After Hurricane Helene’s destructive sweep across North Carolina on September 26, five state parks damaged by the storm will partially reopen this Friday.
The parks welcoming visitors back include Grandfather Mountain, Gorges, Crowders Mountain, Lake Norman, and Rendezvous Mountain.
Each was closed following Helene’s impact, which forced the cancellation of the Mountain Monarch Festival at Gorges and all other October events and field trips.
The reopening comes with specific conditions to ensure visitor safety. At Crowders Mountain, trails and day-use areas will reopen, but camping areas remain off-limits for November.
Gorges Park will allow access to Grassy Ridge, including the visitor center, certain trails, and camping areas; however, the backcountry areas will remain closed.
Crowders Mountain trails reopen; camping remains closed while Gorges Park limits backcountry access.Lake Norman’s day-use and campsite facilities will be available, though some mountain bike trails and all cabins are closed for new reservations, with existing ones honored.
At Grandfather Mountain, most trails will reopen, but Profile Trail and several others will remain inaccessible. Rendezvous Mountain will reopen in full.
Brian Strong, State Parks Director, stated, “We are very excited to be able to reopen these parks, and we hope to open additional facilities in November.
We know our visitors have been missing our closed parks, and we hope these reopenings will help our neighbors, local towns, and communities.”
Meanwhile, efforts continue to clear debris in western parks, where hazardous conditions, including unstable trees and washed-out trails, have required the deployment of over 150 staffers.
Several parks, including Chimney Rock, Elk Knob, and Mount Mitchell, remain closed due to these ongoing safety concerns.
Visitors are urged to respect closure signs and avoid restricted areas for their safety.