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Bent Creek Experimental Forest Trails Map Available

A waterproof, tear-resistant trails map is now available at local bike shops and forest offices. This Bent Creek Trails Map is a joint effort of the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, WNC Bicycle Dealer's Association and the US Forest Service. Proceeds from the sale of this map will be used to help maintain trails at Bent Creek.

Bent Creek Experimental Forest Trails Update 09/17/06 graphic of trails

BENT CREEK TIMBER SALE TO BECOME ACTIVE SEPTEMBER 21

The Bent Creek timber sale will resume harvest operation on September 21 and may remain active until the winter shut down. For safety reasons a few trails and one road will be closed to public use while harvest operations are taking place. Hauling operations will be shut down on weekends and federal holidays. However timber felling may continue during these periods. Therefore Side Hill and Little Hickory top trails will remain closed. Since hauling will not occur on the weekends, Boyd Branch will be open for use in the near future until harvest operation begin along this road. .

The harvest operations will be continuing along Little Hickory Top Trail (Trail 136) and Sidehill trail (trail 145) within cutting unit 2. Little Hickory Top Trail will be closed from Ingles Field Gap down to Sidehill Trail and Side Hill Trail will be closed from the intersection with Little Hickory Top trail down to the intersection with Boyd Branch road. Also, Boyd Branch road will be closed from the intersection with Side Hill trail out to Bent Creek Road during days of active hauling.

Information will be posted on the Kiosks located in various locations in the Bent Creek area and signs will be placed to show which trials are closed.

Trees will be felled onto and across both trails and roads, therefore this area will be very dangerous and the public is warned not to enter trails or roads that are closed.

Click here to view a detailed map showing the above mentioned trails and roads that may be temporarily closed. Bent Creek Trails Closure Map (715 kb pdf)*

Dale R. Remington
Sales Forester
National Forests of North Carolina
828-257-4261

To view a map of Bent Creek Experimental Forest, showing all roads and trails, and the current research harvests and associated road construction , please click on the following link:

Bent Creek Trails and Active Research Map ( 2.9 mb pdf) (11/9/04)**

For more information about the overall mission and programs of Bent Creek Experimental Forest, click on the following link:

Bent Creek Experimental Forest Trails Background

The Bent Creek Experimental Forest , located on the Pisgah National Forest just outside of Asheville, NC, has become increasingly popular for a variety of recreational uses. A proliferation of user-created trails has in some cases caused damage to ongoing forest research which is the principal mission of the Bent Creek Experimental Forest.

Over the last several years, the Forest Service has worked with representatives of mountain bike clubs and other interests to designate an official system of mountain bike and horse trails in the Bent Creek area to accommodate the current recreation demands in the area, while protecting Bent Creek's research mission. The Forest Service and bike clubs continue to work together to close out the many unofficial "user- created" trails which have sprung up in the area.

The Forest Service recognizes the importance of making it as easy as possible for recreation users to know which trails are open for mountain bike and horse use, and which ones are not. Recreationists should be aware that bikes and horses are ONLY allowed on designated trails and roads. Designated trails are blazed and marked by vertical signs. Gated roads open to horses and bikes are marked by vertical signs. In addition, major trailheads at Bent Creek have large scale maps posted showing all designated trails.

An online version of the Trails Map can also be viewed by clicking on the following link:
Bent Creek Experimental Forest Trail Map
( 11 by 17" color map) (2.97 mb pdf)**

** Viewing or printing this map requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
If you have trouble viewing this map online, try right clicking on map link and downloading to your computer before viewing.

For more information click on the following links:

Bent Creek Experimental Forest Web Site

Revised Bent Creek Research Project Decision Notice (1/24/04)
(458 kb pdf)

Decision Notice: Bent Creek Recreation Use (5/22) (2.2 mb pdf)