JOCASSEE GORGES — A new overlook in the Jocassee Gorges offers visitors one of the area’s most beautiful spots to enjoy the scenery while giving two parents some peace and quiet.
Visitors to the Jocassee Gorges area may be aware that two peregrine falcons have been calling Jumping-Off Rock home since at least 2008.
Gorges officials took steps to protect the nesting site, said Mark Hall, who oversees the 43,500-acre site for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
While exploring the area after a wildfire last
year, Hall was interrupted.
“These birds started squawking at me,” he said. “It surprised me, so I took a second look and said, ‘My goodness, those are falcons.’”
Further viewing revealed that the birds weren’t just passing through — they had a nest in the Jocassee Gorges.
Hall realized that the nest’s proximity to Horsepasture Road and Jumping-Off Rock might cause some problems for the birds.
“Everybody who goes down there wants to go out and walk out on Jumping-Off Rock,” he said.
Discovering the falcons spurred officials to make a decision on the popular lookout spot.
“We’ve always had concerns, because Jumping-Off Rock’s kind of a dangerous spot,” Hall said. “It can get icy, and it’s an easy place to have an accident.
“When the falcons showed up, we decided that factor, combined with the safety issue, gave us a good reason to go ahead and restrict access to the site."
Officials closed off access to Jumping-Off Rock, in order to give the birds a chance to thrive, Hall said.
The falcons were nesting directly under Jumping-Off Rock, “where everybody goes,” he said.
“We know that peregrines are susceptible to disturbance, especially from directly overhead,” he said.
Hall consulted with falcon experts, who told him that the birds require peace during the first year after they pick a nesting site.
“So that first year we just closed everything off,” he said.
That move drew criticism from many, who questioned the need to close off access to that portion of the Gorges for the birds.
“We didn’t want to take any chance on running them off,” Hall said.
Experts said that after the first year, preventing disturbances wouldn’t be as critical to the birds’ well-being and the health of the nest
During that first year, officials decided on a long-term solution that would benefit the falcons, their young and visitors to the area.
A new overlook has been created 250 yards away from Jumping-Off Rock.
“It’s really nice, beautiful,” Hall said.
“Most people agree it’s probably more striking and impressive than the old one.
“I was pleased with the way it worked out,” he continued. “People can still see the lake, have that impressive view. They can also sit out to the side and watch the falcons, which is pretty cool too.”
This past spring, officials reopened the area to allow traffic to travel back and forth past Jumping-Off Rock.
Hall was initially worried that allowing access again may have harmed the birds.
After the road was re-opened, Hall was concerned because the falcons behavior changed — and he didn’t see any chicks.
“I was disappointed … maybe the traffic had disturbed the birds and had some effect on them,” Hall said.
But the birds hadn’t left — they only shifted their nest site, possibly due to the new traffic.
“They may have abandoned their eggs, or they were eaten by ravens,” he said.
Hall and other officials recently rappelled down Jumping-Off Rock and discovered the new nesting site
“From a distance, we could determine where the falcons had shifted their nest site to,” he said. “It told us some more about how they operate.”
Some years ago, SC DNR tried to encourage falcons to nest in the area, by creating a space for them and even providing them some food.
That effort was only successful for a few years, so it’s gratifying for officials to see the Jocassee pair doing so well, Hall said.
“It’s quite a success story for Jocassee,” he said. “It’s such an impressive conservation area, and we’re trying to do all the right things.”
Peregrine falcons are no longer on the endangered species list, but there are only 4,000 breeding pairs currently in North America.
Hall said the Jocassee falcons have given birth to four chicks, two this year and two in 2008.
The Jocassee falcons are one of only two pairs of nesting peregrine falcons known to be in the state. 
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