Trail Running Near Asheville: Choose an Open Route After Storms
Where should you trail run around Asheville right now? Start with a route whose current access you can verify. Some Asheville and Blue Ridge Parkway trails still have storm-damage restrictions, so a familiar trail name alone is not enough. Bent Creek offers a mapped forest network; Richmond Hill has partly reopened; Craggy Gardens requires a same-day check of parkway and trail status.
Bent Creek: choose a named, shared-use route
The U.S. Forest Service publishes a Bent Creek Experimental Forest trail map for the Asheville area. Its Deer Lake Lodge Trail listing identifies a multi-use trail for hikers, mountain bikes and horses, with two parking access points. Use the map to choose an out-and-back or loop with named junctions, and expect to share the route. The map is a planning tool; check the current forest alerts before assuming every connection is open.
Richmond Hill: check the reopening notice first
Asheville's park page, reviewed in September 2026, says Richmond Hill has only partially reopened and hazards remain after the storm. Some hiking trails are open, but the city tells visitors to obey temporary signage and fencing. This is an example where the smart run may be a short, clearly open section—or a different park—rather than a planned loop that relies on a closed link.
Craggy Gardens: make it a separate mountain outing
The National Park Service's Craggy Gardens page flags trails that are closed or partly open because of storm damage. Its short Craggy Gardens Trail and the longer Snowball Mountain option require very different time and footing. The park's current trail-status map and Blue Ridge Parkway road status should decide whether this outing is viable. Stay on the path around sensitive summit vegetation; a viewpoint is not a reason to cut across fragile plants.
| If you want... | Start here | Confirm first |
|---|---|---|
| A forest workout near Asheville | A named Bent Creek route | Current Forest Service alerts and multi-use rules |
| An in-city dirt run | An open Richmond Hill section | Temporary fencing and storm hazards |
| High-elevation scenery | An open Craggy Gardens route | Parkway road and trail closures |
Save the official map, tell someone your route, carry water and a layer, and set a conservative turnaround. After heavy rain or another storm, recheck access even if your last visit was recent.
Image: Craggy Gardens near Asheville by Ken Thomas, released into the public domain. The photo does not indicate current trail access.