Reopen closed trails
Move each closure toward safe public access with active assessment, clearly identified work, and practical consideration of partial or phased reopening when conditions allow.
Our goals
Open trails. Clear paths forward.
Our purpose is to keep North Carolina’s state parks open, safe, and available to the public.
What success looks like
A closure should protect people, not become the permanent default.
Trails Forward exists because temporary closures can last for months or years while the public sees little information about the work, the obstacles, or the next decision.
We support closures when a trail is unsafe. We also believe recovery should move with purpose and that the public should be able to follow it. We will work with State Parks wherever possible and challenge agency decisions or systems when necessary to advance that public mission.
Our goals describe the outcomes we are working toward; our asks describe the practical steps State Parks can take now.
Three goals
1
2
3
The change we want to see
Make recovery transparent
Give visitors one reliable place to understand why a trail is closed, what progress has been made, what is blocking the next step, and when another decision will be made.
Prevent extended closures
Build repeatable recovery plans, resilient infrastructure, and scheduled reassessments so closures do not continue longer than safety and the work genuinely require.
Why joining matters
Shared concern becomes harder to overlook.
One person can ask a good question. A visible group of park users shows State Parks, legislators, and reporters that long closures and unclear recovery plans are a broader public concern.
Adding your name does not commit you to every action. It helps build the public support needed to get serious questions heard.
Join the supporter list.
Stand with people asking for open trails, clear information, and timely recovery.
Join the supporter list