For the fifth consecutive year, Zion National Park will keep popular climbing routes on cliffs used by nesting peregrine falcons open one month longer than in the past. As in the past few years, these areas will remain open to climbing through February 28th. They will close to climbing on March 1st. The closing date is based on analysis of information collected from 2001-2006 regarding the peregrines’ arrival time to their nesting cliffs in the park.
The following cliffs will be closed to climbing beginning March 1st:
Mount Kinesava
Streaked Wall
Sentinel
Mountain of the Sun
Great White Throne (beyond single and double-pitched climbs)
Cable Mountain
Isaac (in Court of the Patriarchs)
North Twin Brother
Middle Fork of Taylor Creek
the northeast buttress of Angel’s Landing
Tunnel West
All other cliffs are open to climbing.
Park biologists will continue to monitor nesting activity of peregrine falcons in the park throughout the 2007 breeding season. Climbing routes that were previously used for nesting by peregrines, but are not being used this year, will be re-opened in May. Cliffs used by nesting peregrines will be monitored until the chicks fledge, usually in late July, and then reopened.
Zion National Park is home to a high concentration of breeding peregrine falcons each spring and summer. From the mid-1960’s through the 1990’s, these magnificent birds of prey were listed as an “endangered species” under the Endangered Species Act. Fortunately, peregrine populations have recovered across North America and the species was removed from the list in 1999. Zion National Park has been and continues to be an important sanctuary for peregrines and other species. Even when peregrine populations were plummeting elsewhere, peregrines have continued to successfully nest and raise their young on the tall cliffs found in many canyons in the park. Historically, Zion National Park has hosted 18 known territories used by breeding peregrine falcons.
In some locations in the park, peregrine falcon nesting cliffs also host popular climbing routes. In the past, park managers closed these nesting cliffs on February 1st of each year based on the presumed start of the breeding season. Monitoring information gathered by park biologists from 2001-2006 has concluded that peregrines do not return to breed until the beginning of March each year.
