The wait is over: South Mountains State Park now open

Superintendent Lance Huss wanted to make sure the gate to South Mountains State Park was open on time Thursday morning. After all, that gate would be swinging open for the first time in nearly six and a half months.

So, Huss arrived at the park gate some 20 minutes early, at 6:40 a.m. on Thursday, April 10. Even though it wasn’t yet full daylight, four cars with a total of eight visitors were already lined up at the gate.

All of those visitors, Huss said, were trout fishermen, eager to cast their flies once again into the amazingly clear waters of the Jacob Fork River, hoping to get lucky in the recently restocked stream.

“That made me feel good,” Huss said, “to see those folks sitting there, basically in the dark, waiting for us to open our gates once again. And I know there are thousands of other folks, just like them, eager to get back into the park again.”

The Jacob Fork section of South Mountains State Park has been closed since the morning of Friday, Sept. 27, when Hurricane Helene roared across Western North Carolina.

The furious storm downed an estimated 5,000 trees in the park, made several bridges unsafe for hikers and emergency vehicles, and caused a landslide along one of the park trails.

Thanks to thousands of hours of work over the last six months, the park was deemed safe for reopening, although the popular loop trail to the High Shoals Waterfall remains closed, as are the Headquarters, Shinny, and Possum trails.

“Right now we’re working to remove debris from the stream and make sure the bridges and observation platform are safe,” Huss said of the trail to High Shoals. “Because of damage to the bridge above the waterfall, it’ll be a while before the loop is reopened, but we want to make it possible for folks to see the falls. We know it is the park’s premiere attraction.”

A smaller section of the park, the Clear Creek Access Area, was reopened on Monday, March 17.

“We’re doing everything we can to ensure that people know where they can go and where they can’t. What’s open and what’s not.” Huss said. “That information is on our website. We’ve got it on display here in the visitors center, and we have barricades in front of closed trails.”

Hikers are able, Huss said, to make the popular climb to the summit of Chestnut Knob and all of the perimeter trails that ring the park are also open.

Huss said many visitors are expected to the park this weekend and he noted that the family campground is already fully booked.

The park is not yet open for either bicycle riders or equestrians, Huss added.

At the park’s main trailhead access, a group of eight hikers from the Charlotte metro area were eagerly putting on their gear and checking their packs before heading for Chestnut Knob.

“We’re just glad to be back here,” said Linda Walden. “It’s about an hour and 20-minute drive over here from Charlotte and it is well worth it.”

Steve Hecker, the group’s unofficial leader for the 8-mile trek planned on a cool and drizzly morning, said South Mountains is a popular destination for hikers and campers in the Charlotte area.

“Pretty amazing the terrain and the scenery this park has to offer,” said Hecker, who added that he has been visiting South Mountains for years. “So pleased that we can come back today.”

Just across the parking lot from the Charlotte hiking group were a couple of fishermen from Hickory, pulling on their waders before stepping into the Jacob Fork.

Dwight Hastings and Danny Hughes said they love to fish the Jacob Fork, although Hughes denigrated his fishing skills, saying, “I’m really more of a conservationist than a fisherman.”

Later on Thursday, an official reopening ceremony was held at the park’s visitors center. Among the VIPs expected to attend were N.C. First Lady Anna Stein, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell, and N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation Director Brian Strong.