BURKE COUNTY, N.C. — Five months after Helene, crews are not giving up hope to reopen one of North Carolina’s most popular parks.
Each year, more than 400,000 people visit South Mountain State Park in Burke County.
Park officials said one of the goals is to get folks safely back to the park’s biggest attraction, the High Shoals waterfall.
Channel 9′s Dave Faherty viewed some of the damage up close and delved into when the park could reopen.
The park’s superintendent allowed Faherty to view areas where flash flooding damaged bridges and destroyed fishing areas.
As many as 5,000 trees came down during Helene, and employees are still working to clear several trails.
The park also shared photos of some of the damage, including bridges that will have to be repaired or replaced and then inspected before the park reopens.
Timothy Booth told Channel 9 that he lives close to the park and hopes to see visitors back soon.
“I miss the joy of people going up there to walk and stuff because there are a lot of cars that go up there,” Booth said.
“It is a loss. It brings traffic to the area. It gives our local economy business and our stores people. So that’s been missed,” resident Angel Mort echoed.
Park officials said residents should check the park’s website to make sure it’s open before attempting to visit.
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