News

The Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site will partially to the public open on Monday in time for holiday hiking.

 

The hikers’ lot, which provides access to most of the grounds and trails, will be open to the public as part of a phased re-opening of the Flat Rock attraction. Videos, passport stamps, bark ranger information and junior ranger booklets will be available in the garage near the Sandburg home. The popular Glassy Mountain and Little Glassy Mountain trails will be open.

 

The hikers’ lot will be the only available parking, with space for only 24 cars. The lot is busiest — and can fill up — between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Weekends are busier than weekdays. Please park only in designated spaces. If the lot is full, come back at another time. There are no designated parking spaces or sidewalks along Little River Road.

 

Visitors who require accessible parking should call the phone number posted in the hikers’ lot. Limited options may be available.

 

“We are excited to welcome visitors back to the park during our partial re-opening and thank everyone for their patience during our continued cleanup and repair efforts,” park Superintendent Polly Angelakis said.

 

Services and facilities that will remain closed during this initial re-opening phase include the Sandburg Home and tours, park store, barn, Front Lake parking lot and trail, drinking water, and flush toilets.

 

Portable toilets are available for visitors and are located at the hikers' lot, amphitheater entrance, and by the restrooms near the Sandburg Home. Portable toilets will be in use until further notice while the park goes through the funding, compliance, and repair processes to fix the main sewer line, which was destroyed by flooding from Hurricane Helene.

 

Visitors should dress for the weather and bring drinking water as there is no visitor access to water at this time. Maps showing open or closed areas are posted near the hikers’ lot, barn entrance, Sandburg Home garage and restrooms by the home. Signs and barriers are posted by all closed areas. For your safety, please stay out of closed areas.

 

The Front Lake parking lot and trail remain closed. Helene flooding washed out two bridges on the trail and carved a deep ravine. There is no way to access park grounds, buildings or trails from Front Lake. The park is going through the funding, compliance and contracting processes to install a temporary bridge so the Front Lake parking lot and trail can reopen.

 

Front Lake dam, which failed in 2022, suffered further destruction by Helene. The new damage is substantial. The previously approved repair plan (which included design, compliance, contracting and a 2025-26 timetable) must be redone due to the additional, substantial damage. 

 

The park closed in late September because of severe impacts from Helene. Since then, emergency cleanup crews have been shared between North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee national park units affected by Helene. These units include Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains, Ninety Six, Cowpens, and Carl Sandburg Home. The park has no  other re-opening information at this time.