These 5 North Carolina state parks are reopening after Hurricane Helene. But many are still closed

Five NC State parks damaged by Hurricane Helene will reopen, at least partially, on Friday.

The soon-to-open parks are: Grandfather Mountain, Gorges, Crowders Mountain, Lake Norman and Rendezvous Mountain.

The state closed all North Carolina parks west of I-77 after Helene struck Sept. 26, noting that each would reopen after the damage could be assessed.

This closure canceled the Mountain Monarch Festival at Gorges and all October events and field trips.

Which parts of the parks are reopening?

The following rules now apply:

▪ At Crowders Mountain, trails and day-use areas will reopen. Camping areas remain closed in November.

▪ At Gorges, Grassy Ridge Access will reopen, allowing access to the visitor center, trails to Rainbow and Upper Bearwallow Falls and RV, trailer, tent camping and cabins. The backcountry, including campsites and Frozen Creek Access with Auger Hole and Canebrake trails, will stay closed.

▪ At Lake Norman, day-use areas and campsites will reopen. Some sections of mountain bike trail may be closed. Cabins remain closed to new reservations, but existing reservations will be honored.

▪ At Grandfather Mountain, most trails will reopen, though Profile Trail, Profile Connector Trail and Profile Campsite are closed.

▪ At Rendezvous Mountain, all areas will reopen.

“We are very excited to be able to reopen these parks, and we hope to open additional facilities in November,” said State Parks Director Brian Strong. “We know our visitors have been missing our closed parks, and we hope these reopenings will help our neighbors, local towns, and communities.”

These NC state parks remain closed

More than 150 staffers have been deployed for cleanup projects at western state parks.

“Our priority first and foremost is visitor and staff safety,” Strong said. “There are areas that will be marked closed due to hazardous trees and branches with a high likelihood of falling as well as unsteady bridges and washed-out trails. We ask that visitors follow signage and do not attempt to access areas that have been closed off.”

The following parks remain closed: Chimney Rock, Elk Knob, Lake James, Mount Jefferson, Mount Mitchell, New River, South Mountain, Stone Mountain.