DuPont State Recreational Forest is temporarily closed effective March 24, 2020.

Like many other public lands in Western North Carolina, DuPont Forest got hammered with visitors over the weekend. There were too many people unwilling to follow the social distancing guidelines putting the health of our community at risk.

We want to stress that the NC Forest Service did not take this decision lightly. They explored every option to keep the Forest accessible. They know how much we rely on our public lands and understand how important getting outside in the woods can help in a time of crisis. Given the crowds (and lack of social distancing) the risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus in our community was just too high. We applaud them for taking the necessary steps to protect the community, staff, and first responders.

Friends of DuPont Forest has spent the last 20 years encouraging everyone to get outside and explore DuPont Forest and other public lands. Right now we encourage everyone to stay home, explore your backyard, and stay safe.

Please see the press release for more details. We’ll keep you updated and when this is all over we can’t wait to welcome you back!