Reopened: More State Parks and sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway
North Carolina State Parks
According the State of North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, more state parks have opened partially or fully thanks to ongoing clean-up efforts. The parks were temporarily closed due to impacts from Hurricane Helene.
Three parks slated for long-term closure are Chimney Rock, Mount Mitchell, and South Mountains state parks. Mount Jefferson is still temporarily closed.
The division continues to assist with emergency and rescue efforts in western North Carolina. To date, over 150 division staff have been deployed with the North Carolina Emergency Operations Center as well as to assist with Incident Management Teams and with cleanup projects at western state parks.
“Our priority first and foremost is visitor and staff safety,” Strong said. “There are areas that will be marked closed due to hazardous trees and branches with a high likelihood of falling as well as unsteady bridges and washed-out trails. We ask that visitors follow signage and do not attempt to access areas that have been closed off.”
Refer to the North Carolina State Park’s Places to Visit website to check the current status of a specific park or trail.
Blue Ridge Parkway
The National Park Service recently announced the reopening of an 11-mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Black Mountain.
Known as the Asheville corridor, the section runs from the North Carolina Arboretum north to the Folk Art Center from milepost 382.5, at US 70 near the Folk Art Center, to milepost 393.6, at N.C. Highway 191 near the North Carolina Arboretum. The opening includes the French Broad Overlook at milepost 393.8. Trails in the Asheville section of the Parkway are also open, although visitors are asked to use caution.
Also open is the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center at milepost 384, which resumed year-round operations daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
If you use the trails, please be alert to hazards resulting from landslides, downed or leaning trees, washouts, and other damage. Since heavy equipment may also still be active through the area, please avoid parking on the roadside in any location other than official, paved parking areas. With the opening of the Asheville corridor, the NPS has restored access to over 310 miles of the Parkway following the destruction of Hurricane Helene.
The National Park Service does not yet have projected opening dates for areas of the Parkway immediately north and south of this 11-mile road segment. Ongoing roadway and roadside damage evaluations, significant debris removal, and miles of technical hazard tree work remain north of US 70 and south of State Route 191. The NPS will provide updates when information is available.
For a map of openings and closings on the parkway, visit nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/maps.htm.