Following what appears to have been a successful ban on camping and fires on the popular Max Patch Bald in northern Haywood County, the U.S. Forest Service has extended the policy another three years.
Overuse at Max Patch had been a growing issue beginning around 2010. Officially added to the Pisgah National Forest in 1983, Max Patch, through which the Appalachian Trail passes, attracted locals and tourists who knew all the short hike had to offer, including sweeping views from the grassy bald. Although to reach the trail, one has to drive several miles on a windy, at times rutted road, the hike to the top is relatively short, only about a half mile. The scramble to the top is steep at times, but the hike is easy enough that even those with minor mobility issues can make the trek.
Amid the pandemic shutdown in 2021, there was explosion of visitors to Max Patch, including dozens — even hundreds — at a time camping at the idyllic 4,626-foot summit that boasts 360-degree views of the surrounding mountains. The hike presented an opportunity to get outdoors and meet other people in the open air. As it gained popularity regionally, it also started to catch on nationally, as it was included in numerous magazines and other publications, including “best hikes” lists. It was also the subject of popular social media posts, which themselves can draw visitors. Because the trek to the top is relatively easy, people wanting to camp can haul up a good deal of supplies, some of which ended up left on the once-pristine bald.
The rush of visitors created a pock-marked surface where not so long ago was a lush meadow.
On July 1 of that year, the Forest Service instituted the initial ban on camping and fires on the bald. The order also mandated that Max Patch would be closed from an hour after sundown to an hour before dawn and banned horses and other pack animals. Furthermore, it required people and dogs stay on designated trails, since several unauthorized footpaths had developed over the years.
“We’ve been working with partners to achieve sustainable recreation at Max Patch because of the impacts due to a significant increase in visitors over the past decade,” said Appalachian District Ranger Jen Barnhart at that time. “Unfortunately, the level of use is causing a public safety hazard as well as serious damage to wildlife habitat.”
The forest service extended that ban, originally set to expire in July 2021, for three more years. Just last month, the agency again extended the order, this time until 2029.
The Forest Service has partnered with the Carolina Mountain Club, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Spring Creek community to reduce the impacts of rampant and irresponsible use. At this point, instead of strict enforcement or penalties like fines, the Carolina Mountain Club’s Max Patch Trail Ambassador Program and engineering controls have helped people understand what the rules are and why they matter. According to a U.S. Forest Service spokesperson, those methods have been effective, leading visitors to following the restrictions and rendering further enforcement virtually unnecessary.
And Max Patch is looking better. This summer, the meadows are looking full and unmarred by scars from tents and fire pits, and the previously unauthorized trails appear to have grown back over. However, according to the spokesperson, Max Patch is still recovering.
“We need more time to address long-standing issues such as human waste and illegal parking,” they said. “The current restrictions remain necessary while we continue collaborative planning and management. Over the next three years, we and our partners will reevaluate conditions to decide whether the prohibitions should continue. Our focus stays on restoring Max Patch, protecting its ecological health, and ensuring it remains a place people can enjoy for generations.”
In a blog post on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy website, Matt Drury, Associate Director of Science and Stewardship for the nonprofit, said that the way the bald has responded and recovered is like “night and day.”
“Ecologically, it’s beautiful and much more functional than it was, and it’s a much more natural hiker experience,” Drury said in the post.
The ATC and partners have planted more than 10,000 plant plugs and sowed hundreds of pounds of native seeds on Max Patch since rewilding work began back in 2017, four years before the initial restrictions were implemented by the Forest Service.
“We’re not ‘whacking’ trees just to maintain viewsheds. We’re trying to provide habitat for a myriad of species,” Drury said. “We’re looking to provide for the hiker experience with long-range views, to get a break from the Green Tunnel, but we do it with ecology in mind.”