Dear NC State Parks Friends, Supporters, and Visitors,
Several weeks ago, communities in Western North Carolina were shattered in a way no one could have imagined. Many lives were lost and so many special places and communities were damaged in a way that will take months and years to restore. Some of these special places in WNC will be permanently altered. It is against this backdrop that I write this note to so many who have supported, visited, and made North Carolina State Parks an integral part of their lives.
Earlier this month, we made the tough decision to close all state parks west of Interstate 77, closing 13 staffed sites for the entirety of October.
Out of these challenging times, we have witnessed the incredible resiliency of our staff, particularly those who live in the affected areas. Park staff across the state have banded together to help their colleagues and to find ways to assist these hard-hit communities, including as first responders and law enforcement officers. State parks staff have provided security for shelters and hospitals, performed door-to-door welfare checks, conducted victim rescue and recovery, and supported multi-agency post-storm response. In addition, we are currently accommodating displaced residents at some of our campsites.
In recent days, we have begun the transition from immediate response to the early stages of repair of our parks. We are currently assessing conditions at a few of our parks and conducting the first phase of cleanup. We have been blessed to have invaluable partners in other land managers, who have coordinated with us on reopening efforts and have also provided skilled sawyers, large equipment, and resource management professionals to clear debris.
We are also grateful for the patience and understanding of our visitors, many of whom had to postpone their travel plans and are dearly missing these Naturally Wonderful places. Scaling back our operations has allowed dozens of our staff to serve our state and its residents at a time of great need.
We are working hard to reopen our state parks as quickly as we can. We are mindful that the local economy across many of these impacted communities relies heavily on tourism, especially during the fall color and hiking season. We also recognize the importance that the state parks system has on not just businesses but also the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of the public.
There are half a dozen parks with cleanup well underway that will reopen, at least in part, in November. A few more will likely take additional weeks of work before they will be safe enough to welcome visitors. Unfortunately, we have two or three that may take months to years before we resume normal operations. We plan to reopen in phases, opening area by area as we address dangers and hazards. We know that many of our dedicated supporters and volunteers are eager to get out themselves and help. The recovery effort is a marathon, not a sprint, and there will be plenty of opportunities in the coming months to assist with trail work once we determine that it is safe to do so.
We appreciate the support of our friends across the state. We know you miss visiting your favorite parks and we miss seeing you! Our unequivocal priority is the safety of our staff and visitors. If a park or area is closed, it is off-limits to all visitors because either we have yet to assess the conditions or there is work left to be done to make them safe. If a park or area is closed, that means we do not want any visitors entering by vehicle, by bicycle, or on foot. Attempting to access these areas puts not only you but also our staff in danger, and many of our park's home counties continue to endure depleted or limited resources.
We are assessing events, programs, and field trips for November on a case-by-case basis to see if we are able to offer them without impacting our ability to assist with critical response and recovery efforts. The best source for the status of our parks is ncparks.gov or our social media accounts.
We all want to return to some sense of normalcy, and we understand that being able to visit a state park is an essential aspect of this. We deeply appreciate everyone's patience as we assess the impact of Hurricane Helene and work to complete repairs to our facilities and trails. Thank you so much for your support, well wishes, and devotion to our amazing spaces. Please be careful and take care of yourselves.
Brian
Top photo caption: Incident Management Team crews clearing downed trees on the Headquarters Trail at South Mountains State Park