Long list: Pisgah National Forest shuts down many trails, camping, roads

ASHEVILLE - Considerable swaths of the Pisgah National Forest are closed to recreation, according to a press release from the Forest Service. 

The closures are scheduled to last from April 13 until Aug. 13 or until they are rescinded.

Visitors won't be allowed to use an extensive list of roads and trails, enter a developed recreation sites (including campgrounds and picnic areas) or camp in the Pisgah National Forest for four months. 

Closure highlights include Looking Glass Rock, Max Patch, Graveyard Fields, Catawba Falls, sections of the Mountains to Sea Trail and the Art Loeb Trail. 

In its release, the Forest Service said it was initiating the closures to be "in alignment with current federal, state and local guidance for social distancing and to ensure health and safety of its employees, visitors and volunteers."

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"It is not a closure of the whole forest," FS spokeswoman Cathy Dowd told the Citizen Times. “There’s about 200 miles of road and 700 miles of trails that remain open on the Pisgah National Forest.”

More:A global coronavirus pandemic is not the time for vacationing in WNC and frolicking in forests

Trail Closures 

Appalachian Ranger District

• Big Butt (161)
• Douglas Falls (162)
• Walker Creek (165) 
• Elk Pen (166)
• Snowball (170)
• Upper Corner Rock (173) 
• Little Andy (174) 
• Perkins (175)
• Bear Pen (176) 
• Black Mountain Crest (179) 
• Green Knob (182)
• Stair Creek (183) 
• Laurel Gap (184) 
• Mount Mitchell (190) 
• Buncombe Horse (191)
• Big Tom Gap (191A) 
• Roaring Fork Falls (195)
• Setrock (197) 
• River Loop (200)
• Fork Ridge (285) 
• Jerry Miller (286)
• Green Ridge (287) 
• Hickey Fork (292)
• Whiteoak (293) 
• Roundtop Ridge (295) 
• Shutin Creek (296) 
• Cherry Creek (300) 
• Cold Springs Horse (302) 
• Buckeye Ridge Horse (304) 
• Max Patch Loop (306) 
• Lover's Leap (308) 
• Overmountain Victory Trail, from Roaring Creek to AT (308A)
• Pump Gap Loop (309) 
• Laurel River (310) 
• Groundhog Creek (315) 
• Mountains to Sea (440)
• Hemlock (1003) 
• Briar Bottom (1006) 
• Elk Falls 

More:Coronavirus: Employees, national groups call on Blue Ridge Parkway, all parks to close

Grandfather Ranger District 

• Brown Mountain 1A (BM1A)
• Brown Mountain 1B (BM1B)
• Elliot Deer (BM2)
• Sullivan’s Pass (BM3)
• Kirby’s Loop (BM4)
• Ned’s Knob (BM5)
• Miller Circle (BM6)
• Richard’s Bypass (BM7)
• Brown Mountain 8 (BM8)
• Brown Mountain 9 (BM9)
• Brown Mountain 10 (BM10)
• Falls Branch (214)
• Catawba Falls (225)
• Spence Ridge (233)
• Shortoff (235)
• Little Table Rock (236)
• Table Rock Summit (242)
• Table Rock Gap (243)
• Hawksbill (248)
• Linville Falls Access
• Upper Creek (268B)

More:Coronavirus and the WNC outdoors: Your questions answered

Pisgah Ranger District 

• Ivestor Gap (101)
• Daniel Ridge Loop (105)
• Looking Glass Rock (114)
• Slick Rock Falls (117) 
• Cat Gap (120) 
• North Face (132)  
• Art Loeb – Davidson River to Joel Branch FSR5002 (146) 
• Art Loeb – Black Balsam Road FSR816 to Camp Daniel Boone (146) 
• Moore Cove (318)
• Campground Connector (329) 
• Mt. Pisgah (355)
• Graveyard Ridge (356)
• Graveyard Ridge (356A)
• Graveyard Fields (358)
• Upper Falls (358A)
• MST Access (358B)
• Shining Creek (363)
• John Rock (365)
• Rainbow Falls (499)
• Sunwall (601)
• Hardtimes Gap (661) 
• Deer Lake Lodge and FSR491 (661) 

More:What you need to know about WNC trout season opening day to limit coronavirus spread

Recreation Site Closures

Appalachian Ranger District  

• AT Deer Park Shelter
• AT Flint Mountain Shelter
• AT Groundhog Creek Shelter
• AT Hogback Ridge Shelter
• AT Hot Springs Trailhead
• AT Jerry Cabin Shelter
• AT Little Laurel Shelter
• AT Overmountain Shelter
• AT Overmountain Victory Trailhead
• AT Roaring Fork Shelter
• AT Spivey Gap Trailhead
• AT Stan Murray Shelter
• Big Butt Trailhead
• Black Mountain Campground
• Briar Bottom Group Camp
• Buncombe Horse Trailhead
• Carolina Hemlocks Campground
• Carolina Hemlocks Picnic Area
• Carolina Hemlocks Trailhead
• Corner Rock Trailhead/Big Ivy parking
• Douglas Falls Trailhead
• Elk River Falls Trailhead
• Fork Ridge Trailhead
• Harmon Den Horse Camp
• Hickey Fork Trailhead
• Laurel River Trailhead
• Max Patch Pond
• Max Path Trailhead
• Murray Branch Picnic Area
• Poplar Boat Launch
• Roan Mountain
• Rocky Bluff Campground
• Shinbone Trailhead
• Shope Creek Parking Area
• Silvermine Trailhead
• South Toe Trailhead (Mt. Mitchell Trailhead)
• Stackhouse Boat Launch
• Walker Creek Trailhead

More:Update: Stay off the Appalachian Trail as access points are closed amid coronavirus spread

Grandfather Ranger District 

• Boone Fork Pond
• Brown Mountain OHV Trailhead
• Brown Mountain Roadside Campsites
• Catawba Falls Trailhead
• Curtis Creek Campground
• Curtis Creek Roadside Campsites
• Hawksbill Trailhead
• Linville Falls Trailhead
• Linville Gorge Cabin
• Mortimer Campground
• Mortimer Picnic Area
• Spence Ridge Trailhead
• Tablerock Picnic Area and Trailhead
• Toms Creek Falls Trailhead
• Upper Creek Falls Trailhead
• Wilson Creek Day Use Area (as indicated on map)
• Wolfpit Trailhead

Pisgah Ranger District 

• Art Loeb Trailhead, Camp Daniel Boone
• Art Loeb Trailhead, Davidson River
• Art Loeb Trailhead, FSR816 Black Balsam
• Avery Creek Roadside Campsites
• Black Balsam Trailhead
• Buckhorn Gap Shelter
• Butter Gap Shelter
• Campground Connector Trailhead
• Cat Gap Trailhead
• Cathy Creek Roadside Campsites
• Coon Tree Picnic Area
• Courthouse Falls Roadside Camping
• Cove Creek Group Campground
• Cradle of Forestry in America
• Daniel Ridge Trailhead
• Davidson River Campground
• Deep Gap Shelter
• Hardtimes Trailhead
• Headwaters Roadside Campsites
• Hendersonville Reservoir Road Roadside Campsites
• Kuykendall Group Camp
• Lake Powhatan Campground
• Lake Powhatan Picnic Area
• Lake Powhatan Swim Area
• Ledford Branch Trailhead
• Lickstone Dispersed Campsites
• Looking Glass Falls
• Looking Glass Falls Picnic Area
• Looking Glass Rock Trailhead
• Moore Cove Trailhead
• North Face Trailhead
• North Mills River Campground
• North Mills River Picnic Area
• Pink Beds Picnic Area
• Pisgah Center for Wildlife Education
• Pisgah Ranger Station Visitor Center
• Rice Pinnacle Trailhead
• Shining Creek Trailhead
• Slick Rock Falls Trailhead
• Sliding Rock Recreation Area
• Stony Fork Picnic Area
• Sunburst Campground
• Sunburst Picnic Area
• Sunwall Trailhead
• Sycamore Flats
• Upper Cove Creek Roadside Campsites
• US276 Picnic Areas
• Wash Creek Horse Camp
• Wash Creek Roadside Campsites
• White Pines Group Camp
• Wolf Ford Horse Camp
• Yellow Gap Roadside Campsites

More:Coronavirus: What are US Forest Service, NPS, state parks doing to slow spread of virus?

Road Closures 

The following roads are closed in the Appalachian Ranger District: Stony Fork Road (63), Hawksbill Creek Road (63A), Big Ivy Road, FS Road (74), South Toe River Road, (472A) and Neals Creek Road (2074). 

In the Grandfather Ranger District: Table Rock Road (99), Mortimer R.A. Road (116), Chestnut Mountain Road (198), Steeles Creek Road (228), Brown Mountain Road (299), Marks Mountain (451), Old Fort Road (460), Lost Cove Road (464A), Curtis Creek Road (482), New Gingercake Road (496), Mortimer Piedmont Road (982), Boone Fork Road (2055), Carroll Creek Road (4096) and Pearcy Creek Road (4101). 

In the Pisgah Ranger District: Lickstone Road (97), Courthouse Creek Road (140), Pilot Mountain Road (229), Headwaters Road (475B), Avery Creek Road (477), Bent Creek Road (479), Powhatan Access Road (481), Black Balsam Road (816), Yellow Gap Road (1206) and Wash Creek Road (5000). 

Elizabeth Anne Brown is the trending news reporter for the Citizen Times. Reach her at eabrown@citizentimes.com, or follow her on Twitter @eabrown18.

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