AUGUST 20, 1998

Leslie Hitchcock
News Editor

Part of the attraction to Appalachian State is the beckoning call of the mountains.

Their beauty has inspired story and song for generations, but as some rangers on the Blue Ridge Parkway have found, some visitors will abuse campsites and camp in unauthorized areas.

A trail familiar to hikers is the trail to Hebron Falls, a series of waterfalls off the Parkway.  But unknown to most is an unregulated trail that winds its way to the bottom of the falls.

This trail has historical value, said Seasonal Park Ranger Jeff Matheson.  “This is wilderness area, and this trail has been here for years,” Matheson said.

What concerns the rangers is the destruction of federal property and the base of the trail where illegal campers have left fire rings and trash at makeshift campsites, said Matheson. 

“You cannot camp in the back country of Julian Price Park or Moses Cone Park,” Matheson said.  It is a federal offense that carries multiple citations, he said.

“In a national park, you cannot back country camp without a permit and without a designated spot,” he said.
Matheson estimates that the majority of hikers who use the trail are between the ages of 16 and 25.  Fisherman and day hikers frequent the trail most often, he said.

“We want to get the information around that there is no camping here,” he said.  “We want the students help.”
Plans proposed by the landscape architect to the headquarters of the Parkway are to open up the trail, clear out downed trees and put up signs designating the trail to enforce the area.

“We’d like for this area to be a pack in, pack out situation,” said Permanent Law Enforcement Officer Don Reed.

Reed said that what will slow the process of authorizing the trail will be safety concerns along the bank or the official trail.

Matheson recommends that those who want to visit Hebron Falls hike a trail that begins off the Boone Fork Trail in Julian Price Park off the Parkway.  “They could come down off the boulders (to see the falls),” he said.

Fishing in the Boone Fork Stream is growing in popularity, and catch-and-release fly-fishing is allowed.

For those who enjoy back country camping, an official campsite is available at Julian Price Park, Matheson said.  Permits are issued at the Price Park registration building for up to six people at a time.

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