October 3, 2024 Updates on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Surrounding Areas:
The Blue Ridge Parkway remains closed through North Carolina as crews continue their initial assessment of the damage from Hurricane Helene.
The Blue Ridge Music Center remains closed as of today. Power was restored yesterday but the fire suppression systems need to be assessed before any operational decisions can be made. This means Midday Mountain Music is canceled through at least Monday, October 7.
The Bluffs Restaurant at Doughton Park remains closed as well. There is still no power at the restaurant and the NC section of the Parkway is closed.
The Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway has announced they will close for the rest of the 2024 season.
Many N.C. communities are closed to any outside visitors. Please check ahead before attempting to travel in any Western NC communities this fall.
All N.C. State Parks west of I-77 are closed until at least October 31. All N.C. State Parks have canceled staff-led programming, no matter the location, due to employees being pulled to western locations to assist in hurricane recovery.
Mountains to Sea Trail: The MST from Kuwohi to Pilot Mountain should also be considered closed and highly dangerous. In the coming days and weeks, we will be surveying the trail and assessing damage, but trail restoration is a very low priority in light of the humanitarian crisis facing western North Carolina, and it is likely that sections of the trail will remain closed for a significant length of time.
The following information comes straight from our friends at The Appalachain Trail Conservancy.
National Forests in North Carolina, Tennessee, and southwest Virginia that the A.T. passes through are closed.
The states of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia have declared a state of emergency.
The ATC recommends that hikers should postpone their trips to the southern A.T. until further notice (Georgia to Rockfish Gap, VA; NOBO miles 0.0 to 864.6). Although not all areas in this section are officially closed, there is still a risk of landslides in many areas, much of the A.T. in the south is inaccessible due to road closures, and emergency responders are at max capacity. There also may be dangers on the Trail from the storm like downed trees, severe erosion, washed out bridges, and swollen creeks and streams. Many devastated towns along the A.T. also have emergency orders in place excluding visitors so they can prioritize recovery.
The ATC is a private nonprofit and does not have the authority to close sections of the A.T. However, for the reasons above, we are urging hikers to avoid the entire A.T. from Springer Mountain to Rockfish Gap (NOBO miles 0.0 to 864.6), regardless of formal closures.
Please postpone your A.T. hike until the situation improves and damage can be assessed.
Please notify our team at info@brpfoundation.org if you have other updates to add.