Officials at Maine’s Acadia National Park are reopening three cliffs and their associated trails after they were closed to protect peregrine falcons.
Jordan Cliffs, Valley Cove, Precipice, and a portion of the Orange and Black Path have been closed since March because of the birds.
Areas of the park are closed annually to protect the falcons from being disturbed while they nest. The falcons nest on ledges and in small caves high on cliff walls. The birds became endangered in the mid-20th century but have since recovered.
Officials say the closure helped in the fledging of five chicks this year. Over the last two decades, more than 125 peregrine falcon chicks have fledged from the cliffs.