OLD FORT, N.C., May 30, 2025 – The USDA Forest Service’s Grandfather Ranger District and its partners in McDowell County today opened new trails and additional parking areas in Old Fort, North Carolina, after months of Helene-related repair work.
The 8 miles of trails provide new connections in the Old Fort Trail system, which has seen a major expansion since the groundbreaking of the Gateway Trails in 2022. In total, 20 of the planned 42 miles under the Old Fort Trail project are now open for hikers, bikers and equestrians. The new trails include:
- Catawba View Trail (E5): This 1.5-mile loop trail adds a new beginner experience at the Gateway Trails. Built by Terra Tek Trails, this mountain biking and hiking trail provides a fun, flowy back-country pump-track type experience. Take a break at the bench and soak in the views down into the Catawba River valley and Old Fort.
- Deep Cove Trail (B1): This 3-mile trail connects to areas higher up on Jarrett Creek Road and is open to horses, mountain bikes and hiking. Built by Nature Trails, the trail takes you in and out of deep mountain coves before dropping down to the Gateway Trailhead. Rhododendron tunnels and rocky terrain add to the experience on this fun moderately difficult trail.
- Camp Rock Trail (B3): This 2.5-mile mid-country trail addition by Southern Taproot Trails climbs up Jerdon Mountain and then descends along a ridge back to the road. A large rock outcrop provides sweeping views of Heartbreak Ridge and down into the Camp Grier valley. Tie up your horse, lay down your bike, or rest your feet and enjoy the view.
- Jerdon Connector (B2): This short half-mile trail connects the end of Jerdon Mountain Road back to Jarrett Creek Road, creating an easy loop for horses, mountain bikes and hiking.
- Stagecoach (A2): Connecting from the back of the Old Fort Picnic area at the bottom of Kitsuma, this half-mile hiking trail winds along Swannanoa Creek and up to the grassy Swannanoa Creek Road, a gated road that allows for a loop with the Point Lookout greenway. A Forest Service crew led the building of this trail, with many volunteer and partner trail workdays.
In addition to the new trails, alternate parking areas are now open at the Gateway Trailhead (new Meadows Parking) and at Camp Grier’s Allison Trailhead on Mill Creek Road. These parking areas provide additional access to area trails as the Gateway Trailhead and Bernard Mountain Trailhead await reconstruction from major flooding and landslides. The bridge is still out before the Gateway Trailhead, so users must rock-hop or ford Curtis Creek.
While these openings alone are a major accomplishment, the story of overcoming the damage from Helene to get them back to opening-condition highlights how partners overcame challenges over the last 8 months.
On Sep. 25, 2024, two days before Helene impacted the region, a group set out to review one of the new trails in Old Fort. The biggest expansion yet for the area was planned for fall 2024, with 8 miles coming online that October. Lisa Jennings with the Grandfather Ranger District, along with Jon Lane and Mac Pfeifer from Camp Grier’s G5 Trail Collective, spent the day walking the new Deep Cove Trail with the lead of Nature Trails professional trail building crew, who had just finished putting the finishing touches on the backcountry trail. This inspection was the final step to sign-off on the trail construction prior to opening. Towards the end of their inspection, they got caught in a sudden downpour, the first wave of the pre-Helene rainfall event. Running down from the ridge, the team was all soaked and smiles at the trailhead, pleased with the outcome of the trail project. Pulling the equipment out that evening, they parted ways with promises to “stay safe” over the weekend.
The week prior, the Camp Rock and Jerdon Connector trails were approved with a similar review. The Catawba View and Stagecoach trails were almost complete, with tools and equipment still in the woods.
That was all before Helene dropped 30 inches of rain onto Old Fort’s mountains and winds whipped down the trees. Once local communities found a bit of stability, and road access was restored, partners from the G5 Trail Collective were able to assess the conditions. The damage to the new trails was severe. Over the next 6 months, hundreds of large trees were cut off the trails, with a huge effort from G5, their amazing volunteers and Forest Service chainsaw crews, some of which traveled to help from around the country. The G5 Trail Collective organized days to reset damaged rockwork to protect stream crossings. After months of work, it is finally time to open.
The vision of the Old Fort Trails Project is to improve the health and wellness of residents, grow the local economy through outdoor recreation, and build community through shared spaces on public lands. The Forest Service is excited to invite folks back this summer to experience the trails.
Know before you go—while most trails are open, hazards are still present in our forests due to Hurricane Helene. Trees may be weakened and can come down on windy days. Washouts exist on access roads. Use caution when recreating outdoors this summer. The work to restore our forest infrastructure is immense and will be a long-term process. Information and an interactive map for trail conditions in the Grandfather Ranger District can be found at www.g5trailcollective.org/helene.