Soaring to success

The thirty-one climbing routes on the east face of the Tower at Devils Tower National Monument are now open to climbing after three Peregrine Falcon chicks successfully fledged from their nest. Each year some climbing routes are temporarily closed during the spring and summer to protect falcon nesting sites, and to protect climbers from adult falcons who will defensively dive to protect their young.

Protected nesting locations, such as Devils Tower, have been crucial in the recovery of Peregrine Falcons. Falcons experienced sharp declines in North America during the 1960s and 1970s due to wide...