BLM updates for climbers protecting raptors in Indian Creek

MONTICELLO, Utah – [UPDATED 5/14/25, highlighted] Following spring raptor monitoring, BLM biologists have updated climbing access guidance in the Indian Creek area. Seven walls have been removed from the raptor nesting avoidance list and are now open to recreation for the remainder of the year. The newly open walls are: Critics Choice, Slug Wall, Sacred Cow, Original Meat Wall, Tenderloins, Broken Tooth and The Wall.

  

At the same time, two walls were added to the avoidance list due to confirmed raptor nesting activity, they are: The Beach and the northern portions of the Disappointment Cliffs. These avoidance areas will remain in effect until August 31st.   

While this list serves as a guide, it does not indicate every avoidance area or encompass all known names of the affected climbing areas. Before recreating, please refer to the Raptor Protection Areas Map below to identify avoidance areas. This update will be posted throughout the Indian Creek corridor. The public is also reminded that there are private land holdings throughout the Indian Creek Corridor. Please respect private landowners’ boundaries and signage.

  

From March to late August, raptors and other migratory birds use shallow depressions on ledges, cliffs, and rock walls to build nests — often returning to the same site, year after year. In southeastern Utah, raptors like falcons, eagles, and hawks continue to recover, thanks in part to cooperation from the public, climbing communities, and governmental partners. The BLM coordinates these raptor protection efforts with the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, which manages the climbing areas known as Disappointment Cliffs and portions of the Second Meat Wall climbing area. 

 

For questions regarding climbing routes and avoidance areas please contact BLM-Utah Outdoor Recreation Planner Jeremy Martin in the Monticello Field Office at 435-587-1500.