Yosemite Peregrines: A Story of Hope 

March 19, 2023 -  Yosemite National Park reports trails are still snowy. Lodging only partially reopens tomorrow on Monday, March 20, 2023, but all that is far less of a concern if you’re a bird! Peregrine falcons have begun nesting in the park again high up on the granite structures, a perfect place to scout out prey below before plummeting upon them at insane speeds. While exploring the park, be sure to look up! You just might get to see a precipitous peregrine plummet in action, but for those of you who love being on the big walls almost as much as the birds, this gets a bit more complicated.

Climbing closures are now in effect through July 15 to help protect our local population of these impressive creatures that had become extirpated from the park by the 1970s. The closures are updated regularly to provide both sustainable protection for active breeding peregrine pairs and maximal climbing access. So, before heading out on a climb, please check for current route closures on our information boards at Camp 4, El Capitan Bridge, and certain approach trails or online: https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/climbingclosures.htm.

Enjoy this video, “Yosemite Peregrines: A Story of Hope,” to learn more about the biology of these Yosemite icons and the coordinated rehabilitation project to recover their devastated population from DDT poisoning.

For an audio described version of this video, go to https://youtu.be/auVkhUBK--Y.

Source: Yosemite National Park