Holly Springs and Schoolhouse Trails (Mortimer Campground) on Grandfather District closed this spring for renovations
NEBO, NC (February 23, 2022) – Two mountain bike trails on the Pisgah National Forest, Grandfather Ranger District will be closed this spring for renovations. Both trails are expected to reopen by mid-April.
The Holly Springs Trail (TR #273), located near Upper Creek in Burke County and known locally as the Sinkhole Trail, will close March 1 for maintenance and closure of an open abandoned pit mine (known as the sinkhole). The mine is left over from resource extraction prior to the lands becoming National Forest and has become a hazard to users and wildlife. Black Diamond Trails will cover the mine as well as perform maintenance on the upper mile of trail up to Little Chestnut Road. Maintenance will focus on restoring drainage and eliminating trail braiding.
The Schoolhouse Trail (TR #279), located in Caldwell County adjacent to the Mortimer Campground, is currently closed for maintenance and trail relocations. High Country Trails is relocating approximately 1 mile of trail to improve sustainability and user experience. This purpose-built mountain bike trail section will reroute the trail to close out steep, ditched out, fall line trail sections. The contractor is additionally performing maintenance of 1 mile of the existing Schoolhouse trail to improve trail sustainability while maintaining the technical experience for riders. This work is funded by a NC Recreation Trails Program (RTP) Grant and supported by volunteer planning efforts from the Northwest NC Mountain Bike Alliance as part of the Mortimer Trails Project. Planned in coordination with local partners, the project aims to increase the sustainability of the trail system and add 10 additional miles of mountain biking and hiking trails to the Wilson Creek Area in Caldwell and Avery Counties. Read more about the story behind this work on Patagonia Stories.
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