Prescribed Burn in McDowell County to temporarily close three trails

The U.S. Forest Service plans to implement a prescribed burn on Singecat Ridge in McDowell County between now and late March, depending on the weather. The prescribed burn could occur as early as Tuesday, March 6.

The Forest Service’s Grandfather Ranger District of the Pisgah National Forest plans to burn approximately 2,000 acres on National Forest land and around 100 acres on Blue Ridge Parkway land. The center of the burn unit will be approximately 10 miles northwest of the city of Marion. The boundary of the burn is the Blue Ridge Parkway to the north, Bee Rock Creek also on the north above the Armstrong Fish Hatchery, Highway 80 on the west, and Singecat Branch and Armstrong Creek on the east.

This is the first prescribed burn conducted under the Grandfather Restoration Project. Last month, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack announced $605,000 in Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration program funding for the project.

Woods Mountain Trail #218, Armstrong Creek Trail #223, and Bad Fork Trail #204 will be closed for the duration of the project, which may last up to five days to provide for visitor safety.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com