A year ago, the power of nature changed lives, landscapes and the trail as Hurricane Helene barreled through our state leaving unprecedented damage. A year later, the power of people working together has reopened over 80 percent of the Mountains-to-Sea trail in the mountains. This dedicated community of Friends of the MST volunteers, land managers, and agencies including the US Forest Service and the National Park Service have cleared thousands of trees, rebuilt damaged trail beds, tamed weeds left unchecked for months and readied the miles for hikers to safely return.

We are excited to welcome hikers back to the trail and expect even more of the trail to reopen in the coming months.

Trail crews and partners often go unseen by hikers and are even more invisible to the public at large. In the last year, these unseen crews have been everywhere. They are tenacious. They are dependable. They are out rebuilding the trail when their own homes need tending as well, and they have energy and commitment for both. While they may not expect an “attaboy” or to be recognized in public, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail would not be 80 percent reopened, or in the greater context, exist as a trail stretching from the mountains to the sea, without the community of people who give their time, their sweat, their labor to building, rebuilding, and maintaining the trail we all care so much about.

The trail is but a simple walk in the woods, but the people make it the most special place to be. As we reach the milestone of a year after Helene, we remember the losses, and we celebrate the regenerative spirit of this community. The trail continues because of the community and the people who make it better than it was before. The views are different, but now we can see farther, together. The sincerest thank you to all who have given time and funding to reopen the MST, and to those who will continue to support our efforts until the last mile has reopened.

As a reminder, an interactive map showing open and closed sections of the MST and guidance on the current trail status can be found on our website.

If you’d like to support our work, you can make a donation or learn how you can volunteer to give back to the trail.