Temporary Closures on North Carolina Routes

On Tuesday, August 18th, Transylvania County, North Carolina and surrounds experienced unprecedented rain from Tropical Storm Fred that caused major flooding in the area. This included the Pisgah Ranger District where severe damage occurred on many major forest service roads, bridges, and trails throughout. This was a 100-year flooding event, the likes of which none of us have seen, bringing the Davidson River to to 13 feet above its normal water level.

Right now, as it pertains to several of our routes, the main area affected is around the Fish Hatchery and the upper Davidson River. FSR 475C at the Fish Hatchery is temporarily closed to all traffic, including bikes, as is 475 from the Hatchery to Gloucester Gap (official closure order from the USFS). Unfortunately, this means two of our popular routes are mostly unrideable—The Real Pisgah and the Looking Glass Loop—as these roads provide necessary connections. Additionally, the Appalachian Gravel Growler requires a reroute, which is noted in on the route guide. We’ll be sure to update these routes when areas open back up.

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