Access Fund Alert!: Summit Rock Falcon Closure
Summit Rock is one of the largest and most popular climbing destinations in the Bay Area. It features easy access, high quality sandstone, and a wide range of difficulty, including moderate routes for youth and beginners.
Summit Rock is the only year-round raptor-related climbing closure in the nation. The County has adopted a recreation management approach that the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, agencies with decades of experience in climbing and raptor management, did not even consider when the peregrine falcon was listed as an endangered species. The Access Fund and ACSD support dozens of legitimate seasonal raptor closures across the country and actively educates climbers about seasonal restrictions and the importance of protecting cliff-nesting raptors. We believe that the county’s year-round closure of Summit Rock, while perhaps well-intentioned, is uninformed, misguided, and unnecessary. Our experience here in San Diego has proven that, notably by the 2011 success of multiple falcon nests at some of our favorite crags.
We need your help to encourage the County to lift this unreasonable closure and work with the climbing community to implement appropriate climbing management practices that protect the nesting raptors while still allowing recreational access.
We encourage you to discuss your experience with raptor closures in other locations, especially detailing our successes here in San Diego, and if you've visited the area, explain the importance of Summit Rock to you personally.
You can also help by donating to the Save Summit Rock fund. We need your help to raise $2,000 to bring a renowned peregrine expert to Summit Rock to provide an assessment of the site and provide the county with a written opinion and recommendations on necessary closures to protect nest sites.
