South Mountains State Park in Burke County partially reopened on March 17 by the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. The park has been closed since last fall due to widespread damage after Hurricane Helene. Clear Creek Access in Morganton has reopened for day use. Visitors can utilize both Clear Creek and Lake View trails for hiking and horseback riding. Picnic facilities and fishing are available at the lake. The park’s main access is slated to partially reopen on April 10.
Visitors are encouraged to pay close attention to onsite signage and avoid access areas that remain closed off due to safety hazards. Park staff are working diligently to clear debris and conduct repairs to reopen the remaining closed areas as soon as possible.
"We are excited to reopen South Mountains after the extended closure due to hurricane damage," said State Parks Director Brian Strong. "I'm especially proud of our staff who have been working incredibly hard to reopen the park as quickly as possible, recognizing that our visitors are eager to enjoy the beautifully rugged backcountry again. We appreciate the patience from the public and the help given to us by agency partners to clear debris and address the many safety hazards that resulted from the damage."
This is the first time the park will reopen under the leadership of Park Superintendent Lance Huss, who started in his role in December. A native of Burke County, Huss attended Montreat College and obtained a bachelor's degree in environmental studies. He first joined the division as a general utility worker, working for five summer seasons at South Mountains, before obtaining his first job as a wildlife enforcement officer with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. In 2006, he returned to South Mountains as a park ranger. He most recently worked at NCWRC again as a wildlife enforcement officer in Burke and Catawba counties.
"Lance has not only taken on the role of Superintendent of our largest park, but he has also done it at a critical time when leadership is essential to ensuring the recovery of our parks," said Strong. "Lance and all our staff in western North Carolina have distinguished themselves as we continue to work to reopen all of our parks for our visitors to enjoy."
The Division of Parks and Recreation manages more than 264,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 19 million visitors annually.
Track recovery progress by visiting the WNC Recovery data dashboard, updated weekly by the Governor’s Recovery Office for Western North Carolina (GROW NC).