DuPont State Recreational Forest attracted more than a million visitors in 2023, something nobody expected when the site opened nearly 30 years ago. To keep up with the growth, forest officials are about to enact some major changes.
Tag: DuPont State Recreational Forest
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Disabled athletes push for more accessible trails
Riding a bike in Western North Carolina is an immersive experience of flying on miles of single-track trails, cruising over creeks and under the tree canopy. Yet full access to nature is challenging for mountain bikers living with disabilities.
Color show: Short fall walks lead to long views
Xpress contributor Mark Barrett shares his pick of lesser-known Western North Carolina hikes with opportunities to take in the region’s autumn splendor.
New book explores DuPont forest history
“In Pisgah [National Forest] or the Smokies, it’s very difficult to know exactly who owned the land before it became public. With DuPont, it’s not,” explains author Danny Bernstein. “You can trace all of the land to somebody who sold it or gave it away to the state.”
Green in brief: Local governments fund community solar, Asheville School conducts first in-city deer hunt
Together, the city of Asheville and Buncombe County approved over $11 million in funding to install roughly 7 megawatts of solar power at public facilities and area schools. The projects are anticipated to save the governments and local schools roughly $650,000 in electricity costs in the first year and more than $27 million over the installations’ 30-year operational life.
Buncombe reports first COVID-19 death from long-term care facility
Four nursing homes and long-term care facilities in Buncombe County are now experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, announced Dr. Jennifer Mullendore, the county’s interim health director, at a May 18 press conference. The county has not yet disclosed the names of two of the facilities reporting outbreaks.
DuPont State Recreational Forest holds deep history
The DuPont Forest Festival, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 22, has been a long time in the making. The chemical conglomerate DuPont’s initial 1956 purchase of land for a silicon manufacturing plant in Cedar Mountain proved the beginning of a journey that would preserve one of Western North Carolina’s most treasured natural places for the future.
Cedar Mountain Café offers healthy fare near DuPont State Forest
Until last summer, famished visitors to the forest, which is halfway between Brevard and Hendersonville, had to resort to gas station snacks and roadside boiled peanuts before or after exploring the 80 miles of trails and points of interest.