Roan Mountain to be Closed for Construction

posted in: Outdoors | 2

According to the Forest Service in Asheville, the main recreation area on Roan Mountain will be closed prior to June 6th this year, and again after July 7th, for road paving and trail work, as well as reconstruction of the … Continued

Hike to the Waterfall on Hickory Branch

Instead of watching the super bowl, I hiked to the waterfall on Hickory Branch today, near the historic Curtis Creek area in the Pisgah National Forest. It was a beautiful winter day, and not only would I rather do just … Continued

Proposal to add 50,000 acres to Blue Ridge Parkway lands

posted in: Outdoors | 0

According to the Asheville Citizen Times and the Times-News Online today, the Blue Ridge Parkway Protection Act has been introduced into the house, which would authorize $75 million to acquire high priority lands adjacent to the existing Parkway corridor. The … Continued

Mountain biking in the future for Blue Ridge Parkway trails?

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An article in the Roanoke Times mentions the possibility of adding mountain bike trails to the Blue Ridge Parkway’s list of off-road recreational activities. In 2008, the Parkway asked for public comment on its trails development plan, and specifically those trails which … Continued

Trails Mixup

posted in: Indoors | 0

It turns out I had the Panthertown Valley trails mistakenly under the South Mountains State Park trailhead! I’ve corrected this, and added all the new official Forest Service trails in Panthertown Valley. Check ’em out, and GPS maps of the … Continued

Two New Waterfalls Added to Site

I spent New Year’s Eve visiting two waterfalls near Highlands, NC which I have added to NorthCarolinaWaterfalls.info: Picklesimer Rock House Falls and Big Shoals (Secret Falls). The weather was foggy, and it had snowed around 1-2 inches the night before, … Continued

Visit to Catawba Falls

Catawba Falls is located just off of I-40 in the Pisgah National Forest, near Old Fort, in McDowell County. Despite its’ being on National Forest property, however, the falls has long since been off-limits to the general public due to … Continued

Heavy Rain and Slides Across WNC

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In addition to the major rockslide blocking Interstate 40 just east of the Tennessee border, with the heavy rains from the remnants of tropical storm Ida, rockslides are occurring all accross the region: Interstate 40 remains closed and will be … Continued

FR 477 Landslide – Closed

posted in: Outdoors | 0

FR 477, Avery Creek Road, is closed beyond the Pisgah horse stables due to a landslide that occurred during the recent rains. This slide appears to have happened in the same spot as an earlier slide from the rains in … Continued