Hiking Vermont’s hillsides is a great way to enjoy a spring day, but the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and Audubon Vermont recommend people check to see if the area they are planning to hike or climb is open. In addition to the many trails that are currently closed to reduce impacts during mud season, several cliff areas are closed to protect nesting peregrine falcons.
“Peregrine falcons are very sensitive to human presence during their breeding season, so we ask climbers and hikers to please maintain a respectful distance from their nests,” said Wildlife Diversity Program Manager Rosalind Renfrew with Fish and Wildlife. “The areas closed include the portions of the cliffs where the birds are nesting and the trails leading to cliff tops or overlooks.”
Biologists and community scientists are just now identifying which cliffs are occupied by peregrines this year, and not all sites have been visited to-date. Once closed, these sites will remain closed until August 1 or until Fish and Wildlife determines the risk to nesting falcons has passed. As sites are visited in April and if nesting falcons choose new sites, additional sites may be added to the closed list on Fish and Wildlife’s website.
- Bolton Notch (Bolton) – UUW cliff – cliff access and climbing closed
- Bone Mountain (Bolton) – portions closed to climbing
- Deer Leap (Bristol) – cliff-top and climbing closed
- Eagle Ledge (Vershire) – closed to hiking and climbing
- Fairlee Palisades (Fairlee) – cliff-top closed
- Marshfield Mt (Marshfield) - portions closed to climbing
- Mt Horrid (Rochester) – Great Cliff overlook closed
- Nichols Ledge (Woodbury) – cliff-top and climbing closed
- Prospect Rock (Johnson) – cliff-top overlook and climbing closed
- Red Rocks Park (S. Burlington) – southern cliff access closed
- Rattlesnake Point (Salisbury) – southern overlook closed
- Snake Mt (Addison) – entire western trail closed
Audubon Vermont conservation biologist Margaret Fowle works with volunteers and other conservation professionals to monitor the sites throughout the nesting season. “Peregrine falcons were removed from Vermont’s endangered species list in 2005, and the population continues to thrive thanks to the efforts of our many volunteers and partners,” said Fowle. “In many cases the lower portions of the trails remain open, and we encourage people to enjoy watching peregrine falcons from a distance that requires using binoculars or a spotting scope.”
What you can do to help Vermont peregrines:
- Respect cliff closures, and retreat from any cliff where you see peregrines
- Report any disturbance of nesting peregrines to your local State Game Warden
- Report any sightings to Margaret Fowle at margaret.fowle@audubon.org