Trail building starts soon at Old Fort
Construction of 4 miles of new trail will soon be underway on the Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest in Old Fort, part of a planned 42-mile trail expansion in the Old Fort area.
This includes the 1-mile Meadows Loop Trail, which will be ADA-accessible and located next to the Old Fort Gateway Trailhead, a 100-car parking area that opened in June. The trail will provide interpretation and opportunities for fishing and wildlife viewing. It is funded by McDowell County through a grant from the North Carolina Water Resources Program. Construction starts this month.
The remaining mileage will come from the 3-mile Bernard Mountain Trail for hiking and biking, located north of the Point Lookout Trail and following the rocky ridge that parallels the mountain biking favorite Kitsuma Trail. Funding comes partially from the McDowell County Tourism Development Authority. Construction starts in late winter.
Together, the trails represent a $400,000 investment in public lands near Old Fort. They are the product of the collaboration between Camp Grier’s G5 Trail Collective, Eagle Market Streets Development Corporation, People on the Move Old Fort and the U.S. Forest Service Grandfather Ranger District, collectively known as the Catawba Vale Collaborative.
