Hurricane Helene, which hit the southern Appalachians in late September 2024, caused widespread destruction. Closures and detours due to the storm are still in effect.

Latest Trail Conditions

Continue reading for the best ways to plan your A.T. adventure and learn about how to stay safe in areas with storm damage. We will continue to update our Helene Trail Alert with the latest closures and conditions.

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The ATC strongly recommends that A.T. hikers not have campfires and exercise caution when using camp stoves between Davenport Gap and the New River at Pearisburg, VA, regardless of whether official burn bans are in place.

There is an official burn ban in the Roan Highlands from Hughes Gap to Doll Flats (NOBO miles 374.2 to 392.6).

FAQs

What are current conditions like in open sections?

All of the open sections of the A.T. that were damaged by Helene are now “punched-through,” meaning that the footpath itself is passable. However, more work is needed.

• In some places, there are still tangles of downed trees on either side of the Trail. Crews and volunteers were out throughout the 2025 field season clearing debris and pushing trees further back from the Trail. Crews and volunteers will continue to work into the winter, weather permitting.
• Hikers should be prepared for it to be difficult to find campsites in some areas, and be very careful to not get lost when leaving the footpath for water or to use the bathroom.
• Sun exposure and dehydration is a bigger risk in areas that lost significant tree cover. Pack sun protection and extra water.
• There are a significant number of hazardous trees – trees that are still standing but are dead or were damaged by the storm. These trees are also more susceptible to diseases as the storm compromised many aspects of overall forest health. Always look up before taking a break or picking a campsite. Do not stop or camp within falling distance of a hazardous tree.

Remember, the severity and scale Helene means storm damaged areas will remain dynamic for years.

Trees will continue to fall. Soil will continue to erode and move. Don’t be afraid to turn around and skip around severe damage. Continue reading this blog for more details on what to expect in storm-damaged areas and how to stay safe.

What detours are still in place?

Nolichucky River Detour (NOBO mile 344.6)

The Chestoa Bridge that the A.T. followed across the river was washed away during the storm. Since bridge construction is expected to begin in 2026 and truck traffic has greatly reduced in the area, a ferry service will not be offered again in 2026. Hikers can either follow the road walk detour (3.6 miles) or shuttle around. Shuttling around the river vs. walking the detour will not impact a hiker’s eligibility for our 2,000-miler program.

Nolichucky River Detour

Iron Mountain Gap Detour (NOBO mile 360.6)

There is a ~6 mile detour around Iron Mountain Gap to route hikers away from a storm debris removal project. This project will reduce wildfire risk by removing downed trees. The project is still underway and uses heavy logging and construction equipment. Because of this, the detour will remain in place until storm debris removal is complete.

The detour is the official route of the Trail and is marked with temporary white plastic blazes.

Iron Mountain Gap Detour

Virginia Creeper Trail Detour

Construction work to rebuild the Virginia Creeper National Recreation Trail (Creeper Trail) following damage from Helene began in November 2025. The A.T. is closed from Highway 58 at Straight Branch to Grassy Ridge Road where the Trail is co-aligned with or closely parallels the Creeper Trail outside of Damascus.

A.T. hikers can either take a detour that uses several side trails to route around the closed section (including the Iron Mountain Trail, which was the A.T. until 1972), or shuttle around the closed section. Shuttling around vs. walking the detour will not impact a hiker’s eligibility for our 2,000-miler program.

VA Creeper Trail Detour

Why hasn’t the Trail been fully opened yet?

1. Helene was a catastrophic and widespread natural disaster and had devastating impacts to life and safety and critical infrastructure. While the A.T. is an important recreational resource, it is one of many resources and habitats that the USFS manages in the storm-damaged areas. 
2. The severity and complexity of the damage from Helene has made clearing some sections slow-going. Some areas require heavy equipment to clear, like around Iron Mountain Gap. Winter conditions and the availability of funding and contractors further slowed this work in late 2024/early 2025.
3. Large repair projects, like the Chestoa Bridge over the Nolichucky and Virginia Creeper Trail repair, take time to plan and get funding for.

The ATC, Trail Club volunteers, USFS, and NPS have all been working extremely hard since the storm to assess damage, clear the Trail, and gather funding and resources to restore the Trail. 

I’ve heard from other hikers that the Trail is passable in a closed section. Can I go through?

Just because other hikers say that an area is passable does not mean that it is safe.

The area around Iron Mountain Gap and the closed section along the VA Creeper Trail are closed for hiker safety and to give crews room to work. Always stay out of closed sections. 

Official closures from the U.S. Forest Service are legally binding, meaning that you can be fined and/or arrested for being in closed areas. 

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Pack Flexibility, Patience, & Good Judgment

Areas hit by Hurricane Helene are still changing and evolving, even more than a year later, and will continue to do so. Good judgment and the ability to safely adapt to changing conditions are as important for A.T. hikers as the 10 Essentials.

• Understand that areas with severe storm damage are dynamic. The forest has been completely changed, with some areas losing more than 90% of their tree cover. Just because a section is open when you start your hike does not mean it will stay open and vice versa.
  • Trees will continue to fall as they die and rot,
  • High winds and other storms will have a bigger impact on the damaged landscape,
  • Rain could lead to landslides now that these areas no longer have roots holding the soil in place,
  • Storm debris means that wildfires are an even greater risk.

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  Storm damage in southwest VA.

  Remain flexible and be prepared to change your plans if needed.

  • It is much easier to mentally prepare for changes before you leave for your hike. Take time while you plan to think through what it would look like to skip sections, skip north of the worst storm damage, or end your hike early.
  • Budget for the possibility of changing plans. Skipping sections and flip-flopping will add transportation, lodging, and other costs. Having emergency funds built into your hike budget will let you be flexible when you need to be.

• Exercise good judgment and err on the side of caution. If you come across an open stretch of the A.T. that has new damage and you are unsure if it’s safe to go through, turn around. We know that it is deflating to backtrack or turn around before your destination, but nothing is worth your safety. The Trail will be waiting for you once it is cleared and repaired.
• Please be patient. Again, areas with severe storm damage are dynamic. Conditions will change. Many Trail towns and sections of the A.T. will still bear the scars of the storm. You can show your care for the A.T. and the Trail community by giving others grace as we all rebuild.
• Stay out of closed sections. Sections of the A.T. are rarely closed and only for very good reasons, usually for hiker safety. Staying out of closed sections protects you and gives crews room to work.

Storm Damage

What to Expect and How to Stay Safe

The A.T. north of the Smokies and into Virginia all saw impacts from Hurricane Helene, with the worst of the damage along the North Carolina-Tennessee border into Damascus. Learn about the conditions you may encounter and how to stay safe.

Downed Trees

• Know that trees will continue to fall as the land heals. For example, a wind storm hit the Smokies last spring and caused hundreds of new blowdowns (knocked down trees across the Trail) due to the fragility of the landscape after Helene.
• Be prepared to slow down if you encounter a lot of blowdowns. A lot of blowdowns can slow you down to a mile or less an hour and are exhausting to go over, under, and around. Climbing through large tangles of trees can also be extremely dangerous due to hidden tension points that can cause branches and trunks to snap suddenly. Turn around instead. 
• Bring a map and compass and know how to use them together. Apps and PDF maps are not sufficient – apps can have glitches and phones can die. Turn around if you come to a section and cannot easily see the Trail in front of you. Be extremely careful when leaving the footpath to find a campsite, get water, or use the bathroom.
• Pack sunscreen and extra water. With so much tree cover gone, the Trail will be hotter and drier.
• Know that wildfires are a huge risk in storm-damaged areas. All those downed trees make the perfect fuel for wildfires to spread quickly. Forgo a campfire in areas with storm damage, especially during hot, dry, windy weather, and be very careful when using camp stoves. Pack out all trash, especially cigarette butts.

Essential Skill

Wildfire Safety

Hazard Trees

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  It would not be a good idea to take a break or camp under this dead, leaning tree!

  Know how to identify hazardous trees. These are standing dead, damaged, and or diseased trees that could fall anytime, especially during windy weather. Look for dead, leaning, snagged, or damaged trees (large cracks in the bark, dying or dead branches, fallen trees caught in others).

• Do not stop or camp under hazardous trees. Look up before stopping or setting up camp and make sure you are not within the tree’s length or under any large, dead branches should the tree fall or the branches break off.
• Pay attention during storms and on windy days. Hazardous trees are more likely to fall or break off in windy, stormy weather. In especially bad weather, it may even be safer to stop for the day and set up camp away from any hazardous trees than to hike through an area with many lining the footpath. 

Essential Skill

Hazard Tree ID

Erosion & Unstable Ground

With fewer tree roots to hold the ground in place, landslides are still a risk in storm-damaged areas. Sections of the footpath (also called the tread or treadway) may have still severe erosion. Other sections will be soft and unstable. There may be large craters in the treadway due to uprooted trees, which are especially hard to see in snow.

 

• Test soft or unstable-looking sections with a trekking pole or stick before stepping on them. Be especially careful on sections that follow a steep sidehill/slope.
• Look uphill for large, loose boulders.  
• Do not cross slides or attempt to go above them. If the ground has slid away, turn around. It could still be unstable and weight on the ground may cause a further slide.
• Follow the weather before your hike and check it before you leave town. Heavy rain or snow can increase the risk of landslides.

Essential Knowledge

Weather Forecast Helene Landslides

 

What to do if you run into a Trail crew

A.T. Maintaining Clubs, USFS staff, and ATC crews have been hard at work this season repairing damage from Helene, and will continue to work on storm-damaged sections in 2026. You can support their efforts and the Trail’s recovery by giving them room to work and making sure it is safe to pass before continuing on your way.

Consider flip-flopping or saving storm-damaged sections until the fall to give crews more time and space to work this spring and summer.

• Never try to pass a working crew or Trail maintainer until you are certain that they know you are there and have paused work to let you pass. This is critical for crews using chainsaws and heavy equipment like rigging.
  • Stay as far away as possible from saw crews until you are certain that they know you are there. Make sure you get a response from them indicating that they see you (hand wave, a call out, etc.) and that they turn their chainsaw off/stop sawing before you continue.
  • If the crew cannot see you unless you get close because of the terrain, wait for a pause in work and yell out. Do not continue until you get a verbal response back letting you know it’s safe to approach.

• Listen for the sound of folks working. If you hear the buzz of chainsaws or clanking of tools up ahead, slow down and approach with caution. Some crews may put out signs at either end of the work area letting you know they’re ahead.

• Some crews may also have folks posted at either end of the work area to stop hikers. Respect these crew members and wait until they give you the all-clear to proceed. This is also a great chance to ask questions about upcoming shelters, water sources, and towns!

Last but not least, please say thank you! Many of the crew members you’ll run into on the A.T. are volunteers. Everyone you meet working on the Trail is there because they love it and want to keep it open for everyone. A simple thank you goes a long way toward making these folks feel appreciated for their hard work!

Want to give back to the Trail by volunteering?

A.T. Clubs welcome volunteers to join them on a workday or you can sign up for a multi-day volunteer trail crew experience. There will also be more Helene repair-related trail crew projects in 2026. Check out all our volunteer opportunities and sign up for our volunteer newsletter by clicking the button below.

Become a Volunteer

Trail Towns and Giving Back

Support Local Businesses

Many small mountain towns along the Trail rely on hiker business during the spring, summer, and fall months. As communities along the A.T. in the south continue to rebuild, you can help recovery efforts by patronizing local businesses in places that are welcoming visitors again.

Be sure to check with individual communities and businesses ahead of time to see if they are open to visitors. If businesses and towns are open, consider visiting these impacted Trail towns:

• Hot Springs, NC – visit Hot Springs Recovery Hub for more info on the town’s status. Hot Springs Tourism also has updated info about the status of hiker services.
• Erwin, TN – check out Visit Unicoi County and Real Wild Unicoi for more updated information.
• Elk Park, NC – the nearby town of Banner Elk, NC has information about recovery resources.
• Roan Mountain, TN
• Hampton, TN
• Shady Valley, TN
• Damascus, VA – visit the town’s Helene Updates page.

You can help by patronizing local businesses. If your budget allows:

• Buy gear and gear replacements from locally owned outfitters.
• Schedule rides with shuttle providers instead of hitchhiking or yogi-ing a ride at the trailhead (this is also a much safer option!).
• Plan zero days in impacted towns. Hikers tend to spend more money in town the longer they are off Trail, so spending your zero days in towns hit by the storm will help give the local economy a boost.
• There’s so much going on in Trail towns besides the A.T.! Plan your visit around and attend local events and festivals if you can.

 

Volunteering for recovery efforts in towns

If you’d like to help with recovery efforts in towns or at hostels along the way, please call ahead first to ask about opportunities. Help will be welcomed in many places, but showing up unannounced or self-deploying can take up valuable resources, create confusion, or slow things down.

Give Back

The ATC and our partners are already posting volunteer opportunities to help rebuild the A.T. and will continue to do so into 2026. Sign up for our volunteer newsletter to receive information about opportunities, including our Trail crews.

Receive Volunteer Opportunities

You can also donate to the ATC and support our work to repair, rebuild, and reconnect the Trail.

Happy Trails!

Remember that we are all stewards of this special place. The A.T. has flourished for more than 100 years and, with your help and careful planning, will remain a premier National Scenic Trail for another 100 years and more!

More Information

• Helene Trail Alert 
• ATCamp 
• Transportation page with shuttle services 
• Safety on the A.T.
• Guidebooks and FarOut 
• Hiker Prep Series