During the International Trails Symposium on May 9, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary received the Trail Accessibility Award from the American Trails National and International Trails Awards Program for its ADA-approved Silhouette Trail.
The National and International Trails Awards Program, hosted by the American Trails organization, recognizes the tremendous contributions and successes of exemplary people and organizations across the globe who are working to advance trails. The awards are presented every two years. The Trail Accessibility Award recognizes a successful trail project that demonstrates the integration of accessibility characteristics into its design and construction.
Hawk Mountain’s Silhouette Trail, which opened in the summer of 2015, is a 900-foot, accessible trail that serves as an alternative route to the Sanctuary’s South Lookout, where hawk-watching and educational programs occur. It includes a trailside display of full-sized, in-flight, metal silhouettes of endangered birds of prey, adding an element of education to the wheelchair-accessible trail. A free brochure describing the displayed raptors and their importance is available at the Hawk Mountain Visitor Center and for download at hawkmountain.org.