It’s been over 18 months since Hurricane Helene devastated the western mountains of North Carolina, and about a year since trail recovery work began on the majority of the MST along the Blue Ridge Parkway. In other areas, like on US Forest Service lands in the Pisgahs and in Linville Gorge, volunteer crews were on the trail a bit sooner. And how do things look a year and a half later?

The MST is now over 95% reopened! Progressing from a full closure from the western terminus at Kuwohi to Stone Mountain in Segment 5, to 95%+ reopened is a testament to the trusted partnership between land managers and volunteers, and their combined commitment to reopening outdoor recreation opportunities. The MST reopened in sections as quickly as access was granted and the trails were restored and deemed safe for hikers.

The longest remaining closed stretch of trail is from Mount Mitchell State Park to Highway 80, north of Marion. The National Park Service anticipates reopening this stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway by the end of the year, which would allow access to trail crews to begin rehabbing the trail in that area. In the Linville Gorge area, the section around the bridge over the North Fork of the Catawba river remains closed until a new bridge can be installed in 2027. For now, hikers cannot ford the river safely, and a driving shuttle is in place.

Around Harper Falls, crews are rerouting the trail to avoid a very dangerous area. While this is happening, another reroute is available, using other nearby open trails.

Information on these reroutes can be found at here.

With these two reroutes, we have a full through route established through the mountains, and are eager for the day when those reroutes aren’t necessary.