A new trail management plan designed to rein in heavy use by competing forms of recreation in Panthertown Valley will be discussed at a public meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at the Cashiers Library.

The Friends of Panthertown organized the meeting to inform the public about changes coming to the trails in Panthertown Valley.

The forest service recently finalized a trail management plan that will designate certain trails as hiker only, making them off-limits to horseback riders and mountain bikes.

Panthertown is a 6,000-acre tract near Cashiers with unique features, including a bowl-shaped valley, granite domes and waterfalls. It has historically been a free-for-all, with all uses allowed on all trails. But a rise in popularity was causing conflict between users as well as damage to more fragile trails, according to the forest service.

Restrictions will “maintain the recreational experience provided by Panthertown” and “prevent resource degradation,” Forest Supervisor Mike Wilkins wrote in his justification of the final trail plan.

About half the trails in Panthertown will now be for hikers only. In addition, commercial horse trips and guided mountain bike trips will no longer be allowed anywhere in Panthertown.

The new trail management plan has been several years in the making. As part of the plan, parking will be improved at three access areas and trail signage will be installed noting the names of trails and distances. Some users created trails through fragile areas will be decommissioned. Camping will continue to be allowed anywhere, except within 50 feet of a creek.

Friends of Panthertown has arranged for a representative from the forest service to attend the meeting to answer questions about the new recreation management plan.

“We encourage you to attend the meeting to learn how you can support Friends of Panthertown and become a part of what’s going on in Panthertown Valley,” said Nina Elliott, the Friends of Panthertown coordinator.

Friends of Panthertown has worked closely with the forest service during the process to provide feedback and represent stakeholders. The group organizes monthly trail workdays and other volunteer projects, logging more than 1,500 hours maintaining trails, building bulletin boards at trailheads, and collaborating with the forest service on a new trail map last year.

Friends of Panthertown will coordinate volunteer labor to help implement elements on the new trail plan, including trail rehab and installing trail markers and signage. Work days are on the fourth Saturday of the month.

For more info, go to www.j-mca.org or call 828.526.9938, ext. 258, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Friends of Panthertown has received a $7,500 grant from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area to develop a trail guide and interpretive signs for Panthertown Valley.

Panthertown, a bowl-shaped recreation area outside Cashiers marked by granite domes and waterfalls, has garnered accolades as a unique landscape unparalleled in Western North Carolina.

Each year, numerous visitors get lost trying to navigate the network of trails and old logging roads that traverse the 6,300 acres, reports Nina Elliott, the Friends of Panthertown Coordinator.

“We’ve received repeated requests to map and mark trails in Panthertown Valley,” Elliott said. “Mapping and marking trails will direct visitors to favorite destinations without getting lost, and if someone should get injured, EMS will be able to locate and evacuate victims quickly.”

A few purists lament the taming of trails in Panthertown, preferring the lack of signage that gives the tract the feel of backcountry and requires a know-how with a topo and compass. But the hodgepodge of trails and the lack of maps and signage prevent people who would like to hike in the area from doing so.

“Trails do more than just guide people along a path. With the help of devoted groups of people like the Friends of Panthertown, trails protect and preserve the world’s most beautiful and irreplaceable areas,” says Elliott. “Above all, projects like this educate people on the importance of the land, the wildlife, and the natural resources that are so vital to our ecosystem, protecting sensitive ecological areas for future generations.”

The Friends of Panthertown, sponsored by the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance, are currently working with the U.S. Forest Service to create a map of the of the trail system, develop a sign plan, and install bulletin boards and interpretive signs at trailheads.

But there’s one catch: an additional $11,500 is needed to complete the Panthertown Trail Project and provide matching funds for the grant. Please help by contacting www.j-mca.org or 828.526.9938 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

A hunter was in the woods one day in winter when suddenly he saw a panther coming toward him and at once prepared to defend himself. The panther continued to approach, and the hunter was just about to shoot when the animal spoke.