Have you heard of Raccoon Ridge? It sounds like the name of a fancy condo development or a war movie. It's not.

Raccoon Ridge is a hawk watch above the Delaware River Gap in western New Jersey — and it's one of the best places on the East Coast to see large raptors migrate this time of year.

When a friend invited me to join him for a trip to the ridge and assured me that I’d have an excellent chance of seeing a bird of prey that has long eluded me — a golden eagle — how could I refuse?

“Raccoon Ridge has it all,” says Jim Thomson, the long-time raptor counter there. “First and foremost: raptors. Plus gorgeous scenery and abundant wildlife. If you love being immersed in raptor migration and nature in general, the ridge is the whole package.”

There's just one catch. Compared to Raccoon R

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