Although the old Inn at Afton continues to deteriorate, the parking lot and grassy area remain clear. Thus, the hawk watch will be able to proceed as usual this year. However, we have decided to cancel the Open House due to the site conditions. The owner of the Inn and mountain-top property, Phil Dulaney, passed away on July 15, 2023. Phil liked us hawk watchers, and he graciously hosted our hawk watch every year since 1976. We do not currently know the fate of the property or our hawk watch, and we only hope that we’ll be able to somehow continue the hawk watch into future years.
If you are planning to visit, please note the following important items:
1) The Waynesboro Visitor Center is now closed permanently (so no bathroom). However, we will have a port-a-potty on hand for visitors.
2) There are no amenities at or near the hawk watch other than the port-a-potty. The closest gas station, convenience store, or restaurant is a 10-minute drive into Waynesboro. There is a King’s Gourmet Popcorn trailer just off the exit, just one or two hundred yards below the Inn.
3) You may see some “keep out” or “no trespassing” signs on the drive up near the Inn and may even encounter a barrier in the road. These are an attempt to keep out the general public, but hawk watchers will be welcome as usual. If the driveway up the hill is blocked for some reason, you can turn around and enter the parking lot from rt 610 on the other side of the building.
4) If you visit, bring your binoculars at a minimum (8x minimum, 10x is even better). A spotting scope helps too. Also bring a chair, sunscreen, drinks, snacks, and a hat.
5) You can view our calendar to see what says are signed up for by our counters.
Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you up there!
Contact us for any questions.