Can dogs be off-leash in Bent Creek Experimental Forest?

ASHEVILLE - Megan Robinson runs with her beagle, Earl, at least twice a week in Bent Creek Experimental Forest.

She loves the company and the camaraderie of such a faithful companion on the hills and dips and single track of the forest just south of Asheville.

But sometimes, Earl isn’t all that faithful.

“When I first got him two years ago, I ran with him off leash when I saw other people running with their dogs off leash. But one time he ran away,” Robinson said. “I was worried about hunters, other dogs, bears and snakes out there. I saw him chasing a squirrel up on a ridgeline. He was a half-mile away.”

Robinson and her husband finally corralled their renegade canine and now Earl is always affixed to a leash when on the trail.

Keeping a dog on a leash no longer than six feet is actually the law, said Dave Casey, district ranger for the Pisgah Ranger District. Bent Creek is part of the Pisgah National Forest and sits in Buncombe County, so it is under federal, state and county jurisdiction.

Leash laws exist in Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and Haywood counties of Pisgah National Forest, Casey said.

But the Bent Creek area’s proximity to Asheville, just off Brevard Road and the Blue Ridge Parkway near the N.C. Arboretum, and its miles of hiking and mountain biking trails, makes it a huge draw.

At any time of year, parking lots at popular trailheads such as Hard Times and Rice Pinnacle are full to overflowing. The Pisgah National Forest is the nation's second busiest forest. Together with the Nantahala National Forest, they have more than 4 million visitors a year.

With this increased pressure comes increased conflicts with unleashed dogs, other dogs and with people, Casey said.

He said encounters include aggressive dogs jumping on hikers, fighting with other dogs or chasing runners and bicycles.

The conflicts have become so problematic the U.S. Forest Service has stepped up patrols on the roads and trails in Bent Creek. On Friday, several law enforcement rangers - half of the rangers on the entire forest - used ATVs to approach people on trails with dogs to remind them about the leash law. In some cases, people will be issued citations, Casey said.

"Education is our preferred tool and while most dog owners readily complied with the rule when they understood it, about a third of the dog owners have persistently continued to ignore it," Casey said.

The Forest Service launched an educational campaign last spring with Buncombe County, creating a video and posting dog leash signs at trailheads.

As more people are out in the forest, there is the potential for incidents increasing. Dogs off leash can affect someone’s recreational experience, Casey said.

“I love dogs and assume every dog is friendly, but some people don’t want to be approached by a dog, especially when they’re running. When one person’s way of using the forest starts to affect other user’s experience, that’s something to address. A little common sense and courtesy goes a long way.”

Owners must always dispose of their dog’s waste by picking it up in a plastic bag and carrying it out, and they must also make sure dogs do not trample plants or harass any kind of wildlife.

Clay Warner, an ultra-marathon runner who logs 40-50 miles a week on trails in Bent Creek and Pisgah National Forest, always runs with Macey, his German shorthair. She also comes along when Warner runs with his 18-month-old in a stroller.

Warner said after running with Macey for eight or nine years and thousands of miles, she is well-behaved, knows the drill and knows to stay by his side. He uses an electronic collar to further keep her in check. He doesn’t have Macey on a leash but always carries one to use at road crossings and busy trail intersections.

“On single track, it’s safer for me to have her off leash. If we’re running down Ingles Field Connector and come around a bend and see a bike, and my best option is to go left and her best option is to go right, that’s not safe if she’s on a leash,” Warner said.

He acknowledges the leash is a heated topic.

“I think it’s the responsibility of an individual to decide whether their dog can be off leash. If you can’t walk downtown with your dog without a muzzle to keep them from attacking someone, do they need to be out in Bent Creek? Do they need to be anywhere?”

Learn more

For more information call the Pisgah Ranger District at 828-877-3265. Watch a National Forests in North Carolina and Buncombe County public service announcement at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGagO0s_2lk.