With spring, and warmer weather, around the corner, raptors will soon be nesting on the cliffs and crags of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado and Zion National Park in Utah, and so temporary closures have been put in place in the two parks.
At Zion, climbing routes on cliffs used by nesting Peregrine falcons, which are in recovery from “endangered species” status, likely will be closed until late July. Those cliffs are: Angels Landing, Cable Mountain, The Great White Throne (beyond single and double-pitched climbs), Isaac (in Court of the Patriarchs), The Sentinel, Mountain of the Sun, North Twin Brother, Tunnel Wall, The East Temple, Mount Spry, The Streaked Wall, Mount Kinesava, and the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek. All other cliffs will remain open to climbing.
Park wildlife biologists will monitor the nesting activity of Peregrine falcons throughout the breeding season. Cliffs that have been closed but are not being used for nest sites this year will be reopened when nest locations have been determined, typically by late April or early May. Those cliffs being used for nest sites this year will be monitored until the chicks fledge, usually in late July, and then will be reopened to climbing.
Zion is home to a high concentration of breeding Peregrine falcons each spring and summer, park officials note. These birds of prey were listed as an endangered species in 1970 under the Endangered Species Act. Their decline was primarily due to the effects of DDT, an insecticide that caused the birds to produce thin-shelled eggs that were easily broken, killing the developing embryo inside. Thanks to the ban on DDT in 1972, as well as the success of captive breeding programs, Peregrine populations have recovered across North America and the species was delisted in 1999. Zion National Park has been and continues to be an important sanctuary for peregrines and many other wildlife species.
For up-to-date information on the status and maps of the closed climbing cliffs, check the Zion National Park website. Climbers are responsible for checking the specific maps of the closed areas. The website will be continuously updated as cliffs are reopened.
At Rocky Mountain, temporary closures are in the Lumpy Ridge and Sheep Mountain areas of the park. To ensure that these birds of prey can nest undisturbed, specific areas within the park are closed temporarily to public use during nesting season and monitored by wildlife managers. All closures started on March 1 and will continue through July 31, if appropriate. These closures may be extended longer or rescinded at an earlier date depending on nesting activity.
Closures include Checkerboard Rock, Lightning Rock, Batman Rock, Batman Pinnacle, Thunder Buttress, The Parish, Alligator Rock, Sheep Mountain, and Twin Owls, Rock One. These closures include the named formations. Closures include all climbing routes, outcroppings, cliffs, faces, ascent and descent routes and climber access trails to the named rock formations. Check the park’s website for updated information on raptor closures.
Comments
I recall a number of times when I was on Angel's Landing and at the Canyon Overlook in Zion when a peregrine falcon flashed past in a dive with wings tucked close to the body. Just a flash of feather screaming past. And screaming is no exaggeration. The sound of those dives was amazing.
Just another outstanding and unforgettable moment in one of our parks.
What was really fun was listening to amazed visitors asking "What on earth was THAT?"