Pisgah National Forest will begin reopening trails and roads and lifting restrictions on dispersed camping

Release Date: May 15, 2020

Asheville, NC –May 14, 2020 –The Pisgah National Forest will begin to reopen many trails and roads and partially lift restrictions for dispersed camping May 14, using a site-by-site approach, including assessment of facility cleanliness, maintenance status, and health and safety of recreation areas. Facilities and services may remain limited at some sites.

Popular recreation areas that will reopen include, but are not limited to:

• Catawba Falls, TR 225
• Brown Mountain Off Highway Vehicle Area
• Black Balsam Road, FSR 816, and associated trails
• Bent Creek Road, FSR 479 and most trails and trailheads

Below is a complete list of trails, roads, and recreation areas that are reopening. The few roads that remain closed, are only closed to motorized vehicles, non-motorized use is allowed.

Restrictions on dispersed camping will be lifted for the entire Appalachian Ranger District. Dispersed camping restrictions will also be lifted for the Grandfather Ranger District with the exception of overnight camping within the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area on the weekends, which requires a permit. For the month of May, the Forest Service will not be issuing these permits. Dispersed camping restrictions remain in place for the Pisgah Ranger District. These decisions were made in coordination with county and local partners to ensure the safety of the public and employees.

Visitors can expect restrooms to remain closed and trash services to continue to be suspended. Please pack out what you pack in and remember to use Leave No Trace Principles.

Forest Service staff will continue to perform risk assessments to determine which recreation areas can resume operations in accordance with county and local partners and current public health guidance.

The Forest Service’s highest priority is ensuring the safety of the public and their employees while supporting mission critical functions. Please review current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with local and state guidelines for social distancing and cloth face coverings. 

For additional information please contact the Appalachian Ranger District at (828) 689-9694; Grandfather Ranger District at (828) 652-2144; Pisgah Ranger District at (828) 877-3265; Supervisor’s Office at (828) 257-4200.

Roads Reopening:

Appalachian Ranger District

• 74 Big Ivy
• 472 South Toe River (section between Blue Ridge Parkway and Black Mountain Campground remains closed)
• 472A Busick
• 2074 Neals Creek

 

Grandfather Ranger District

• 99 Table Rock
• 116 Mortimer R.A
• 198 Chestnut Mountain
• 228 Steeles Creek
• 299 Brown Mountain
• 460 Old Fort
• 464A Lost Cove
• 482 Curtis Creek
• 496 New Gingercake
• 2055 Boone Fork
• 4101 Pearcy Creek

 

Pisgah Ranger District

• 475B Headwaters
• 477 Avery Creek
• 479 Bent Creek
• 816 Black Balsam
• 1206 Yellow Gap (section between North Mills River Campground and US276 remains closed)
• 5000 Wash Creek (section between Wash Creek Horse Camp and Blue Ridge Parkway remains closed)

 

Trails Reopening:

Appalachian Ranger District

• 161 Big Butt
• 162 Douglas Falls
• 165 Walker Creek
• 166 Elk Pen
• 170 Snowball
• 173 Upper Corner Rock
• 174 Little Andy
• 175 Perkins
• 176 Bear Pen
• 182 Green Knob
• 183 Stair Creek
• 184 Laurel Gap
• 191A Big Tom Gap
• 195 Roaring Fork Falls
• 197 Setrock
• 200 River Loop
• 285 Fork Ridge
• 286 Jerry Miller
• 287 Green Ridge
• 292 Hickey Fork
• 293 Whiteoak
• 295 Roundtop Ridge
• 296 Shutin Creek
• 300 Cherry Creek
• 302 Cold Springs Horse
• 304 Buckeye Ridge Horse
• 308A Overmountain Victory Trail
• 309 Pump Gap Loop
• 310 Laurel River
• 315 Groundhog Creek
• 440 Mountains to Sea
• 1003 Hemlock
• 1006 Briar Bottom

 

Grandfather Ranger District

• BM1A Brown Mountain 1A
• BM1B Brown Mountain 1B
• BM2 Elliot Deer
• BM3 Sullivan’s Pass
• BM4 Kirby’s Loop
• BM5 Ned’s Knob
• BM6 Miller Circle
• BM7 Richard’s Bypass
• BM8 Brown Mountain 8
• BM9 Brown Mountain 9
• BM10 Brown Mountain 10
• 214 Falls Branch
• 225 Catawba Falls
• 233 Spence Ridge
• 235 Shortoff
• 236 Little Table Rock
• 242 Table Rock Summit
• 243 Table Rock Gap
• 248 Hawksbill
• 268B Upper Creek
• Linville Falls Access

 

Pisgah Ranger District

• 101 Ivestor Gap
• 105 Daniel Ridge Loop
• 114 Looking Glass Rock
• 117 Slick Rock Falls
• 120 Cat Gap
• 132 North Face
• 146 Art Loeb
• 318 Moore Cove
• 355 Mt. Pisgah
• 356 and 356A Graveyard Ridge
• 358 Graveyard Fields
• 358A Upper Falls
• 358B MST Access
• 363 Shining Creek
• 365 John Rock
• 499 Rainbow Falls
• 601 Sunwall
• 661 Hardtimes Gap
• 664 Deer Lake Lodge

 

Recreation Sites Reopening: note – all bathroom facilities remain closed

Appalachian Ranger District

• Big Butt Trailhead
• Corner Rock Trailhead/Big Ivy Parking
• Douglas Falls Trailhead
• Fork Ridge Trailhead
• Hickey Fork Trailhead
• Laurel River Trailhead
• Max Patch Pond
• Shinbone Trailhead
• Shope Creek Parking Area
• Silvermine Trailhead
• Walker Creek Trailhead

 

Grandfather Ranger District

• Boone Fork Pond
• Brown Mountain OHV Trailhead
• Brown Mountain Roadside Campsites
• Catawba Falls Trailhead
• Curtis Creek Roadside Campsites
• Hawksbill Trailhead
• Linville Falls Trailhead
• Spence Ridge Trailhead
• Tablerock Picnic Area and Trailhead
• Toms Creek Falls Trailhead
• Upper Creek Falls Trailhead
• Wolfpit Trailhead

 

Pisgah Ranger District

• Art Loeb Trailhead, Camp Daniel Boone
• Art Loeb Trailhead, Davidson River
• Art Loeb Trailhead, FSR816 Black Balsam
• Black Balsam Trailhead
• Cat Gap Trailhead
• Daniel Ridge Trailhead
• Ledford Branch Trailhead
• Looking Glass Rock Trailhead
• Moore Cove Trailhead
• North Face Trailhead
• Pink Beds Parking Lot (picnic areas remain closed)
• Pisgah Ranger Station Parking Lot
• Rice Pinnacle Trailhead
• Shining Creek Trailhead
• Slick Rock Falls Trailhead
• Sunwall Trailhead