Forest Festival Trail #319


1.3 mi - Easy - The Forest Festival Trail is open to the public during the Cradle of Forestry’s season, and guided walks are also available during this period. Annual schedules vary, so be sure to check at the information desk. The trail, a 1.3 mile paved loop, is easy and suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. It recreates many aspects of Dr. Carl Schenck’s Biltmore Forest Fair of 1908. The fair was a three-day excursion through the Biltmore Estate and Pisgah Forest to demonstrate the accomplishments and possibilities of practical forestry at a time when the word “forestry” was a new term in America. As you follow this trail you will see much of what Dr. Schenck’s visiting businessmen and government officials saw, including various plantations, a seedling nursery, portable sawmill, historic farm site and an original “Climax" locomotive that transported logs through these mountains at the turn of the last century.

Approximate Elevation Change: 30 feet
Blaze: None

At a Glance

Open Season: Year-round
Usage: Heavy
Restrictions: Hiking Trail: foot traffic only.
Water: yes
Restroom: none
Operated By: US Forest Service

General Information

Directions: Leaving the Pisgah District Station/Visitor Center parking lot, turn right (north) onto US 276, then proceed 9.5 miles north to the Cradle of Forestry in America historic site. To access this trail you must enter the Cradle of Forestry site, which is generally open from early April to early November and charges a nominal fee. The Forest Festival Trail begins behind the site’s Forest Discovery Center.

Activities

Day Hiking