Parts of Pilot Mountain State Park will reopen Saturday

A portion of Pilot Mountain State Park is expected to reopen this weekend after a fire scorched more than a thousand acres at the site.

On Saturday, some parts of the park that weren't impacted by the fire are scheduled to reopen to the public. That includes the Yadkin River sections, Ivy Bluffs and Bean Shoals access, and the Hauser Road parking area.

The fire is finally out, but some smoldering remains, so the mountain will stay closed a little longer. State park officials hope a good rain this weekend will allow them to reopen it and most hiking trails on Monday.

“There are a couple of trails that sustained some damage and those include the Little Pinnacle where we had some railing burn," says Kathy Capps, the deputy director of operations for North Carolina State Parks. "And really just from a visitor safety perspective, it's going to be important for us to wait to reopen those until we have those railings back in place.”

Capps says a lumber supply shortage is causing delays in the rail repair at the Little Pinnacle Overlook site.

She advises park visitors to stay on the trails and pay attention to signage placed in some locations.

The fire at Pilot Mountain was first reported on Saturday, November 27.  State fire officials say the blaze was caused by an escaped campfire in an undesignated area.

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