News

Davidson River campground to reopen

By Lightning Reports, Published: February 21, 2020

PISGAH FOREST — The Davidson River Campground on the Pisgah National Forest, Pisgah Ranger District will reopen a portion of the campground for public use on Saturday.

Sycamore Loop will be available for camping Saturday. This loop has 10 campsites with electric hook-ups. These sites are available for reservations at www.recreation.gov. Portions of Exercise Trail #344 and North Slope Trail #359 are still closed.
The campground has been closed for tree removal operations since Jan. 15. Select pine trees were removed for public safety. These trees were diagnosed with a root disease which makes them more susceptible to blowing over. Most of these pines were planted in the 1960s on what was formerly farm land. Over the past several years many hazard trees have been removed from the campground when they posed a threat to campers.

Visitors should be aware of large amounts of woody debris on the ground. Please stay on paved paths, roads, and within the re-opened section of the campground. At this time the rest of the campground is still closed for clean-up and visitors should stay out of the closed areas until safety hazards are assessed. The campground is expected to fully reopen on March 27.

Upon completion of clean-up operations the district will begin replanting trees within the area. The campground will look very different when it reopens. The area will be less shady and stumps will be visible. Forests are ever-changing and with time the tree removal will be much less noticeable.