Clay's Corner
Mountain Bike Trail Closures Explained
Have you swung into the park after a hard day’s work with visions of a fast, flowy afternoon, gliding through rollers on the bike trail and sweaty high fives at the end of your run, only to be met with the unexpected and unexplained “Trail Closed” sign? You aren’t alone. Many Lake James State Park mountain bikers have been left scratching their heads or grinding their teeth over this scenario. Why would the trails be closed?
Allow me to explain. To start with, the last thing the park staff wants to do is surprise anyone with the disappointment of a closed trail. There are two easy ways to determine if there has been a trail closure: Prior to your commute to the park, and especially if there has been significant rainfall in the recent past, call ahead to the park office at 828-584-7728 for daily trail information. We typically know the trail status for the day by the time the office opens at 8:00 a.m. For those of you with access to a computer or smart phone, you can visit the park’s website at www.ncparks.gov/lake-james-state-park. There you will see alerts listed in red, just below the uppermost picture. One of these alerts will indicate the mountain bike trail status for the day. If the date stamp is not current, it’s best to call ahead.
The park’s mountain bike trails are occasionally closed. Park staff will only close trails due to safety or maintenance issues and do not take the decision lightly. Sometimes trails are closed due to damage to the trail surface or to bridges and trees from severe weather. However, the most likely culprit is rain. A dry trail surface is a stable trail surface, but when a trail becomes saturated with water the material breaks down and erodes easily. This erosion quickly becomes significant with the impact of bicycle tires combined with the flow of water down or across the trail. Our intent is to minimize this erosion and trail degradation as well as decrease runoff to surrounding streams, while also limiting any negative impact to visitors who want to enjoy an afternoon ride. The decision to close a trail will be made as early as possible each morning and is done by a visual inspection of the trail. Rainfall, wind, sunlight and other conditions affect the drying time and how long the trail will remain closed. Rainfall closures typically do not affect hiking trails. When the park’s mountain bike trails are closed, all sections of the Fonta Flora Trail within the park are closed as well.
Thinking of ignoring a trail closure because you traveled all the way from Charlotte and failed to call ahead? Think again. North Carolina State Rangers are charged with protecting all park resources and are authorized by North Carolina General Statute 143B-135 to protect them by citation when necessary. We’ve done it before, but would certainly prefer you choose an alternate option for the day. That cruise around a closed gate is a misdemeanor that could cost you upwards of $200. Don’t risk it.
On a side note, electric bikes are quickly increasing in popularity. Lake James State Park currently allows electric, pedal-assist bikes on our trails however, fully electric, motorized bikes and skateboard platforms are not allowed on any trail within the park. Thank you all in advance for your cooperation in the effort to protect and improve our trails. If you would like to serve as a volunteer during an upcoming trail workday, please contact the park office for information.
Ranger Clay Veasey is a 17-year veteran of the North Carolina State Parks system and serves as Lake James State Park’s lead law enforcement ranger.