On the morning of 9/27/2024, the mountains were already soaked with a storm that had settled in. Then Helene arrived. It quickly blew through Florida, Georgia and stalled over western NC. All said and done, over 20" of rain poured down on these mountains.
Creeks breached their banks, homes flooded, and some areas were nearly completely wiped out. People lost their lives, homes were destroyed, businesses were wiped out, and people became and continue to be stranded.
We were fortunate. Our home towns of Waynesville and Maggie Valley NC were hit pretty hard, but fortunately, by the grace of God, we weren't.
In this article, which we will keep updated, will provide a summary, from a local's perspective, of the impact to the Blue Ridge Mountains, in particular Western North Carolina.
Updated: 11/20/2024 - Pisgah National Forest and Dupont State Forest Reopenings and partial re-openings of Lake Lure NC
Are the North Carolina Mountains Open?
Yes, and no. But the North Carolina mountains are definitely trending toward being open more than they are closed. Considerable progress has been made over the past few weeks!
Everyone wants to paint a wide brush across the mountains saying everything was affected, but that just isn't true. Some areas are nearly gone, while other areas were barely touched.
Areas open and welcoming visitors include:
- Asheville (including Biltmore and the River Arts District), Andrews, Beech Mountain, Black Mountain, Brevard, Burnsville, Boone, Blowing Rock, Bryson City, Canton, Cashiers, Cherokee, Clyde, Dillsboro, Franklin, Hayesville, Hendersonville, Highlands, Lake Lure (Partial Re-opening), Marion, Maggie Valley, Mount Airy, Murphy, Nantahala, Old Fort, Robbinsville, Saluda, Sapphire, Spruce Pine, Sylva, Waynesville and West Jefferson in North Carolina. In the foothills, Mount Airy is also open.
- Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge in Tennessee
- Western Virginia (Roanoke, Galax, Abingdon, Staunton, etc.) - The Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia are also open, as is the Shenandoah National Park.
- Areas in Northern Georgia, including Blue Ridge GA, Ellijay and Helen
Towns NOT currently welcoming visitors include: Bat Cave, Chimney Rock, Hot Springs, Marshall, Swannanoa
Things to be aware of, especially in Western NC:
- Some roads may be closed - Use DriveNC to see what is open and closed.
- Debris and remains of fallen trees may be along roadsides. So be careful.
- Some areas of towns may be closed - Some areas of the towns above may still be closed due to flooding and damage. This includes areas and individual businesses.
- Avoid travelling in areas outside of these - Many towns are still trying to get their infrastructure in place. Please avoid areas not inviting visitors yet so they can focus on taking care of resident's needs and getting back on their feet.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The park received minor damage on the TN side, and has re-opened all trails and roads on the TN side. Newfound Gap road (Highway 441) from Cherokee to Gatlinburg is open.
The North Carolina side is of the park is mostly still closed, although the Oconaluftee Visitor Center is open as of 10/3. Trails on the NC side and most roads into the park are still closed. This includes Cataloochee Valley and Big Creek. Deep Creek near Bryson City is open.
The Blue Ridge Parkway
The Blue Ridge Parkway was fully closed immediately after Hurricane Helene went through Western NC. This was because of significant road washouts, mudslides, and fallen trees.
New sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway are re-opening almost weekly! Current sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway that are now open include:
- Virginia sections from MP0 in Afton VA to MP217.3 just inside the NC line are now open. This extends the open section from Fancy Gap NC into NC.
- In North Carolina:
- Boone to Grandfather Mountain - Bamboo Gap (MP285.5) in NC to Beacon Heights (MP305) in NC. This opens up the parkway from Blowing Rock to just below Grandfather Mountain, including Linn Cove Viaduct and Rough Ridge.
- Asheville Corridor - MP382.5, at US 70 near the Folk Art Center, to milepost 393.6, at NC Route 191 near the NC Arboretum, including the French Broad Overlook at milepost 393.8. The Asheville Visitor Center, at milepost 384, will now resume year-round operations daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Folk Art Center operations, at milepost 382, are scheduled to resume on Saturday, November 9. Trails in this section of the Parkway are also open but extreme caution is advised for trail users who may experience hazards resulting from landslides, downed or leaning trees, washouts, and other damage.
- MP405.5 to MP421, from NC Highway 276 to Black Balsam is now open. This includes Graveyard Fields. Campgrounds, picnic areas, and other visitor services in this newly opened section of the park are closed for the 2024 season. The area north of milepost 405.5 remains closed for all uses due to a significant landslide at milepost 401.6.
- MP423.2 to 469, from NC Highway 215 to Highway 441 in Cherokee is open. This includes Waterrock Knob and the visitor center there.
- Heintooga Spur Road (Balsam Mountain Road) to the Masonic Marker is also now open. The road past there, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, remains closed.
Here are some photos of the damage from the National Park Service:
National Forests and State Parks
Due to Hurricane Helene, all parts west of I-77 were closed in early October. In recent days, the parks have started to re-open as crews have been able to get in assess damage and provide necessary clean up.
In general, the parks are open, but some have limitations. Also, be very careful when hiking, as debris remains, and trees may continue to fall.
Here is a current list of parks in an open or partially open status as of 10/31/2024:
- Pisgah National Forest - Partially Open - The Ranger and Grandfather Districts are OPEN. This includes Looking Glass Falls, Moore Cove Falls, many other waterfalls and hiking trails.
- Nantahala National Forest - Partial reopening as of 10/11/2024 - This includes Dry Falls, Callasuja Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls.
- Grandfather Mountain - OPEN
- Grandfather Mountain State Park - OPEN
- Gorges State Park - OPEN - Backcounty remains closed.
- Dupont State Forest - OPEN with most trails now open as well.
- Panthertown Valley - OPEN
NC National Forests and State Parks that remain closed:
- Linville Gorge Wilderness Area - Closed
- Chimney Rock State Park - Closed
- Elk Knob State Park - Closed
- Mount Mitchell State Park - Closed and will be until the access section of the Blue Ridge Parkway is reopened.
Many more are closed as well. A full list is available here.
Road Status
I-40 washed out in the TN Gorge.
The amount of roads closed is far too much for us to list here, and the status of those roads is changing daily. Remember, though, roads are only open in Western North Carolina to local and emergency assistance traffic. Visitors are asked to not visit Western NC.
To see NC road closures, visit DriveNC.
Major road closures are:
- I-40 Westbound past Statesville NC. I-40 is open to Exit 20 at Maggie Valley, but only to local and assistance traffic. I-40 is significantly washed out in the gorge. A partial re-opening is expected by the first of the year (2025).
- I-26 in Erwin TN (North of Asheville) is open to both north and sound bound traffic. However, access is reduced to one lane in both directions at the bridge where the washout occurred. No wide loads are allowed.
Should you visit?
For the areas above that are open, YES! In fact, please make an effort to visit and support local businesses that are suffering during the peaks season.
For all other areas, please do not visit, and allow the areas still hurting to recover.
