Hardy Lake: Where the Raptor Center Soars
Hardy Lake is genuinely a fantastic property that really delighted me! Located in the southeast part of the state near Austin and Scottsburg, this park has all the water recreation activities you want along with a nice beach area, camping, and great trails.
It’s also home to the Dwight Chamberlain Raptor Center where nine amazing birds of prey live. I visited the park on a day when their volunteer group was hosting Breakfast with the Birds, a fundraiser for the raptor center. After exploring the park, I got a tour of the center and was able to meet all the birds. I learned why this center is so important and how the Friends volunteer group keeps it in the air!
IN the Podcast Episode
Learn the history of the Dwight Chamberlain Raptor Center from the park’s interpretive naturalist and meet all the birds who call it home. You’ll hear from the park’s property manager about the trails, hunting, and other activities. Plus, you’ll learn about their monthly breakfasts from their Friends group.
Park Features
Hardy Lake is a smaller property, but I liked that I was able to see almost all of it in one day. It really charmed me as I explored the park! I kept noticing small moments of beauty that stopped me in my tracks – glimpses of the water through the trees, pops of color from boats in the marina, a quiet cove where someone was fishing, water lilies blooming near the beach, and wooden bridges tucked into the woods along the trails.
The lake isn’t used for flood control, but instead the dam was constructed for water supply for the area. While it may be a smaller lake, because it isn’t used for flooding, the water levels stay consistent through the year. There’s a nice marina and four boat launches throughout the property.
The park offers 149 electric camping sites along with 11 primitive spots. There’s kayaking, boating, fishing, hiking, the beach, playgrounds, and a large shelterhouse. On Cemetery Trail, hikers will see McClain Cemetery. The McClain family once lived in the area, and the headstones date back to the 1700s. But the real magic of the park is a resource they have just outside the park’s property line: The Dwight Chamberlain Raptor Center.
The Dwight Chamberlain Raptor Center
The raptor center was originally a facility to rehabilitate wounded animals and birds, but as more and more animals needed help, the park knew it had to narrow its focus. The costs to care for such a wide variety of animals were adding up, and it was hard to provide help for such diverse needs. Since the center’s first animal to care for was a great horned owl, in 2002 they decided to focus the center on raptors. However, there was still the need for funding to keep the center going. Enter Dwight Chamberlain.
Dwight Chamberlain is fascinating! He lived in Leota, not far from Hardy Lake, and studied ravens and crows in the 1960s. He was a leading expert on crows and ravens. Dwight was able to identify common crow vocalizations, and he discovered how they communicated with each other. In addition to his time working at Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and Cornell University, he also educated communities about crows and conservation. He was on the kids’ show Captain Kangaroo with his pet raven. Later, he was on the tv show To Tell the Truth and shared his knowledge of crows and ravens with the public there.
Dwight was part of the Friends of Hardy Lake volunteer group, and his financial contributions were essential for the success of the raptor center. He passed away in 2007, but the center lives on in his name. The Friends of Hardy Lake continues to host monthly breakfasts, bake sales, car shows, and raffles to raise money for the raptor center.
Meet the Raptors
The center is home to nine raptors: a great horned owl, two American kestrels, a barred owl and a barn owl, two red-tailed hawks, a turkey vulture, and a bald eagle! On the episode, you’ll hear park interpretive naturalist Jared Everett share all about the raptors. I got to see each bird and learn why they ended up in the center. Jared also went in-depth about our nation’s history with the bald eagle. The story of how they were brought back from near extinction is very compelling and full of great lessons!
While the center is not open to the public, Jared frequently takes his raptors on the road. Your state park, local park, community center, or school can work with Jared to bring some of the birds to an event so you can see them up close. He’s even brought some feathered friends to a birthday party! As you listen to the story of each bird on the episode, you can decide which ones you want to bring to your area! Then contact Jared through the park to get details worked out.
Planning Your Visit
While Hardy Lake is great any season, I would recommend visiting during one of the Breakfast with the Birds events to enjoy the all-you-can-eat breakfast and to meet a couple of the raptors. Get yourself some persimmon pudding! Bonus points if the breakfast is also hosting a Rumble for the Raptors car show.
Hiking the trails is a must; I think spring would be the perfect time! (Be aware that state recreation areas allow hunting. If you visit during the fall or winter and plan to hike, be sure to wear bright colors.) While you’re in Austin, you have to get a barbecue at Scooter’s Family BBQ. It was delicious! Go make some of your own memories, and I hope to see you in the parks!