On Friday, July 29th the National Park Service announced that they had reopened the Precipice, Valley Cove and Jordan Cliffs and associated trails as of today. These trails had been closed on March 17th to protect the peregrine falcons from disturbance during the nesting period.

The protection of the peregrine falcons seems to have had the desired effect as it has resulted in the fledging of 11 chicks this year, compared to 7 last year. The fledged chicks are all more than 5 weeks old and even though they and the adults are expected to stay in the area through early fall, they are not expected to be negatively affected by visitors to these areas.

According to Superintendent Kevin Schneider "The temporary closures have contributed to a very successful breeding year for peregrine falcons in Acadia Nation Park and we look forward to having many more. We encourage visitors to enjoy the hiking trails that have reopened and be sure to keep safety in mind, especially on the Precipice Trail."

The National Park Service also announced that the entire one-mile Valley Cove Trail between Flying Mountain Trail and Man O'War Brook Trail along Somes Sound will be closed to all public entry until further notice as of July 29th. This is due to deterioration of the trail walls, stone steps and tread support structures, which has resulted in increased risks to visitor's safety. The National Park Service will be improving these features to prevent trip and fall hazards and the potential failure of these structures

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