce two things very uncommon at hawk-watching locales: hawks migrating in two directions simultaneously, and eye level views of the birds! The Count Site is located at West Bluff overlook.

The Brockway Mountain Drive is a seasonal road and it becomes part of the snowmobile trail system in the winter. Depending on the year, it becomes drive-able at different times. So, we post the road conditions on our website and as soon as vehicles can drive up you will know. The info is also posted on our Facebook page. Now some folks hike up and when there is snow, snowshoe or ski up, but just understand that it is a very hilly, 3.5 mile trek and you may be sharing the space with snowmobilers. The count site is at the top of Brockway Mountain. There is no power, phones or water service. There are very well maintained pit toilets available to visitors, otherwise there are no buildings up there. Bring a chair and pack a lunch if you plan to stay awhile. June can be buggy, so bug repellent is good to have too. As with other high places, it is usually windy at the top of Brockway Mountain. It is typically a few degrees cooler than in Copper Harbor too. Layering clothes is always a good idea and a warm jacket is suggested. The weather can change very quickly so be prepared for anything. Our counter, Tim, is happy to answer questions about the birds and assist in IDs. When he is not busy counting, he visits with guests and offers a wealth of birding information. By the way, he likes cookies. The shack area is the counter's domain. The spotting scope is not there for public use. Please do not handle tools or remove objects from the area. There are brochures and informative handouts available as well as a book for visitors to sign.

Our mission is to observe, research and conduct surveys of the birds that live in and migrate through the Keweenaw Peninsula and the Lake Superior region in order to collect and share important data as well as employ it for education and conservation.

All data displayed on this site are preliminary and have not yet undergone quality control. Written permission is required to use the data.