Overlook of Pisgah National Forest from Getty Images
On Tuesday, Pisgah National Forest announced the closure of a number of popular roads, trails and campsites in response to current federal, state and local guidance for social distancing. The closures are effective until August 13, 2020, or until rescinded, and impact trails in the Appalachian, Grandfather and Pisgah ranger districts.
Forest order number 08-11-07-20-071 prohibits the public from being on the roads and trails, entering or using a developed recreation site, or camping in the following areas:
Appalachian Ranger District road closures
FS Road 63- Stony Fork Road
FS Road 63A- Hawksbill Creek Road
FS Road 74- Big Ivy Road
FS Road 472- South Toe River Road
FS Road 472A- Busick Road
FS Road 2074- Neals Creek Road
Appalachian Ranger District trail closures
FS Trail 161- Big Butt
FS Trail 162- Douglas Falls
FS Trail 165- Walker Creek
FS Trail 166- Elk Pen
FS Trail 170- Snowball
FS Trail 173- Upper Corner Rock
FS Trail 174- Little Andy
FS Trail 175- Perkins
FS Trail 176- Bear Pen
FS Trail 179- Black Mountain Crest
FS Trail 182- Green Knob
FS Trail 183- Stair Creek
FS Trail 184- Laurel Gap
FS Trail 190- Mount Mitchell
FS Trail 191- Buncombe Horse
FS Trail 191A- Big Tom Gap
FS Trail 195- Roaring Fork Falls
FS Trail 197- Setrock
FS Trail 200- River Loop
FS Trail 285- Fork Ridge
FS Trail 286- Jerry Miller
FS Trail 287- Green Ridge
FS Trail 292- Hickey Fork
FS Trail 293- Whiteoak
FS Trail 295- Roundtop Ridge
FS Trail 296- Shutin Creek
FS Trail 300- Cherry Creek
FS Trail 302- Cold Springs Horse
FS Trail 304- Buckeye Ridge Horse
FS Trail 306- Max Patch Loop
FS Trail 308- Lover’s Leap
FS Trail 308A- Overmountain Victory Trail (from Roaring Creek to AT)
FS Trail 309- Pump Gap Loop
FS Trail 310- Laurel River
FS Trail 315- Groundhog Creek
FS Trail 440- Mountains to Sea
FS Trail 1003- Hemlock
FS Trail 1006- Briar Bottom
Elk Falls
Grandfather Ranger District road closures
FS Road 99- Table Rock Road
FS Road 116- Mortimer R.A. Road
FS Road 198- Chestnut Mountain Road
FS Road 228- Steeles Creek Road
FS Road 299- Brown Mountain Road
FS Road 451- Marks Mountain
FS Road 460 Old Fort Road
FS Road 464A- Lost Cove Road
FS Road 482- Curtis Creek Road
FS Road 496- New Gingercake Road
FS Road 982- Mortimer Piedmont Road
FS Road 2055- Boone Fork Road
FS Road 4096- Carroll Creek Road
FS Road 4101- Pearcy Creek Road
Grandfather Ranger District trail closures
FS Trail BM1A- Brown Mountain 1A
FS Trail BM1B- Brown Mountain 1B
FS Trail BM2- Elliot Deer
FS Trail BM3- Sullivan’s Pass
FS Trail BM4- Kirby’s Loop
FS Trail BM5- Ned’s Knob
FS Trail BM6- Miller Circle
FS Trail BM7- Richard’s Bypass
FS Trail BM8- Brown Mountain 8
FS Trail BM9- Brown Mountain 9
FS Trail BM10- Brown Mountain 10
FS Trail 214- Falls Branch
FS Trail 225- Catawba Falls
FS Trail 233- Spence Ridge
FS Trail 235- Shortoff
FS Trail 236- Little Table Rock
FS Trail 242- Table Rock Summit
FS Trail 243- Table Rock Gap
FS Trail 248- Hawksbill
Linville Falls Access
Pisgah Ranger District road closures
FS Road 97- Lickstone Road
FS Road 140- Courthouse Creek Road
FS Road 229- Pilot Mountain Road
FS Road 475B- Headwaters Road
FS Road 477- Avery Creek Road
FS Road 479- Bent Creek Road
FS Road 481- Powhatan Access Road
FS Road 816- Black Balsam Road
FS Road 1206- Yellow Gap Road
FS Road 5000- Wash Creek Road
Pisgah Ranger District trail closures
FS Trail 101- Ivestor Gap
FS Trail 105- Daniel Ridge Loop
FS Trail 114- Looking Glass Rock
FS Trail 117- Slick Rock Falls
FS Trail 120- Cat Gap
FS Trail 132- North Face
FS Trail 146- Art Loeb- Davidson River to Joel Branch FSR5002
FS Trail 146- Art Loeb- Black Balsam Road FSR816 to Camp Daniel Boone
FS Trail 318- Moore Cove
FS Trail 329- Campground Connector
FS Trail 355- Mt. Pisgah
FS Trail 356 Graveyard Ridge
FS Trail 356A- Graveyard Ridge
FS Trail 358- Graveyard Fields
FS Trail 358A- Upper Falls
FS Trail 358B- MST Access
FS Trail 363- Shining Creek
FS Trail 365- John Rock
FS Trail 499- Rainbow Falls
FS Trail 601- Sunwall
FS Trail 661- Hardtimes Gap
FS Trail 664- Deer Lake Lodge and FSR491
There are also a number of recreation sites closed. Click here for full details.