Miles of Pisgah National Forest trails near Old Fort in McDowell County, a cornerstone of its fledgling outdoor economy, remain inaccessible due to damage from torrential rain, high winds and landslides during Tropical Storm Helene.
The storm damage, combined with changes in federal policy and the pending expiration of an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, appeared to risk the loss of momentum on the major trails project that has been underway there, but Carolina Public Press learned Friday that a new deal to keep the project going is close to being finalized.
In the months following the storm, volunteers and U.S. Forest Service crews removed downed trees, repaired washed-out trails and cleared damaged roads to reopen 8 miles of trails. But even with those efforts, major portions of the Old Fort Trails Project within the Pisgah National Forest have remained closed, contributing to a steep drop in tourism, which is straining local businesses that rely on visitation to public lands.
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About half of the trail system is unopened, said Jason McDougald, the executive director of Camp Grier in Old Fort. “The trails that we’ve been able to open are really great for the local community, but they’re not the ones that people are going to travel here to ride,” he said.
In 2019, McDougald realized there was enormous potential for trail development in the tens of thousands of acres of forest sandwiched between Old Fort and the Blue Ridge Parkway. He led the formation of the G5 Trail Collective, an organization managed by Camp Grier focused on developing and maintaining recreational trails within the Grandfather Ranger District of Pisgah National Forest.
Among the trails that attract mountain bikers from across the state and region is the Heartbreak Ridge trail which descends more than 4,000 feet from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Old Fort. Due to numerous road closures, trail repair crews have been unable to access the trails to conduct necessary repairs, which may require heavy equipment, particularly on sections destroyed by landslides.
The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests Land Management Plan prioritizes sustainable recreation and relies on volunteer groups and nonprofit organizations, such as the G5 Trail Collective, to help in long-term trail maintenance and recreation management planning.
In 2022, the G5 Trail Collective and the U.S. Forest Service opened 9 miles of new trails in Old Fort. In all, they intend to create roughly 42 miles of trails to improve community connectivity, reduce barriers to access and support environmental and social sustainability.
In 2023, the State of North Carolina awarded Camp Grier and the G5 Trail Collective $2.5 million to finish building the 42-mile Old Fort trail complex, of which $1.5 million remains to be used. In April, Camp Grier secured a $3 million loan from a local lender to fund recovery and trail-building projects.
Partnerships with organizations such as the G5 Trail Collective are formalized through a written agreement with the U.S. Forest Service.
Among the central challenges following Helene raised by several nonprofit organizations working with the U.S. National Forest is accessing funds and extending agreements to support their work. CPP has talked with multiple nonprofit leaders who are reluctant to criticize the federal government on the record since their organizations rely on remaining in good standing with the federal agency.
Camp Grier and the G5 Trail Collective maintain a close, daily working relationship with the Grandfather Ranger District, a connection built on years of trust and collaboration, McDougald said.
However, Camp Grier’s five-year partnership agreement with the Forest Service expired in March.
U.S. Forest Service spokesman Larry Moore told CPP in an email on June 27 that the partnership with Camp Grier “is in the last stages of being finalized” under a new agreement funded by the U.S. American Relief Act. Passed in December 2024, the legislation provides disaster relief funding.
Moore said the “size, scale, and scope of Helene disaster response and recovery work” delayed the review process in the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Regional office in Atlanta.
Renewal of the agreement will permit Camp Grier and the G5 Trail Collective to resume trail construction and recovery.
“We’re excited to get started on repairing Helene damage and we appreciate the National Forests in North Carolina effort to work with us,” McDougald said.
Economic impact on Old Fort
Towns whose livelihoods rely on outdoor recreation are struggling to stay afloat amidst a drop in visitation.
Among them is Old Fort, which took a hard hit from Helene, with 60 homes damaged or destroyed. McDougald explained that Old Fort’s outdoor economy depends on overnight visitors, but with no hotel and only a handful of short-term rentals reopened, the community faces a shortage of available housing and lodging options.
Since 2022, according to McDougald, 20 businesses have opened in Old Fort. The economic engine that’s driving the growth: visits to the National Forest.
Chad Schoenauer opened Old Fort Bike Shop in 2021, inspired by plans for the trail complex. When Helene hit, his shop flooded with 3 feet of water leaving an 8-inch layer of mud, ruining his inventory. He reopened last December.
Prior to Helene, his business grew 30% annually, driven largely by visiting riders, a growth rate he doesn’t expect to continue this year.
“The trails and outdoor economy here are directly tied to G5’s progress,” Schoenauer said. “I believe in Old Fort, but we need to adapt quickly.”
Down the street, Nathan Seeker and his wife opened Seeker Coffee in 2023. While floodwater on Mill Creek inundated their nearby home, their downtown coffee shop reopened just two weeks after Helene.
“I would definitely be in a stronger position now, had the flood not happened,” said Seeker, who employs three local part-time workers.
Old Fort isn’t alone. The delay also has broader ripple effects on the region’s economy: thousands of jobs rely directly or indirectly on access to public lands and outdoor recreation. Before Helene, 11.5 million visited the mountains each year, bringing $7.7 billion to the local economy.
“Helene, fires, tariffs; it’s a lot for people and businesses to handle,” said Dorene O’Malley, board chair and acting executive director of the Outdoor Business Alliance, a trade group which represents 150 member companies throughout Western North Carolina.
“Those trails bring a lot of commerce to that little town,” she said. O’Malley estimated that tourism is down as much as 40-50% in portions of the mountains. Grandfather Mountain Nature Park in Avery County, for example, recently reported a 25% drop in visitation.
While many public recreational areas have reopened, convincing potential visitors to return to Old Fort and other outdoor destinations who may presume that Western North Carolina isn’t yet safe is a major hurdle.
“We want people to see progress,” McDougald said. “It’s a very high priority for us and for the community to get the trails open as fast as we can.”
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